FR Doc 05-9617
[Federal Register: May 13, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 92)]
[Notices]
[Page 25553-25556]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13my05-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information;
Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program (URR); Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.345A.
DATES: Applications Available: May 13, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 13, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that
research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts relating to the
history of the Underground Railroad.
Available Funds: $2,204,224.
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$750,000 total for up to three
years.
Estimated Number of Awards: 3.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: To provide grants to establish a facility to
house, display, and interpret 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.
Special Requirements: Each nonprofit educational organization
awarded a grant under this program must enter into an agreement with
the Department. Each agreement must require the organization:
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(1) 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 in an
amount equal to four 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;
(2) To create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls in the
costs of the ongoing operations of the facility;
(3) To establish a network of satellite centers throughout the
United States to help disseminate information regarding the Underground
Railroad throughout the United States. These satellite centers must
raise 80 percent of the funds required to establish the satellite
centers from non-Federal public and private sources;
(4) To establish the capability to link the facility electronically
with other local and regional facilities that have collections and
programs that interpret the history of the Underground Railroad; and
(5) To submit, for each fiscal year for which an 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.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1153.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Available Funds: $2,204,224.
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$750,000 total for up to three
years.
Estimated Number of Awards: 3.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that
research, interpret, and collect artifacts relating to the history of
the Underground Railroad.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Not more than 20% of the total funds
for this project may be provided by the Federal government. See 20
U.S.C. 1153(b)(2). Other matching requirements are described in the
Special Requirements section of this notice.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Jay Donahue, U.S.
Department of Education, room 6162, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC
20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7507 or by e-mail: jay.donahue@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 application, together with the forms you must
submit, are in the application package for this program.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: May 13,
2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. 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: July 13, 2005.
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 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.
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.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program,
84.345A, must be submitted electronically using e-Application available
through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-
Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this program, after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time for maintenance. Any modifications to
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
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.
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You must submit all documents electronically, including
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Any narrative sections of your application should be
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically,
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the
Department's e-Application system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirements: 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 e-Application system because--
You do not have access to the Internet, or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Department's e-Application 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 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: Beverly Baker, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6140, Washington, DC
20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Application 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: 84.345A,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: CFDA Number: 84.345A,
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 legibly dated 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.
b. 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 84.345A,
550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, 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 ED 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 acknowledgement to you. If you do not
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receive the grant application receipt acknowledgement 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
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in
20 U.S.C. 1153.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we 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 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, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34
CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is assessing the performance of this
program by examining the extent to which projects are being
institutionalized and continued after grant funding. These results
constitute the Office of Postsecondary Education's indicators of the
success of this program.
Consequently, applicants for URR grants are advised to give careful
consideration to these outcomes in conceptualizing the design,
implementation, and evaluation of the proposed project. If funded, you
will be asked to collect and report data in your project's annual
performance report on steps taken toward this goal.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Baker, Fund for the
Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education,
1990 K Street, NW., suite 6140, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone:
(202) 502-7503 or by e-mail: Beverly.baker@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 this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
For additional program information call the FIPSE office (202) 502-
7500 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday.
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.gpoacess.gov/nara/index.htm1.
Dated: May 10, 2005.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-9617 Filed 5-12-05; 8:45 am]
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