Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-Special Focus Competition: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, 6150-6154 [E8-1920]

Download as PDF mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 6150 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ appforms/appforms.html. 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the Professional Development program: (1) The percentage of participants in administrator preparation projects who become principals, vice principals, or school administrators in LEAs that enroll five percent or more American Indian and Alaska Native students; (2) The percentage of participants in teacher preparation projects who become teachers in LEAs that enroll five percent or more American Indian and Alaska Native students; (3) The percentage of program participants who meet the definition of ‘‘Highly Qualified’’ in section 9101(23) of the ESEA; (4) The percentage of program participants who complete their service requirement on schedule; (5) The cost per individual who successfully completes an administrator preparation program, takes a position in a school district with at least five percent American Indian/Alaska Native enrollment, and completes the service requirement in a district; and (6) The cost per individual who successfully completes a teacher preparation program, takes a position in a school district with at least five percent American Indian/Alaska Native enrollment, and completes the service requirement in such a district. We encourage applicants to demonstrate a strong capacity to provide reliable data on these measures in their responses to the selection criteria ‘‘Quality of project services’’ and ‘‘Quality of the project evaluation.’’ All grantees will be expected to submit, as part of their performance report, information with respect to these performance measures. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lana Shaughnessy, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:22 Jan 31, 2008 Jkt 214001 Room 5C152, Washington, DC 20202– 6335. Telephone: (202) 205–2528 or by e-mail: Indian.education@ed.gov. If you use a TDD, you may call the FRS toll free at 1–800–877–8339. VIII. Other Information Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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: January 29, 2008. Kerri L. Briggs, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. E8–1904 Filed 1–31–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-Special Focus Competition: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116M. DATES: Applications Available: February 1, 2008. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2008. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2008. PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide grants or enter into cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities by focusing on problem areas in postsecondary education, or approaches to improve postsecondary education. Priority: Under this competition, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority. Invitational Priority: For FY 2008, 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 is: This priority encourages proposals designed to support the formation of educational consortia of United States (U.S.) and Brazilian institutions to support cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students, and the opening of educational opportunities between the U.S. 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 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, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $350,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $25,000– $30,000 for the first year. $220,000 for the four-year duration of the grant. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $220,000 for the four-year duration of the grant. $50,000 for the two-year complementary grants. E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices Note: Two-year complementary grants support activities that complement partnerships between or among U.S. and Brazilian colleges and universities. The objectives of these activities (which may receive up to two years of funding) support the extension of projects. These objectives are— (1) outreach to local or regional communities in both countries; (2) scale-up of current activities to include additional partners and organizations; and (3) the dissemination of project results. Proposed activities may be conducted by groups of institutions currently funded by the U.S.— Brazil Program or established partnerships not previously supported under the U.S.— Brazil Program. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $80,000 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 24 months for two-year complementary grants. Up to 48 months for four-year grants. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 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 require cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006–8544. Telephone: (202) 502–7621. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under Alternative Format in section VIII 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 competition. Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:22 Jan 31, 2008 Jkt 214001 criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative (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). • Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. 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, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section. 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 if you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: February 1, 2008. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2008. Applications for grants under this program must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format 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. Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6151 connection with the application process, the individual’s application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2008. 4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 competition. 5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition 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 U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program, CFDA Number 84.116M, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 email 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 U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program at https:// www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326A). Please note the following: • When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1 mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 6152 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices through the site, as well as the hours of operation. • Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and 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 and 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 and 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://www.grants.gov/applicants/ get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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/section910/Grants.gov RegistrationBrochure.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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:22 Jan 31, 2008 Jkt 214001 update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete. • 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 you typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms—the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424— have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance). • 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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified 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 experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it. 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 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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. E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices Address and mail or fax your statement to: Sarah T. Beaton, 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. (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. (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. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 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, VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:22 Jan 31, 2008 Jkt 214001 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification 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: An additional factor we consider in selecting an application for an award is whether the application demonstrates a bilateral, innovative U.S.-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 notify you informally, also. 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 in this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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. PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 6153 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ appforms/appforms.html. 4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the following measures will be used by the Department in assessing the performance of the program: (1) The percentage of FIPSE grantees reporting project dissemination to others; and (2) The percentage of FIPSE projects reporting institutionalization on their home campuses. If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data in your project’s annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590) on steps taken toward these goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these two indicators in conceptualizing the design, implementation and evaluation of the proposed project. Consideration of the two performance indicators is an important part of many of the review criteria. Thus, it is important to the success of your application that you include these indicators. Their measurement should be a part of the project evaluation plan, along with measures of your progress on the goals and objectives specific to your project. VII. Agency Contact For Further Information Contact: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006– 8544. Telephone: (202) 502–7621. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. VIII. Other Information Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII in this notice. Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as well as E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1 6154 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2008 / Notices 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: January 29, 2008. Diane Auer Jones, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. E8–1920 Filed 1–31–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education; (FIPSE)—Special Focus Competition: European Union-United States Atlantis Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 of American and European institutions to support cooperation in the coordination of curricula, the exchange of students, and the opening of educational opportunities between the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU). This priority relates to the purpose of the European Union-United States Atlantis (Atlantis) Program to develop and implement undergraduate joint or dual degree programs, or shortterm exchange programs. This invitational priority is established in cooperation with the EU. These awards support only the participation of U.S. institutions and students in these consortia. EU institutions participating in any consortium proposal responding to the invitational priority may apply to the Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC), European Commission for funding under a separate but parallel EU 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, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education (IHEs) only. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116J. II. Award Information Applications Available: February 1, 2008. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 2, 2008. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 2, 2008. Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $1,400,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $35,000– $112,000 for the first year only. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $35,000 for a Policy Oriented Measures grant, $45,000 for a Mobility grant, and $112,000 for a Transatlantic Degree grant. You can find a detailed description of each of these three types of grants in the program guidelines in the application package for this competition. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $150,000 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: 14. DATES: mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of the program is to provide grants for or enter into cooperative agreements with eligible applicants to improve postsecondary education. Priority: Under this competition, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority. Invitational Priority: For FY 2008, 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 is: This priority is designed to support the formation of educational consortia VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:22 Jan 31, 2008 Jkt 214001 Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 48 months. PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 require cost sharing or matching. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: https:// www.grants.gov. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: Education Publications Center, 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), call, toll free: 1–877– 576–7734. You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: https://www.ed.gov/pubs/ edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.116J. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under Alternative Format in section VIII 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 competition. Word Limit and Application Format: 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 the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 6000 words. The page format for the application must comply with 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. E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6150-6154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1920]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)-Special Focus 
Competition: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116M.

Dates: Applications Available: February 1, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide 
grants or enter into cooperative agreements to improve postsecondary 
education opportunities by focusing on problem areas in postsecondary 
education, or approaches to improve postsecondary education.
    Priority: Under this competition, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priority.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2008, 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 is:
    This priority encourages proposals designed to support the 
formation of educational consortia of United States (U.S.) and 
Brazilian institutions to support cooperation in the coordination of 
curricula, the exchange of students, and the opening of educational 
opportunities between the U.S. 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 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, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $350,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $25,000-$30,000 for the first year. 
$220,000 for the four-year duration of the grant.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $220,000 for the four-year 
duration of the grant. $50,000 for the two-year complementary grants.


[[Page 6151]]


    Note: Two-year complementary grants support activities that 
complement partnerships between or among U.S. and Brazilian colleges 
and universities. The objectives of these activities (which may 
receive up to two years of funding) support the extension of 
projects. These objectives are-- (1) outreach to local or regional 
communities in both countries; (2) scale-up of current activities to 
include additional partners and organizations; and (3) the 
dissemination of project results. Proposed activities may be 
conducted by groups of institutions currently funded by the U.S.--
Brazil Program or established partnerships not previously supported 
under the U.S.--Brazil Program.

    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $80,000 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 24 months for two-year complementary grants. 
Up to 48 months for four-year grants.

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 require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund 
for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006-8544. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7621.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team 
listed under Alternative Format in section VIII 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 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 the 
application narrative (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).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section. 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 if you apply other standards and exceed the 
equivalent of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 1, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2008.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format 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.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII 
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2008.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition 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 U.S.-Brazil Higher Education 
Consortia Program, CFDA Number 84.116M, must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide 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.
    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 U.S.-Brazil 
Higher Education Consortia Program at https://www.Grants.gov. You must 
search for the downloadable application package for this competition by 
the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically

[[Page 6152]]

through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and 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 and 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 and 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     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 you typically provide on the following forms: 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the 
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have 
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
     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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
under For Further Information Contact in section VII in this notice and 
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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.

[[Page 6153]]

    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Sarah T. Beaton, 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.
    (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.
    (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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification 
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this 
notification 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: An additional factor we consider 
in selecting an application for an award is whether the application 
demonstrates a bilateral, innovative U.S.-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 notify you informally, also.
    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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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 directed by the Secretary 
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/
appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the following measures will be used by the 
Department in assessing the performance of the program:
    (1) The percentage of FIPSE grantees reporting project 
dissemination to others; and
    (2) The percentage of FIPSE projects reporting institutionalization 
on their home campuses.
    If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data in your 
project's annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590) on steps 
taken toward these goals. Consequently, applicants are advised to 
include these two indicators in conceptualizing the design, 
implementation and evaluation of the proposed project. Consideration of 
the two performance indicators is an important part of many of the 
review criteria. Thus, it is important to the success of your 
application that you include these indicators. Their measurement should 
be a part of the project evaluation plan, along with measures of your 
progress on the goals and objectives specific to your project.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Sarah T. Beaton, Fund for the 
Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S.-Brazil Higher Education 
Consortia Program, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6154, Washington, DC 20006-
8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7621.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under For Further 
Information Contact in section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as

[[Page 6154]]

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: January 29, 2008.
Diane Auer Jones,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-1920 Filed 1-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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