Other Information 1. U.S. Department of Education - General Information To get more information about any aspect of the Department, its structure, or its programs, or to get answers to questions not answered by this booklet, contact: U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 1-800-USA-LEARN Telephone 1-800-437-0833 TTY (202) 401-0689 Fax customerservice@inet.ed.gov E-mail Comments or questions about No Child Left Behind U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202 1-888-814-NCLB Telephone 1-800-437-0833 TTY (202) 401-0689 Fax NoChildLeftBehind@ed.gov E-mail - The U.S. Department of Education Web Page Those with access to the World Wide Web can tap a rich collection of education-related information at the U.S. Department of Education's Web site. The site includes statistical information, research findings and syntheses, full-text publications, directories of effective programs, and other similar data. Visit ED's Web site at the following Internet address: http://www.ed.gov/ The Office of the Chief Financial Officer also is a source of education-related information at the Department. The Internet address for this site is: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/ You can address suggestions and/or questions about the contents of our Web site to our Webmaster at the following e-mail address: webmaster@inet.ed.gov - Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs The Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs is a reference for information about programs and resources administered by the U.S. Department of Education. You will also find information on financial assistance offered to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher education, postsecondary vocational institutions, public and private nonprofit organizations, and individuals to help serve a variety of education needs including those of students, teachers, administrators, and researchers. It also includes information about laboratories and centers and other research-oriented entities that produce resources important to education. The Internet address for this Web site is: http://web99.ed.gov/GTEP/Program2.nsf - ED Electronic Grant Initiatives [e-GRANTS] E-GRANTS (e-Grants) is the Department of Education's (ED) portal for electronic grants. From e-GRANTS you may access all of the Department's Web-based grant systems. The Internet address for this Web site is: http://e-grants.ed.gov/egWelcome.asp This portal includes direct links to the Department's Web-based grant system modules including: E-Payments (e-Payments) is the EDCAPS module for grants management and payments. The Education Central Automated Processing System (EDCAPS) Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS) was developed and implemented by the Department to streamline payment processing and reporting for our grantees/payees. GAPS provides online capabilities to request payments from the Department and continuous access to current grant and payment information. Under GAPS, grantees/payees will request ED funds by grant award number. The grant award number is a unique, 11- character number that identifies each grant award issued by a specific office to a specific grantee. The grant award number can be found on the grant award notices issued to grantees by Department program offices. Grantees/payees should contact the program offices for award numbers. E-Application (e-Application) is the module for online grant applications in EDCAPS. E-Application automates, and exists in parallel with, the current paper-based ED grant application process. E- Application allows for an application package to be assembled using electronic components and presented electronically via the Internet to potential applicants for completion. Upon completion, e-Application manages the return and validation of the completed application to ED. E-Application allows grant applicants to apply for specific grant packages and competitions via the Internet. You have the ability to create new grant applications; update, delete and view existing grant applications; check the status of your applications and submit applications to ED. E-Application allows applicants to apply on-line to a specially selected group of grants. To see a list of these grants, use a Packages link or an APPLY button. If you are new to e-Application, our User Guide will help get you on your way. To apply for a grant through e-Application you will have to register with our site. Please register only if you are actually going to use e-Application to apply for a grant. E-Reports (e-Reports) is the module for online annual grant performance reports in EDCAPS. E-Reports automates, and exists in parallel with, the current paper-based ED annual grant performance reporting process. E-Reports allows for an annual grant performance report to be assembled using electronic components and presented electronically via the Internet to grantees for completion. Upon completion, e-Reports manages the return and validation of the completed report to ED. E-Reports allows grantees to complete annual performance reports (for programs which they serve as project director) via the Internet. Grantees will have the ability to create new grant reports; update, delete and view existing grant reports; check the status of their reports and submit reports to ED. E-Reports allows grantees for selected U.S. Department of Education programs to complete and submit their annual performance reports on-line. If you are new to e-Reports, our User Guide will help you get started. E-Reader (e-Reader) is the module for online review of discretionary grant applications in EDCAPS. E-Reader automates, and exists in parallel with the current paper-based ED Discretionary Grant Application Review process. E-Reader allows for a Technical Review Form to be assembled using electronic components and presented electronically via the Internet to potential reviewers for completion. Upon completion, e-Reader manages the return and validation of the completed Form(s) to ED. A completed Grant Reading, includes, but is not limited to, a Technical Review form which contains Scoring and Comments for each application assigned to a reader, and may include an exit assessment. E-Reader provides electronic access to grant applications that were submitted via the e-Application portion of the e-Grants site. After the user has registered and received an ID, he/she can begin the review(s). The user will only have access to their forms during the dates designated for their panel review. Therefore, he/she will be unable to access forms until the Start Date for the Review. As with e-Reports, this module will also include features such as registration, e-mail confirmations and printing capabilities. E-Reader allows Peer Reviewers for the U.S. Department of Education to complete on-line peer reviews for a specially selected group of Programs. If you are new to e-Reader, our User Guide will help get you on your way. To participate in a peer review using e-Reader, you will have to register with our site. Please register only if you have been selected as a peer reviewer for a program that is using e-Reader. In order to register, you will need your social security number. E-Administration (e-Administration) is the module for Project Directors to submit on-line administrative changes to their grant awards, and exists in parallel with, the current paper-based ED administrative changes process. E-Administration gives Project Directors the ability to submit administrative changes to their grant awards. The following types of changes are available: DUNS/SSN, address, key personnel, Project Director name and address, dates (no-cost time extensions), certifying representative, and others. If you are new to e- Administration, our User Guide will help you get started. Future modules under construction include the following: E-Award (e-Award)桝n electronic Grant Award Notification module E-Signature (e-Signature)桝n electronic Signature module, the nature of which has yet to be determined. 2. Grants.gov桾he Electronic Storefront for Federal Grants. Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov provides organizations with the ability to search for federal governmentwide grant opportunities. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) issued a policy directive (.pdf) requiring that all federal agencies post grant opportunities online as of Nov. 7, 2003. To begin your search for grant opportunities, access http://www.grants.gov. To register to receive all e-mail notifications of new grant postings from FedGrants.gov (Grants.gov FIND ), access Receive Grant Opportunity Emails link. Grants.gov provides a single, secure and reliable source for applying for federal grants online, simplifying the grant application process and reducing paperwork. Do you have the federal funding opportunity number or the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number of the grant for which you want to apply? You will need either number to download a grant application and apply for a grant. Once you have either number, you are ready to download the application package and begin the process to apply for grants through Grants.gov. It is a four- step process: Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions Step 2: Complete the Selected Grant Application Package Step 3: Submit a Completed Grant Application Package Step 4: Track the Status of a Completed Grant Application Package The Internet address for this Web site is: http://grants.gov/ 3. FirstGov.gov (Your First Click to the U.S. Government) FirstGov.gov, the official U.S. gateway to all government information, is the catalyst for a growing electronic government. On FirstGov.gov, you can search millions of Web pages from federal and state governments, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Most of these pages are not available on commercial Web sites. FirstGov.gov has the most comprehensive search of government information anywhere on the Internet. FirstGov.gov is also pleased to announce its new Spanish- language Web portal, FirstGov en Espanol. It's the U.S. government's new gateway to thousands of government resources梐ll in Spanish and developed by, and for, Spanish speakers. FirstGov.gov will help you find and do business with the federal government online, on the phone, by mail or in person. You may select customer gateways梒itizens, businesses and nonprofits, federal employees and government-to-government梩o find exactly what you need. For example, from your computer, you can apply for student financial assistance, buy government publications, apply for social security and other benefits, get a passport application and so much more. There are links to FirstGov.gov from every federal department or agency Web site. The Internet address for this Web site is: http://firstgov.gov/ 4. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a government-wide compendium of federal programs, projects, services, and activities, which provide assistance or benefits to the American public. It contains financial and nonfinancial assistance programs administered by departments and establishments of the federal government. In 1984, Public Law 98-169 authorized the transfer of responsibilities of the Federal Program Information Act from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to the General Services Administration (GSA). The transfer took place in July 1984. These responsibilities include the dissemination of federal domestic assistance program information through the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act, Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 98-169. GSA now maintains the federal assistance information database from which program information is obtained. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) serves as an intermediary agent between the federal agencies and GSA, thus providing oversight to the necessary collection of federal domestic assistance program data. The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all federal programs available to state and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. After you find the program you want, contact the office that administers the program and find out how to apply. Currently, programs in the Catalog are being classified by GSA into 15 types of assistance. (Cooperative Agreements as a type of assistance is used for programs administered under that mechanism. However, the definition does not appear in this section.) Benefits and services of the programs are provided through seven financial types of assistance and eight nonfinancial types of assistance. The following list defines the types of assistance which are available through the programs. Code letters below (A through O) which identify the type of assistance) will follow program titles in the Agency Index, Applicant Eligibility Index, the Functional Index, Deadlines Index, and in the list of added programs. (A) Formula Grants -- Allocations of money to States or their subdivisions in accordance with distribution formulas prescribed by law or administrative regulation, for activities of a continuing nature not confined to a specific project. (B) Project Grants -- The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants. (C) Direct Payments for Specified Use -- Financial assistance from the federal government provided directly to individuals, private firms, and other private institutions to encourage or subsidize a particular activity by conditioning the receipt of the assistance on a particular performance by the recipient. This does not include solicited contracts for the procurement of goods and services for the federal government. (D) Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use -- Financial assistance from the federal government provided directly to beneficiaries who satisfy federal eligibility requirements with no restrictions being imposed on the recipient as to how the money is spent. Included are payments under retirement, pension, and compensatory programs. (E) Direct Loans -- Financial assistance provided through the lending of federal monies for a specific period of time, with a reasonable expectation of repayment. Such loans may or may not require the payment of interest. (F) Guaranteed/Insured Loans -- Programs in which the federal government makes an arrangement to indemnify a lender against part or all of any defaults by those responsible for repayment of loans. (G) Insurance -- Financial assistance provided to assure reimbursement for losses sustained under specified conditions. Coverage may be provided directly by the federal government or through private carriers and may or may not involve the payment of premiums. (H) Sale, Exchange, or Donation of Property and Goods -- Programs which provide for the sale, exchange, or donation of federal real property, personal property, commodities, and other goods including land, buildings, equipment, food and drugs. This does not include the loan of, use of, or access to federal facilities or property. (I) Use of Property, Facilities, and Equipment -- Programs which provide for the loan of, use of, or access to federal facilities or property wherein the federally owned facilities or property do not remain in the possession of the recipient of the assistance. (J) Provision of Specialized Services -- Programs which provide federal personnel directly to perform certain tasks for the benefit of communities or individuals. These services may be performed in conjunction with nonfederal personnel, but they involve more than consultation, advice, or counseling. (K) Advisory Services and Counseling -- Programs which provide federal specialists to consult, advise, or counsel communities or individuals to include conferences, workshops, or personal contacts. This may involve the use of published information, but only in a secondary capacity. (L) Dissemination of Technical Information -- Programs which provide for the publication and distribution of information or data of a specialized or technical nature frequently through clearinghouses or libraries. This does not include conventional public information services designed for general public consumption. (M) Training -- Programs which provide instructional activities conducted directly by a federal agency for individuals not employed by the federal government. (N) Investigation of Complaints -- Federal administrative agency activities that are initiated in response to requests, either formal or informal, to examine or investigate claims of violations of federal statutes, policies, or procedure. The origination of such claims must come from outside the federal government. (O) Federal Employment -- Programs which reflect the Governmentwide responsibilities of the Office of Personnel Management in the recruitment and hiring of federal civilian agency personnel. Effective June 16, 2003, the General Services Administration (GSA) discontinued printing and distribution of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Consistent with the Administration's Electronic- Government initiatives, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), and a move to a paper free environment, GSA will now disseminate the Catalog electronically through the CFDA Web site on the Internet. The Internet and GSA's free CFDA Web site at http://www.cfda.gov will be the primary means of disseminating the Catalog. In addition to what is already there, the Web site contains a version of the Catalog in Adobe pdf format that, when printed by any user, will have the same layout as the printed document that the Government Printing Office (GPO) has provided. Furthermore, GPO recently indicated that it will continue printing and selling the CFDA Catalog to interested buyers. For information about purchasing the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance from GPO, call the Superintendent of Documents at 202-512-1800 or toll free at 866- 512-1800, or you may reach GPO's on-line bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance can be accessed online for searches and other purposes at the following Internet address: http://www.cfda.gov/ 5. Federal Register The Federal Register is a legal newspaper published every business day by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It contains federal agency regulations; proposed rules and notices; and Executive orders, proclamations and other Presidential documents. The Federal Register informs citizens of their rights and obligations and provides access to a wide range of federal benefits and opportunities for funding. NARA's Office of the Federal Register prepares the Federal Register for publication in partnership with the Government Printing Office (GPO), which distributes it in paper, on microfiche and on the World Wide Web. Reading the Federal Register may be vital to you and your customers: - If you need to know about the day-to-day operations of the federal government - If your business is regulated by a federal agency - If you are an attorney practicing before a regulatory agency - If your organization attends public hearings or meetings or applies for grants - If you are concerned with government actions that affect the environment, health care, financial services, exports, education, or other major public policy issues Each issue of the Federal Register is organized into four categories: - Presidential Documents, including Executive orders and proclamations - Rules and Regulations, including policy statements and interpretations of rules - Proposed Rules, including petitions for rulemaking and other advance proposals - Notices, including scheduled hearings and meetings open to the public, grant applications, and administrative orders Documents published in the Federal Register as rules and proposed rules include citations to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to refer readers to the CFR parts affected. The CFR contains the complete and official text of agency regulations organized into fifty titles covering broad subject areas. The CFR is updated and published once a year in print, fiche and on-line formats. If you wish to read or purchase copies of the Federal Register: Visit the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)'s Office of the Federal Register, Current Federal Register Index, http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/the-federal-register/indexes.html, for free online access to Federal Register publications. Visit GPO Access, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html, for free online access to Federal Register publications. Visit any Federal Depository Library, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html, for reference copies of Federal Register publications. Visit GPO's U.S. Government Online Bookstore, http://bookstore.gpo.gov. As of Sept. 1, 2003, the U.S. Government Printing Office closed all of its bookstores nationwide, except for the main bookstore in Washington, D.C., which will undergo reconfiguration. The retail sales outlet in Laurel, Md. will remain in operation to service book dealers picking up from the colocated warehouse facility only. The closures result from an overall decline in sales due to the dramatic increase in access to government information on the Internet and the shift from walk-in traffic at bookstores to purchases from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore. 6. Code of Federal Regulations The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis. Titles 1� are updated as of January 1st. Titles 17� are updated as of April 1st. Titles 28� are updated as of July 1st. Titles 42� are updated as of October 1st. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations in the CFR are provided at the section level. A list of agencies and where they appear in the CFR may be found in Appendix C of the U.S. Government Manual. The online CFR is a joint project authorized by the publisher, the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR), and the Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide the public with enhanced access to Government information. CFR volumes are added to GPO Access concurrent with the release of the paper editions. When revised CFR volumes are added, the prior editions remain on GPO Access as a historical set. Some CFR records on GPO Access date back to 1996; all titles are available from 1997 to the current year. Documents are available as ASCII text and PDF files. Due to the update schedule of the CFR, the List of Sections Affected (LSA) provides a cumulative list of CFR sections that have been changed at any time since each CFR title was last updated. Documents are available in PDF and ASCII text formats. The Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access from 1996 (partial) forward. Electronic searches can be done on the Internet at the following address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html 7. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a prototype of a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The e-CFR prototype is a demonstration project. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR prototype is authorized and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Printing Office (GPO). The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a frequent basis. The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a frequent basis. See the e-CFR home page for the current update status. The e-CFR consists of two linked databases: the "current Code" and "amendment files." The OFR updates the current Code database according to the effective dates of amendments published in the Federal Register. As amendments become effective, the OFR integrates the changes into the current Code database to display the full text of the currently updated CFR. For future-effective amendments, the OFR inserts hypertext links into the affected sections or parts of the current Code to take users to the pertinent amendment files. The amendment files contain amendatory instructions, the text of amendments (if any) and their effective dates. If the effective date of a regulation falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the amendments will be integrated into the current Code on the next federal business day. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations can be accessed at the following Web address: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=%2Findex.tpl 8. Federal Legislation You can obtain copies of pending and enacted federal legislation by contacting the Senate or House of Representatives at the following numbers: Senate Document Room: (202) 224-7701 House Document Room: (202) 226-5200 (NOTE: You must know the bill or law number in order to ask for copies of legislation.) For further information about ordering other congressional documents, contact the Government Printing Office on (202) 512-2465. Legislative information is also available online at the following Internet address: http://thomas.loc.gov Acting under the directive of the leadership of the 104th Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the Internet public, a Library of Congress team brought the THOMAS World Wide Web system online in January 1995, at the inception of the 104th Congress. Searching capabilities in THOMAS were built on the InQuery information retrieval system, developed by the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval based at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The first database made available was Bill Text, followed shortly by Congressional Record Text, Bill Summary & Status, Hot Bills (no longer maintained), the Congressional Record Index, and the Constitution (now found, along with other historical Congressional documents, under the "Historical Documents" category on the THOMAS home page). Enhancements in the types of legislative data available, as well as in search and display capabilities, have been continuously added. Additional Information can be found at the following url: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/abt_thom.html 9. Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) EDGAR is composed of Parts 74-86 and 97-99 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (see 4., above). Since it is designed primarily for the benefit of recipients of discretionary grants and cooperative agreements, the Department provides copies, as a matter of practice, only to those who have already received an award. If you are a recipient who did not receive a copy with your award package, you may ask for one by contacting your program officer. An electronic version of EDGAR can be downloaded from the ED Board (see 1., above) or may be downloaded off the Internet at the following address: http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html 10. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars Instructions or information issued by OMB to federal agencies. These are expected to have a continuing effect of two years or more. To obtain circulars that are not available on-line, please call the Office of Management and Budget's information line at (202) 395- 3080. Choose from one of two options: Circulars arrayed by numerical sequence; or Circulars indexed by major category. - Budget - State and Local Governments - Educational and Non-Profit Institutions - Federal Procurement - Federal Financial Management - Federal Information Resources / Data Collection - Other Special Purpose The full text of the six grants management circulars and any other OMB grants documents can be reviewed and printed from the Internet at the following address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/index.html 11. Office of Management and Budget: Executive Order 12372� Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs It is estimated that in 2004 the federal government will outlay $400 billion in grants to state and local governments. Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," was issued with the desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development. The Order allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function. The Single Point of Contact (SPOC List can be reviewed on the Internet at the following address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/grants/spoc.html States that are not listed on that Web page have chosen not to participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC). If you are located within one of these States, you may still send application materials directly to a federal awarding agency. 12. Office of Electronic Government [formerly the Federal Electronic Commerce Program] The Office of Electronic Government and Technology within the Office of Governmentwide Policy in the General Services Administration was formerly named the Office of Electronic Commerce and Office of Electronic Government. Electronic government is about using technology to enhance access to and delivery of information and services to citizens, business partners, employees, agencies, and government entities. Adoption of E-Commerce is well underway in federal agencies. Government use of Internet-based services, for electronic purchasing and information sharing is becoming more sophisticated. However, a recent report published by GSA's Office of Intergovernmental Solutions noted that on-line citizen transactions are still in the early stages. The Office of Electronic Government and Technology within the Office of Governmentwide Policy in the General Services Administration can be accessed at the following url: http://www.estrategy.gov/ 13. The National Grants Partnership (NGP) The National Grants Partnership (NGP) was established in November 2004. It is a cooperative initiative among federal officials, representatives of state, local and tribal governments; their executive branch grants offices staff; and those in nonprofit organizations. The NGP is an outgrowth of the work of the State, Local, Nonprofit and Other Subcommittee of the Inter-Agency Electronic Grants Committee (IAEGC), of the Interstate and Nonprofit Advisory Group (INAG), and the Uniform Guidelines Coalition.The federal government distributes $400 billion to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations for public assistance. State and local governments add tens of billions of their tax dollars for public assistance programs. Nonprofits receive more than $75 billion of these government grant funds. The mission of the National Grants Partnership is to foster a partnership among state, local, and tribal governments and non- profit stakeholders and federal grant-making agencies to improve effectiveness of use of grant funds and reduce burdens associated with grants administration. To accomplish this mission, the NGP is pursuing a number of specific projects and activities on behalf ofand providing leadership and support tostate, local and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations on issues relating to grants administration and management. The structure and operation of the NGP is modeled after that of the federal and university research community's Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). The NGP provides interaction among nonfederal entities and helps expand the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-107) and Grants.gov interaction with nonfederal entities through meetings and being a focal point for discussion with federal agencies on behalf of nonfederal entities in the grant-making area. (Note: Copies of this legislation are available on the Government Printing Office Web Page in text or Adobe PDF format. The PDF version is available at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/ getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ107.106.pdf). The goals of the NGP are to work in a partnership environment with the federal, state and local grants communities to improve grants management at all levels by utilizing strategies that include: - Developing and implementing processes to increase efficiencies of grants management, resulting in reduced costs and administrative burdens; - Developing and implementing strategies that increase state effectiveness in applying, obtaining and managing federal grants, loans and other forms of financial assistance; and - Providing high-quality training and technical assistance to state and local governments and other entities. The NGP Web page can be accessed at: http://thengp.org 14. P.L. 106-107桮rant Streamlining Initiative The Grants Streamlining Initiative is comprised of the governmentwide set of organizations and activities responsible for implementing the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, also known as Public Law 106-107 (P.L. 106-107), which was enacted in November 1999. The purposes of the act are to: (1) improve the effectiveness and performance of federal financial assistance programs, (2) simplify federal financial assistance application and reporting requirements, (3) improve the delivery of services to the public and (4) facilitate greater coordination among those responsible for delivering services. The 26 federal agencies that award grants and cooperative agreements are actively implementing P.L. 106�7 through interagency work groups. The activities of the interagency include development of common data elements for applications and reports, common electronic processes and uniform administrative rules across agencies. This web site includes information about P.L. 106-107, the agencies and groups responsible for implementation, their accomplishments, and future activities. This website also serves as a resource to anyone wanting to find out about current developments in federal grants and cooperative agreements. The P.L. 106-107桮rant Streamlining Initiative Web Page can accessed at: http://grants.gov/GrantsSI 15. FedBizOpps [Federal Business Opportunities] (Formerly the Electronic Posting System (EPS)) FedBizOpps.gov is the single government point-of-entry (GPE) for federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000. Government buyers for federal departments and agencies can publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet. Through one portal� FedBizOpps (FBO)梒ommercial vendors seeking federal markets for their products and services can search, monitor and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire federal contracting community. FedBizOpps can be accessed at: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/index.html 16. Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) The Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) is a cooperative initiative among federal agencies and institutional recipients of federal funds. It was established to increase research productivity by streamlining the administrative process and minimizing the administrative burden on principal investigators while maintaining effective stewardship of federal funds. In its current phase the FDP boasts 90 institutional members, three emerging research institutes, 11 federal agencies, and five professional organizations. Given the ever-increasing federal regulatory environment and the strain on the relationship between academe and the federal government, FDP provides a unique forum for dialogue, demonstration and debate among all the key players. The Federal Demonstration Partnership provides a forum for those concerned in the research enterprise to discuss, propose and experiment with their ideas to improve business processes that impinge on the conduct of research. The FDP can be accessed at: http://thefdp.org/index.html 17. Miscellaneous sources of information The National Grants Management Association (NGMA) is an individual membership organization made up of 850+ grants management professionals. Members are responsible for the management of billions of dollars in grants and rely on NGMA to provide valuable grants management information on highly complex issues ranging from the regulatory environment, OMB circulars, accounting and auditing issues, grant budgeting, financial management, intellectual property, ethics and conflicts of interest. As changes are continually occurring in the business of grants, NGMA seeks to increase grants management efficiency by providing professional development programs, opportunities for members to share experiences and expertise and networking among colleagues. The organization provides monthly and annual training conferences in the Washington, D.C. area and publishes a semiannual journal and a quarterly newsletter. Membership is available by paying annual dues. For further information, contact: NGMA Business Office Information National Grants Management Association 11654 Plaza America Drive, #609 Reston, VA 20190-4700 Tel: 703.648.9023 Fax: 703.648.9024 E-mail: info@ngma-grants.org Web Site: http://www.ngma.org
EDGAR version June 23, 2005