FR Doc E6-2174 [Federal Register: February 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 31)] [Notices] [Page 7931-7934] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr15fe06-46] Download:----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools; Overview Information; Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Funds for FY 2006 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.255A Dates: Applications Available: February 15, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 3, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 31, 2006. Eligible Applicants: State or local correctional agencies and State or local correctional education agencies. Estimated Available Funds: $4,662,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $315,000-$475,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $388,500. Estimated Number of Awards: 12. Note: On October 28, 2005, the President submitted a request to Congress to rescind (cancel) the funds that would otherwise be available for grant awards under this competition. The rescission request is still pending. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 18 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program provides financial assistance for establishing and operating programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult prisoners into society. Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from the statute for this program (20 U.S.C. 1211-2). Absolute Priority: For FY 2006, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: [[Page 7932]] Grants for projects that assist State or local correctional agencies and State or local correctional educational agencies in establishing and operating programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult prisoners into society. Program Authority: Section 601 of P.L. 102-73, the National Literacy Act of 1991 (20 U.S.C. 1211-2 (1991)), as incorporated by the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2005 (P.L. 108-447 at 118 Stat. 3145). Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.(b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 490.4. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $4,662,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $315,000-$475,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $388,500. Estimated Number of Awards: 12. Note: On October 28, 2005, the President submitted a request to Congress to rescind (cancel) the funds that would otherwise be available for grant awards under this competition. The rescission request is still pending. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 18 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: State or local correctional agencies and State or local correctional education agencies. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.255A. You may also download the application from the Department of Education's Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. 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 under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in this section VII. of this notice. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: February 15, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 3, 2006. Applications under this grant competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery, 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: May 31, 2006. 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 competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. a. Electronic Submission of Applications We have been accepting applications electronically through the Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners--CFDA 84.255A is one of the programs included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. You may access the electronic grant application for Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search. Please note the following: Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary. When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation. Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov. You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf. [[Page 7933]] To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted ). These steps include: (1) Registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3- step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You must also provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov. You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format. You may submit all documents electronically, including all information typically included on the Application for Federal Education Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified above or submit a password protected file, we will not review that material. Your electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice. After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e- mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application). We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted. Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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 84.255A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260, or By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA 84.255A), 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 legible 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. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) 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 84.255A), 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 Application for Federal Education Assistance (SF 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 acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment 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 1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are as follows: Note: The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is indicated in parentheses. (1) Significance (20 points)--In determining the significance of the [[Page 7934]] proposed project, the following factors are considered: (a) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement. (b) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield findings that may be utilized by other appropriate agencies and organizations. (2) Quality of the Project Design (35 points)--In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the following factors are considered: (a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (b) The extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements. (c) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project. (d) The extent to which the proposed project will establish linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target population. (3) Quality of Project Services (15 points)--In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the following factors are considered: (a) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (b) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (c) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. (4) Quality of the Management Plan (10 points)--In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the following factors are considered: (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. (b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5) Quality of the Project Evaluation (20 points)--In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors are considered: (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (b) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other settings. 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 Notification (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 period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measure for assessing the effectiveness of the Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program: The number of prisoners who attain measurable gains in one or more of the life skill domains taught under the Life Skills project. This measure reflects the Department's indicator of success for this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program are advised to give careful consideration to this measure in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of their proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to collect and report data to the Department about this measure in their final report. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlette Huntley, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E216, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 205-7943: or by e-mail: Carlette.Huntley@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. 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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html. Dated: February 9, 2006. Deborah A. Price, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug Free Schools. [FR Doc. E6-2174 Filed 2-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P