Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education-Special Focus Competition: US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 72799-72803 [E5-7010]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices (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 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 84.116N), 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 evaluating applications for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210 of VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:01 Dec 06, 2005 Jkt 208001 EDGAR and are listed in the application package. 2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are applications that demonstrate a trilateral, innovative North American approach to training and education. 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. 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: The success of this program depends upon—(1) The extent to which funded projects are being replicated (i.e., adopted or adapted by others); and (2) The manner in which projects are being institutionalized and continued after funding. These two performance measures constitute the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education’s (FIPSE’s) indicators of the success of the program. If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your project on steps taken toward achieving these goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these two outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their proposed projects. Institutionalization and replication are important outcomes that ensure the ultimate success of international consortia funded through this program. PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 72799 VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia W. Crowder, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006–8544. Telephone: (202) 502– 7514. 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: https://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: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ index.html. Dated: December 2, 2005. Sally Stroup, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. E5–7009 Filed 12–6–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education—Special Focus Competition: US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116M. Dates: Applications Available: December 9, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2006. E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 72800 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2006. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or combinations of IHEs and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $300,000 for the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program for FY 2006. 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: $30,000 for the first year. $200,000—$210,000 for four-year duration of grant. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. $210,000 for four-year duration of grant. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $210,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 12. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 48 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing on problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education. Priority: Under this competition, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority. Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. This priority encourages proposals designed to support the formation of educational consortia of American and Brazilian institutions to support cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students, and the opening of educational opportunities between the United States and Brazil. The invitational priority is issued in cooperation with Brazil. These awards support only the participation of U.S. institutions and students in these consortia. Brazilian institutions VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:01 Dec 06, 2005 Jkt 208001 participating in any consortium proposal responding to the invitational priority may apply, respectively, to the Coordination of Improvement of Personnel of Superior Level (CAPES), Brazilian Ministry of Education, for additional funding under a separate but parallel Brazilian competition. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138– 1138d. 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. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $300,000 for the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program for FY 2006. 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 before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. $200,000–$210,000 for four-year duration of grant. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. $210,000 for four-year duration of grant. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $210,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 12. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 48 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or combinations of IHEs and other public and private nonprofit institutions and 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: Sylvia W. Crowder, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006–8544. Telephone: (202) 502–7514. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1– 800–877–8339. Individuals with disabilities may contact the 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: https://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 84.116M. 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 competition. 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 20 pages (double spaced), using the following standards: • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ × 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. • Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). The page limit does not apply to part I, the cover sheet; part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; part IV, 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: • You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or • You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: December 9, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2006. Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices (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 14, 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 program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section. a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants under the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program—CFDA Number 84.116M must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov. Apply site at: https://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. 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. You may access the electronic grant application for the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program at: https:// 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: VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:01 Dec 06, 2005 Jkt 208001 • 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 submission 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 https://eGrants.ed.gov/help/ GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf. • To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://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 https:// www.grants.gov/assets/ GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must 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. PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 72801 • 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. • You must submit all documents electronically, including all information typically included on the Application for Federal Education Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. 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 acknowledgement 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 Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: 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 the problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 72802 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices 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. Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: 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 Grants.gov system because: • You do not have access to the Internet; or • You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov 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 date 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: Sylvia W. Crowder, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, 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 Applications 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: VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:01 Dec 06, 2005 Jkt 208001 (CFDA Number 84.116M), 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 Number 84.116M), 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 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 84.116M), 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 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 listed in the application package. 2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are applications that demonstrate a bilateral, innovative US-Brazilian approach to training and education. 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. 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: The success of this competition depends upon (1) the extent to which funded projects are being replicated (i.e., adopted or adapted by others); and (2) the manner in which projects are being institutionalized and continued after funding. These two performance measures constitute the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education’s (FIPSE’s) indicators of the E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 234 / Wednesday, December 7, 2005 / Notices success of the program. If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your project on steps taken toward achieving these goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these two outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their proposed projects. Institutionalization and replication are important outcomes that ensure the ultimate success of international consortia funded through this program. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia W. Crowder, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, Program for North American Mobility in Higher Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006–8544. Telephone: (202) 502– 7514. 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: https://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: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ index.html. Dated: December 2, 2005. Sally Stroup, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. E5–7010 Filed 12–6–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:01 Dec 06, 2005 Jkt 208001 ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION Sunshine Act Notice United States Election Assistance Commission. ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting Agenda. AGENCY: Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 10 a.m.–12 noon. PLACE: U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 1225 New York Ave., NW., Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005. (Metro Stop: Metro Center). AGENDA: The Commission will receive the following reports: Title II Requirements Payments Update; FY 2006 Appropriations update; and updates on other administrative matters. The Commission will elect the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission for 2006. The Commission will receive presentations on the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) and consider the VVSG for adoption. This meeting will be open to the public. DATE AND TIME: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Whitener, Telephone: (202) 566– 3100. Paul S. DeGregorio, Vice Chairman, U.S. Election Assistance Commission. [FR Doc. 05–23760 Filed 12–2–05; 4:00 pm] BILLING CODE 6820–KF–M 72803 become a party must file a notice of intervention or motion to intervene, as appropriate. Such notices, motions, or protests must be filed on or before the comment date. Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant and all the parties in this proceeding. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 14 copies of the protest or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. This filing is accessible on-line at https://www.ferc.gov, using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive e-mail notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please e-mail FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Comment Date: 5 p.m. eastern time on December 5, 2005. Magalie R. Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. E5–6923 Filed 12–6–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER05–1534–001] American Electric Power Service Corporation; Notice of Filing November 25, 2005. On November 14, 2005, American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEP), as agent for Appalachian Power Company submitted Second Revised Substitute Sheet No. 13 to the Interconnection and Local Delivery Service Agreement No. 1252 between Blue Ridge Power Agency, Inc. and AEP. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest this filing must file in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Protests will be considered by the Commission in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but will not serve to make protestants parties to the proceeding. Any person wishing to PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [Docket Nos. ER06–5–000, ER06–5–001] CBK Group, LTD; Notice of Issuance of Order November 29, 2005. CBK Group, LTD (CBK Group) filed an application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying tariff. The proposed rate tariff provides for wholesale sales of capacity and energy at market-based rates. CBK Group also requested waiver of various Commission regulations. In particular, Wisconsin River requested that the Commission grant blanket approval under 18 CFR part 34 of all future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability by Wisconsin River. On March 25, 2005, the Commission granted the request for blanket approval under Part 34, subject to the following: Any person desiring to be heard or to protest the blanket approval of E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72799-72803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7010]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education--Special Focus Competition: 
US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116M.
    Dates: Applications Available: December 9, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2006.

[[Page 72800]]

    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or 
combinations of IHEs and other public and private nonprofit 
institutions and agencies.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$300,000 for the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program for FY 
2006. 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: $30,000 for the first year. $200,000--
$210,000 for four-year duration of grant.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. 
$210,000 for four-year duration of grant.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $210,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.


    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative 
agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing 
on problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education.
    Priority: Under this competition, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priority.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an invitational 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that 
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications.
    This priority encourages proposals designed to support the 
formation of educational consortia of American and Brazilian 
institutions to support cooperation in the coordination of curricula, 
the exchange of students, and the opening of educational opportunities 
between the United States and Brazil. The invitational priority is 
issued in cooperation with Brazil. These awards support only the 
participation of U.S. institutions and students in these consortia. 
Brazilian institutions participating in any consortium proposal 
responding to the invitational priority may apply, respectively, to the 
Coordination of Improvement of Personnel of Superior Level (CAPES), 
Brazilian Ministry of Education, for additional funding under a 
separate but parallel Brazilian competition.


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.

    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.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$300,000 for the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program for FY 
2006. 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 before the end of the current 
fiscal year, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. $200,000-
$210,000 for four-year duration of grant.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $30,000 for the first year. 
$210,000 for four-year duration of grant.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $210,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 12.


    Note:  The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.


    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or combinations of IHEs and other 
public and private nonprofit institutions and 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: Sylvia W. Crowder, Fund 
for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, Washington, DC 20006-8544. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7514.
    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 contact the 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: https://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 84.116M.
    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 competition.
    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 20 pages (double spaced), using the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to part I, the cover sheet; part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; part 
IV, 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:
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: December 9, 
2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information

[[Page 72801]]

(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 14, 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 program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants 
under the US-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program--CFDA Number 
84.116M must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov. Apply 
site at: https://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.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the US-Brazil 
Higher Education Consortia Program at: https://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:
     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 submission 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 https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
https://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 https://www.grants.gov/assets/
GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must 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. 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 acknowledgement 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: 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 the problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington,

[[Page 72802]]

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.


    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: 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 Grants.gov system because:
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov 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 date 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: Sylvia W. Crowder, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, 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 Applications 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 
84.116M), 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 Number 
84.116M), 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 
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 
84.116M), 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 listed in the application 
package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in 
selecting an application for an award are applications that demonstrate 
a bi-lateral, innovative US-Brazilian approach to training and 
education.

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. 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: The success of this competition depends 
upon (1) the extent to which funded projects are being replicated 
(i.e., adopted or adapted by others); and (2) the manner in which 
projects are being institutionalized and continued after funding. These 
two performance measures constitute the Fund for the Improvement of 
Postsecondary Education's (FIPSE's) indicators of the

[[Page 72803]]

success of the program. If funded, you will be asked to collect and 
report data from your project on steps taken toward achieving these 
goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these two 
outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation 
of their proposed projects. Institutionalization and replication are 
important outcomes that ensure the ultimate success of international 
consortia funded through this program.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia W. Crowder, Fund for the 
Improvement of Postsecondary Education, Program for North American 
Mobility in Higher Education, 1990 K Street, NW., 6th floor, 
Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7514.
    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: https://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: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.


    Dated: December 2, 2005.
Sally Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E5-7010 Filed 12-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.