Solicitation of Applications for the National Technical Assistance, Training, Research and Evaluation Program: Economic Development Research Projects, 13844-13847 [E8-5190]
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the areas, when combined, form a single
piece of territory. Noncontiguous areas
form disjoint pieces.
Group quarters—A place where
people live or stay, in a group living
arrangement, that is owned or managed
by an entity or organization providing
housing and/or services for the
residents. This is not a typical
household-type living arrangement.
These services may include custodial or
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Group quarters include such places as
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treatment centers, skilled nursing
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barracks, correctional facilities, and
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state law as a city, town (except in New
England, New York, and Wisconsin),
borough (except in Alaska and New
York), or village, generally to provide
governmental services for a
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prescribed boundaries.
Minor civil division (MCD)—The
primary governmental or administrative
division of a county in 28 states and the
Island Areas having legal boundaries,
names, and descriptions. The MCDs
represent many different types of legal
entities with a wide variety of
characteristics, powers, and functions
depending on the state and type of
MCD. In some states, some or all of the
incorporated places also constitute
MCDs.
Nonvisible feature—A map feature
that is not visible on the ground such as
a city or county boundary through
space, a property line, or line-of-sight
extension of a road.
Retracting—Substantially changing
the boundaries of a tract so that
comparability over time is not
maintained.
Special land use tract—Type of
census tract that must be designated as
a specific land use type (e.g., state park)
and have an official name (e.g., Jay
Cooke State Park), must have little or no
residential population or housing units,
and must not create a noncontiguous
tract. If delineated in a densely
populated, urban area, a special land
use tract must have an area of
approximately one square mile or more.
If delineated completely outside an
urban area, a special land use tract must
have an area of approximately 10 square
miles or more.
TIGER—Topologically Integrated
Geographic Encoding and Referencing
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database developed by the Census
Bureau to support its mapping needs for
the decennial census and other Census
Bureau programs. The topological
structure of the TIGER database
defines the location and relationship of
boundaries, streets, rivers, railroads, and
other features to each other and to the
numerous geographic areas for which
the Census Bureau tabulates data from
its censuses and surveys.
Visible feature—A map feature that
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transmission line or pipeline, river,
stream, shoreline, fence, sharply defined
mountain ridge, or cliff. A nonstandard
visible feature is a feature that may not
be clearly defined on the ground (such
as a ridge), may be seasonal (such as an
intermittent stream), or may be
relatively impermanent (such as a
fence). The Census Bureau generally
requests verification that nonstandard
features used as boundaries for the
PSAP geographic areas pose no problem
in their location during field work.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been determined to be
not significant under Executive Order
12866.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This program notice does not contain
a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C., Chapter 35.
Dated: March 10, 2008.
Steve H. Murdock,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. E8–5076 Filed 3–13–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–07–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 080305376–8378–01]
Solicitation of Applications for the
National Technical Assistance,
Training, Research and Evaluation
Program: Economic Development
Research Projects
Economic Development
Administration, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for
applications.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Economic Development
Administration (EDA) is soliciting
applications for FY 2008 National
Technical Assistance, Training,
Research and Evaluation program (NTA
Program) funding. Through this notice,
EDA solicits applications for funding
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that address one or more of the
following three research projects: (1)
Regional innovation systems; (2) urban
economic development policy; and (3)
global economic development strategy.
EDA’s mission is to lead the federal
economic development agenda by
promoting innovation and
competitiveness, preparing American
regions for growth and success in the
worldwide economy. Through its NTA
Program, EDA works towards fulfilling
its mission by funding research and
technical assistance projects to promote
competitiveness and innovation in rural
and urban regions throughout the
United States and its territories. By
working in conjunction with its research
partners, EDA will help States, local
governments, and community-based
organizations to achieve their highest
economic potential.
To be considered timely, a
completed application, regardless of the
format in which it is submitted, must be
either: (1) Received by the EDA
representative listed below under
‘‘Paper Submissions’’ no later than May
9, 2008 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT); (2) transmitted and time-stamped
at www.grants.gov no later than May 9,
2008 at 5 p.m. EDT; or (3) electronically
transmitted to the e-mail address of the
Program Officer given below under
‘‘Electronic Submissions’’ no later than
May 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. EDT. Any
application received or transmitted, as
the case may be, after 5 p.m. EDT on
May 9, 2008 will be considered nonresponsive and will not be considered
for funding. Please see the instructions
below under ‘‘Application Submission
Requirements’’ for information
regarding format options for submitting
completed applications. By June 9,
2008, EDA expects to notify the
applicants selected for investment
assistance under this notice. The
selected applicants should expect to
receive funding for their projects within
thirty days of EDA’s notification of
selection.
Applicants choosing to submit
completed applications electronically in
whole or in part through
www.grants.gov should follow the
instructions set out below under
‘‘Electronic Access’’ and in section IV.
of the complete Federal Funding
Opportunity (FFO) announcement for
this request for applications.
Application Submission
Requirements: Applicants are advised to
carefully read the instructions contained
in section IV. of the complete FFO
announcement for this request for
applications. For a copy of the FFO
DATES:
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announcement, please see the websites
listed below under ‘‘Electronic Access.’’
Applications may be submitted in two
formats: (i) In paper format at the
addresses provided below; or (ii)
electronically in accordance with the
procedures provided on www.grants.gov
or submitted via e-mail to the address
provided below in ‘‘Electronic
Submissions.’’ EDA will not accept
facsimile transmissions of applications.
The content of the application is the
same for paper submissions as it is for
electronic submissions. A complete
application must contain all the items
listed in the ‘‘Application Checklist,’’
which can be found in section IV.C.2. of
the complete FFO announcement.
You may obtain paper application
packages by contacting the designated
point of contact listed below under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.’’
Applicants applying electronically
through www.grants.gov may access the
application package by following the
instructions provided on
www.grants.gov. Additionally, the
following application forms may be
accessed and downloaded as follows: (i)
Form ED–900A, Application for
Investment Assistance, at https://
www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
Application.xml; (ii) Standard Forms
(SF) at https://www.grants.gov or at
https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
Application.xml; and (iii) Department of
Commerce (CD) forms at https://
www.doc.gov/forms.
Paper Submissions: Full or partial
paper (hardcopy) applications
submitted under the NTA program may
be hand-delivered or mailed to: FY 2008
Economic Development Research
Projects Competition, William P.
Kittredge, Ph.D., Program Officer,
Economic Development Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 7009,
Washington, DC 20230.
Applicants are advised that, due to
mail security measures, EDA’s receipt of
mail sent via the United States Postal
Service may be substantially delayed or
suspended in delivery. Applicants may
wish to use a guaranteed overnight
delivery service.
Electronic Submissions: Applicants
have two options for submitting
electronically: through www.grants.gov
or via e-mail. Applicants may submit
applications electronically in whole or
in part in accordance with the
instructions provided at www.grants.gov
and in section IV.B. of the applicable
FFO announcement. EDA strongly
encourages that applicants not wait
until the application closing date to
begin the application process through
www.grants.gov. Applicants also may
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submit full or partial paper applications
by e-mail. Completed applications may
be e-mailed to William P. Kittredge,
Ph.D., Program Officer, at
wkittredge@eda.doc.gov. The preferred
file format for electronic attachments
(e.g., the project narrative and
additional exhibits to Form ED–900A
and Form ED–900A’s program-specific
component) is portable document
format (PDF); however, EDA will accept
electronic files in Microsoft Word,
WordPerfect, Lotus or Excel formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information on the NTA
Program or to obtain paper application
packages for this notice, please contact
William P. Kittredge, Ph.D., Program
Officer, via e-mail at
wkittredge@eda.doc.gov (preferred) or
by telephone at (202) 482–5442.
For additional information regarding
electronic submissions, please access
the following link for assistance in
navigating www.grants.gov and for a list
of useful resources: https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/
applicant_help.jsp. If you do not find an
answer to your question under
Frequently Asked Questions, try
consulting the Applicant’s User Guide.
If you still cannot find an answer to
your question, contact www.grants.gov
via e-mail at support@grants.gov or
telephone at 1–800–518–4726. The
hours of operation for www.grants.gov
are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
EDT (except for Federal holidays).
Additional information about EDA
and its NTA Program may be obtained
from EDA’s Internet Web site at https://
www.eda.gov. The complete FFO
announcement for this request for
applications is available at
www.grants.gov and at
https://www.eda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information: EDA is
soliciting applications for FY 2008 NTA
Program funding. Through this notice,
EDA solicits applications for funding
that address one or more of the
following three research projects: (1)
Regional innovation systems; (2) urban
economic development policy; and (3)
global economic development strategy.
EDA’s intent is to create practitioneraccessible tools that can be used to bring
the best current thinking to bear on
specific problems. As described in the
complete FFO announcement,
deliverables for each of the three
projects vary. For the first research
project on regional innovation systems,
there are four deliverables: (1) A
comparative analysis; (2) a practitioneraccessible report; (3) a practical asset
mapping guide; and (4) production of a
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practitioner-accessible report or
equivalent document that presents
findings in a visually appealing format.
For the second research project on
urban economic development policy,
there are three deliverables: (1) creation
of a classification and analytical
methodology; (2) implementation of the
methodology using a statistically
significant sample of economic regions;
and (3) production of a practitioneraccessible report or equivalent
document that presents findings in a
visually appealing format. For the third
research project on global economic
development strategy, there are five
deliverables: (1) Development of an
analytical method; (2) application of the
method to a statistically significant
sample of U.S. metropolitan regions; (3)
identification of best practices
throughout the sampled regions; (4)
production of a report describing
research findings; and (5) production of
a practitioner-accessible report or
equivalent document that presents
findings in a visually appealing format.
Please see the FFO for this request for
applications for more detailed
information on each report and the
required deliverables.
Any information disseminated to the
public under this request for
applications is subject to the
Information Quality Act (Pub. L. 106–
554). Applicants are required to comply
with the Information Quality Guidelines
issued by EDA pursuant to the
Information Quality Act, which are
designed to ensure and maximize the
quality, objectivity, utility and integrity
of information disseminated by EDA.
These guidelines are available on EDA’s
Web site at https://www.eda.gov.
Electronic Access: The complete FFO
announcement for the FY 2008
Economic Development Research
Projects competition is available at
www.grants.gov and at https://
www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
FFON.xml.
Funding Availability: EDA may use
funds appropriated under the FY 2008
Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub.
L. 110–161, 121 Stat. 1844 (2007)) to
make awards under the NTA Program
authorized by the Public Works and
Economic Development Act of 1965, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.)
(PWEDA). Approximately $1,500,000 is
available, and shall remain available
until expended, for funding awards
under the NTA Program in FY 2008,
including $470,000 in FY 2008
appropriations for economic
development research. The FFO
announcement for this request for
applications is the second of two FFO
announcements under the NTA
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Program. Based on recent past awards
for projects similar to the projects
solicited under this competitive
solicitation, the range of funding awards
has been from $100,000 to $350,000 for
each project. EDA anticipates that the
regional innovation systems project
described above will be closer to the
upper range ($350,000), and the urban
economic development policy and
global economic development strategy
projects will be closer to the lower range
($100,000–$175,000).
Statutory Authority: The authority for
the NTA Program is PWEDA. The
specific authority for the Economic
Development Research Projects Program
is section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3147), which authorizes EDA to make
grants for grants for training, research,
and technical assistance. EDA’s
regulations at 13 CFR parts 300–302 and
subpart A of 13 CFR part 306 set forth
the general and specific regulatory
requirements applicable to the NTA
Program.
EDA’s regulations are codified at 13
CFR chapter III. The regulations and
PWEDA are accessible on EDA’s
Internet Web site at https://www.eda.gov/
InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 11.303,
Economic Development—Technical
Assistance; 11.312, Economic
Development—Research and
Evaluation.
Applicant Eligibility: Pursuant to
PWEDA, eligible applicants for and
recipients of EDA investment assistance
include a District Organization; an
Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian
Tribes; a State; a city or other political
subdivision of a State, including a
special purpose unit of a State or local
government engaged in economic or
infrastructure development activities, or
a consortium of political subdivisions;
an institution of higher education or a
consortium of institutions of higher
education; and a public or private nonprofit organization or association.
Although for-profit, private-sector
entities generally do not qualify for
investment assistance under PWEDA,
under its NTA Program, EDA may make
an award to a for-profit organization to
carry out specific research or for other
purposes set forth in 13 CFR 306.1. See
also 42 U.S.C. 3147.
Project Period: Typically, EDA gives a
recipient one year from the award date
to complete the scope of work, which
consists of research and associated
research activities, composing the
resulting report, and presenting the
report to EDA senior management. A
typical research project period begins
with an initial meeting between the
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recipient and EDA staff to ensure that
all parties agree with the project terms.
After the initial meeting, the recipient
generally submits a final work plan to
EDA staff for review and approval.
Throughout the project period there will
be regular contact between EDA staff
and the recipient for updates on project
progress. Also, interim progress reports
are required throughout the project
period. The schedule of interim progress
reports will be determined subsequent
to award.
Typically, the recipient submits a
draft research report to EDA at least 90
days before the end of the project period
for EDA’s review. If the draft research
report is approved, EDA will approve
publication of a final research report,
and the recipient will brief EDA senior
management on research methods and
report results.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally,
the amount of the EDA grant may not
exceed fifty percent of the total cost of
the project. Projects may receive an
additional amount that shall not exceed
thirty percent, as determined by EDA,
based on the relative needs of the region
in which the project will be located. See
section 204(a) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Development has the
discretion to establish a maximum EDA
investment rate of up to one-hundred
percent where the project (i) merits and
is not otherwise feasible without an
increase to the EDA investment rate; or
(ii) will be of no or only incidental
benefit to the recipient. See section
204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144)
and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
EDA will consider the nature of the
contribution (cash or in-kind), the
amount of any matching share funds,
and fairly assess any in-kind
contributions in evaluating the cost to
the Government and the feasibility of
the project budget (see the ‘‘Evaluation
Criteria’’ section below). While cash
contributions are preferred, in-kind
contributions, fairly evaluated by EDA,
may provide the non-federal share of the
total project cost. See section 204(b) of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and section
III.B. of the FFO announcement for this
request for applications. In-kind
contributions, which may include
assumptions of debt and contributions
of space, equipment, and services, are
eligible to be included as part of the
non-federal share of eligible project
costs if they meet applicable federal cost
principles and uniform administrative
requirements. Funds from other federal
financial assistance awards are
considered matching share funds only if
authorized by statute, which may be
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determined by EDA’s reasonable
interpretation of the statute. See 13 CFR
300.3. The applicant must show that the
matching share is committed to the
project for the entire project period, will
be available as needed, and is not
conditioned or encumbered in any way
that precludes its use consistent with
the requirements of EDA investment
assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under the NTA Program
are not subject to Executive Order
12372, ‘‘Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.’’
Evaluation and Selection Procedures:
To apply for an award under this
request for applications, an eligible
applicant must submit a completed
application package to EDA before the
closing date and time specified in the
‘‘Dates’’ section of this notice, and in the
manner provided in section IV. of the
applicable FFO announcement. Any
application received or transmitted, as
the case may be, after 5 p.m. EDT on
May 9, 2008 will not be considered for
funding. Applications that do not
include all items required or that exceed
the page limitations set forth in section
IV.C. of the FFO announcement will be
considered non-responsive and will not
be considered by the review panel. By
June 9, 2008, EDA expects to notify the
applicants selected for investment
assistance under this notice.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified
by postal mail that their applications
were not selected for funding.
Applications that meet all the
requirements will be evaluated by a
review panel comprised of at least three
EDA staff members, all of whom will be
full-time Federal employees.
Evaluation Criteria: The review panel
will evaluate the applications and rate
and rank them using the following
criteria of approximate equal weight:
(1) Conformance with EDA’s statutory
and regulatory requirements, including
the extent to which the proposed project
satisfies the award requirements set out
below and as provided in 13 CFR 306.2:
• Strengthens the capacity of local,
State, or national organizations and
institutions to undertake and promote
effective economic development
programs targeted to regions of distress;
• Benefits distressed regions; and
• Demonstrates innovative
approaches to stimulate economic
development in distressed regions.
(2) The degree to which an EDA
investment will have strong
organizational leadership, relevant
project management experience, and a
significant commitment of human
resources talent to ensure the project’s
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under control number 0610–0094. Form
ED–900A’s program-specific component
(National Technical Assistance,
Training, and Research and Evaluation
Program Requirements) also is approved
under OMB control number 0610–0094,
and incorporates Forms SF–424A
(Budget Information—Non-Construction
Programs, OMB control number 0348–
0044) and SF–424B (Assurances—NonConstruction Programs, OMB control
number 0348–0040). OMB has approved
the use of Form SF–424 (Application for
Financial Assistance) under control
number 4040–0004. Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any
person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with, a collection of
information subject to the requirements
of the PRA unless the collection of
information displays a currently valid
OMB control number.
The Department of Commerce PreAward Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements
Administrative and national policy
requirements for all Department of
Commerce awards are contained in the
Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements, published
in the Federal Register on February 11,
2008 (73 FR 7696). This notice may be
accessed through the Federal Register
Internet Web site at https://
www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/retrieve.html,
making sure the radial button for the
correct Federal Register volume is
selected (here, 2008 Federal Register,
Vol. 73), entering the Federal Register
page number provided in the previous
sentence (7696), and clicking the
‘‘Submit’’ button.
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successful execution (see 13 CFR
301.8(b)).
(3) The ability of the applicant to
implement the proposed project
successfully (see 13 CFR 301.8).
(4) The feasibility of the budget
presented.
(5) The cost to the Federal
Government.
Also, the addition of research and
project data to an existing website or the
design of a companion website designed
to disseminate research results and
provide links to data encapsulated in
the report free of charge is preferred.
Selection Factors: The Assistant
Secretary, as the Selecting Official,
expects to fund the highest ranking
applications, as recommended by the
review panel, submitted under this
request for applications. However, if
EDA does not receive satisfactory
applications, the Assistant Secretary
may not make any selection. Depending
on the quality of the applications
received, the Assistant Secretary may
select more than one application for one
research project and make no selection
for another research project. Also, he
may select an application out of rank
order for the following reasons: (1) A
determination that the selected
application better meets the overall
objectives of sections 2 and 207 of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147); (2)
the applicant’s performance under
previous awards; or (3) the availability
of funding.
Administrative Procedure Act/
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Paperwork Reduction Act
This request for applications contains
collections of information subject to the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA). The Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) has
approved the use of Form ED–900A
(Application for Investment Assistance)
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Executive Order 12866
This notice has been determined to be
not significant for purposes of Executive
Order 12866, ‘‘Regulatory Planning and
Review.’’
Executive Order 13132
It has been determined that this notice
does not contain ‘‘policies that have
Federalism implications,’’ as that phrase
is defined in Executive Order 13132,
‘‘Federalism.’’
Prior notice and an opportunity for
public comments are not required by the
Administrative Procedure Act or any
other law for rules concerning grants,
benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C.
553(a)(2)). Because notice and
opportunity for comment are not
required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any
other law, the analytical requirements of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.
601 et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore,
a regulatory flexibility analysis has not
been prepared.
Dated: March 10, 2008.
Benjamin Erulkar,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Development and Chief Operating
Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–5190 Filed 3–13–08; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 080305380–8381–01]
Solicitation of Applications for the
Regional Training Curriculum
Implementation Program
Economic Development
Administration (EDA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for
applications.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In FY 2006, EDA funded the
development of a practitioner-oriented
curriculum to acquaint local economic
development practitioners with the
benefits, process, and practice of
economic regionalism. Pursuant to its
National Technical Assistance,
Training, Research and Evaluation
program, EDA previously solicited
applications for a project designed to
implement the regional training
curriculum, but determined
applications received under that
solicitation were not satisfactory.
Accordingly, EDA now re-solicits
applications to implement the regional
training curriculum developed under
the FY 2006 award.
DATES: To be considered timely, a
completed application, regardless of the
format in which it is submitted, must be
either: (1) Received by the EDA
representative listed below under
‘‘Paper Submissions’’ no later than April
25, 2008 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT); (2) transmitted and time-stamped
at www.grants.gov no later than April
25, 2008 at 5 p.m. EDT; or (3)
electronically transmitted to the e-mail
address of the Program Officer given
below under ‘‘Electronic Submissions’’
no later than April 25, 2008 at 5 p.m.
EDT. Any application received or
transmitted, as the case may be, after 5
p.m. EDT on April 25, 2008 will be
considered non-responsive and will not
be considered for funding. Please see
the instructions below under
‘‘Application Submission
Requirements’’ for information
regarding format options for submitting
completed applications. By June 2,
2008, EDA expects to notify the
applicants selected for investment
assistance under this notice. The
selected applicants should expect to
receive funding for their projects within
thirty days of EDA’s notification of
selection.
Applicants choosing to submit
completed applications electronically in
whole or in part through
www.grants.gov should follow the
instructions set out below under
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[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 51 (Friday, March 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13844-13847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5190]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 080305376-8378-01]
Solicitation of Applications for the National Technical
Assistance, Training, Research and Evaluation Program: Economic
Development Research Projects
AGENCY: Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for applications.
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SUMMARY: The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is soliciting
applications for FY 2008 National Technical Assistance, Training,
Research and Evaluation program (NTA Program) funding. Through this
notice, EDA solicits applications for funding that address one or more
of the following three research projects: (1) Regional innovation
systems; (2) urban economic development policy; and (3) global economic
development strategy. EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic
development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness,
preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide
economy. Through its NTA Program, EDA works towards fulfilling its
mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to
promote competitiveness and innovation in rural and urban regions
throughout the United States and its territories. By working in
conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local
governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest
economic potential.
DATES: To be considered timely, a completed application, regardless of
the format in which it is submitted, must be either: (1) Received by
the EDA representative listed below under ``Paper Submissions'' no
later than May 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); (2)
transmitted and time-stamped at www.grants.gov no later than May 9,
2008 at 5 p.m. EDT; or (3) electronically transmitted to the e-mail
address of the Program Officer given below under ``Electronic
Submissions'' no later than May 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. EDT. Any application
received or transmitted, as the case may be, after 5 p.m. EDT on May 9,
2008 will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for
funding. Please see the instructions below under ``Application
Submission Requirements'' for information regarding format options for
submitting completed applications. By June 9, 2008, EDA expects to
notify the applicants selected for investment assistance under this
notice. The selected applicants should expect to receive funding for
their projects within thirty days of EDA's notification of selection.
Applicants choosing to submit completed applications electronically
in whole or in part through www.grants.gov should follow the
instructions set out below under ``Electronic Access'' and in section
IV. of the complete Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for
this request for applications.
Application Submission Requirements: Applicants are advised to
carefully read the instructions contained in section IV. of the
complete FFO announcement for this request for applications. For a copy
of the FFO
[[Page 13845]]
announcement, please see the websites listed below under ``Electronic
Access.''
Applications may be submitted in two formats: (i) In paper format
at the addresses provided below; or (ii) electronically in accordance
with the procedures provided on www.grants.gov or submitted via e-mail
to the address provided below in ``Electronic Submissions.'' EDA will
not accept facsimile transmissions of applications. The content of the
application is the same for paper submissions as it is for electronic
submissions. A complete application must contain all the items listed
in the ``Application Checklist,'' which can be found in section IV.C.2.
of the complete FFO announcement.
You may obtain paper application packages by contacting the
designated point of contact listed below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.'' Applicants applying electronically through www.grants.gov
may access the application package by following the instructions
provided on www.grants.gov. Additionally, the following application
forms may be accessed and downloaded as follows: (i) Form ED-900A,
Application for Investment Assistance, at https://www.eda.gov/
InvestmentsGrants/Application.xml; (ii) Standard Forms (SF) at https://
www.grants.gov or at https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
Application.xml; and (iii) Department of Commerce (CD) forms at https://
www.doc.gov/forms.
Paper Submissions: Full or partial paper (hardcopy) applications
submitted under the NTA program may be hand-delivered or mailed to: FY
2008 Economic Development Research Projects Competition, William P.
Kittredge, Ph.D., Program Officer, Economic Development Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 7009,
Washington, DC 20230.
Applicants are advised that, due to mail security measures, EDA's
receipt of mail sent via the United States Postal Service may be
substantially delayed or suspended in delivery. Applicants may wish to
use a guaranteed overnight delivery service.
Electronic Submissions: Applicants have two options for submitting
electronically: through www.grants.gov or via e-mail. Applicants may
submit applications electronically in whole or in part in accordance
with the instructions provided at www.grants.gov and in section IV.B.
of the applicable FFO announcement. EDA strongly encourages that
applicants not wait until the application closing date to begin the
application process through www.grants.gov. Applicants also may submit
full or partial paper applications by e-mail. Completed applications
may be e-mailed to William P. Kittredge, Ph.D., Program Officer, at
wkittredge@eda.doc.gov. The preferred file format for electronic
attachments (e.g., the project narrative and additional exhibits to
Form ED-900A and Form ED-900A's program-specific component) is portable
document format (PDF); however, EDA will accept electronic files in
Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Lotus or Excel formats.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the NTA
Program or to obtain paper application packages for this notice, please
contact William P. Kittredge, Ph.D., Program Officer, via e-mail at
wkittredge@eda.doc.gov (preferred) or by telephone at (202) 482-5442.
For additional information regarding electronic submissions, please
access the following link for assistance in navigating www.grants.gov
and for a list of useful resources: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/
applicant_help.jsp. If you do not find an answer to your question
under Frequently Asked Questions, try consulting the Applicant's User
Guide. If you still cannot find an answer to your question, contact
www.grants.gov via e-mail at support@grants.gov or telephone at 1-800-
518-4726. The hours of operation for www.grants.gov are Monday-Friday,
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT (except for Federal holidays).
Additional information about EDA and its NTA Program may be
obtained from EDA's Internet Web site at https://www.eda.gov. The
complete FFO announcement for this request for applications is
available at www.grants.gov and at https://www.eda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information: EDA is soliciting applications for FY 2008
NTA Program funding. Through this notice, EDA solicits applications for
funding that address one or more of the following three research
projects: (1) Regional innovation systems; (2) urban economic
development policy; and (3) global economic development strategy. EDA's
intent is to create practitioner-accessible tools that can be used to
bring the best current thinking to bear on specific problems. As
described in the complete FFO announcement, deliverables for each of
the three projects vary. For the first research project on regional
innovation systems, there are four deliverables: (1) A comparative
analysis; (2) a practitioner-accessible report; (3) a practical asset
mapping guide; and (4) production of a practitioner-accessible report
or equivalent document that presents findings in a visually appealing
format. For the second research project on urban economic development
policy, there are three deliverables: (1) creation of a classification
and analytical methodology; (2) implementation of the methodology using
a statistically significant sample of economic regions; and (3)
production of a practitioner-accessible report or equivalent document
that presents findings in a visually appealing format. For the third
research project on global economic development strategy, there are
five deliverables: (1) Development of an analytical method; (2)
application of the method to a statistically significant sample of U.S.
metropolitan regions; (3) identification of best practices throughout
the sampled regions; (4) production of a report describing research
findings; and (5) production of a practitioner-accessible report or
equivalent document that presents findings in a visually appealing
format. Please see the FFO for this request for applications for more
detailed information on each report and the required deliverables.
Any information disseminated to the public under this request for
applications is subject to the Information Quality Act (Pub. L. 106-
554). Applicants are required to comply with the Information Quality
Guidelines issued by EDA pursuant to the Information Quality Act, which
are designed to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility
and integrity of information disseminated by EDA. These guidelines are
available on EDA's Web site at https://www.eda.gov.
Electronic Access: The complete FFO announcement for the FY 2008
Economic Development Research Projects competition is available at
www.grants.gov and at https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/FFON.xml.
Funding Availability: EDA may use funds appropriated under the FY
2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 1844
(2007)) to make awards under the NTA Program authorized by the Public
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3121
et seq.) (PWEDA). Approximately $1,500,000 is available, and shall
remain available until expended, for funding awards under the NTA
Program in FY 2008, including $470,000 in FY 2008 appropriations for
economic development research. The FFO announcement for this request
for applications is the second of two FFO announcements under the NTA
[[Page 13846]]
Program. Based on recent past awards for projects similar to the
projects solicited under this competitive solicitation, the range of
funding awards has been from $100,000 to $350,000 for each project. EDA
anticipates that the regional innovation systems project described
above will be closer to the upper range ($350,000), and the urban
economic development policy and global economic development strategy
projects will be closer to the lower range ($100,000-$175,000).
Statutory Authority: The authority for the NTA Program is PWEDA.
The specific authority for the Economic Development Research Projects
Program is section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147), which authorizes EDA
to make grants for grants for training, research, and technical
assistance. EDA's regulations at 13 CFR parts 300-302 and subpart A of
13 CFR part 306 set forth the general and specific regulatory
requirements applicable to the NTA Program.
EDA's regulations are codified at 13 CFR chapter III. The
regulations and PWEDA are accessible on EDA's Internet Web site at
https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 11.303,
Economic Development--Technical Assistance; 11.312, Economic
Development--Research and Evaluation.
Applicant Eligibility: Pursuant to PWEDA, eligible applicants for
and recipients of EDA investment assistance include a District
Organization; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; a
State; a city or other political subdivision of a State, including a
special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic
or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political
subdivisions; an institution of higher education or a consortium of
institutions of higher education; and a public or private non-profit
organization or association. Although for-profit, private-sector
entities generally do not qualify for investment assistance under
PWEDA, under its NTA Program, EDA may make an award to a for-profit
organization to carry out specific research or for other purposes set
forth in 13 CFR 306.1. See also 42 U.S.C. 3147.
Project Period: Typically, EDA gives a recipient one year from the
award date to complete the scope of work, which consists of research
and associated research activities, composing the resulting report, and
presenting the report to EDA senior management. A typical research
project period begins with an initial meeting between the recipient and
EDA staff to ensure that all parties agree with the project terms.
After the initial meeting, the recipient generally submits a final work
plan to EDA staff for review and approval. Throughout the project
period there will be regular contact between EDA staff and the
recipient for updates on project progress. Also, interim progress
reports are required throughout the project period. The schedule of
interim progress reports will be determined subsequent to award.
Typically, the recipient submits a draft research report to EDA at
least 90 days before the end of the project period for EDA's review. If
the draft research report is approved, EDA will approve publication of
a final research report, and the recipient will brief EDA senior
management on research methods and report results.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, the amount of the EDA grant
may not exceed fifty percent of the total cost of the project. Projects
may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed thirty percent,
as determined by EDA, based on the relative needs of the region in
which the project will be located. See section 204(a) of PWEDA (42
U.S.C. 3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Economic Development has the discretion to establish a
maximum EDA investment rate of up to one-hundred percent where the
project (i) merits and is not otherwise feasible without an increase to
the EDA investment rate; or (ii) will be of no or only incidental
benefit to the recipient. See section 204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
EDA will consider the nature of the contribution (cash or in-kind),
the amount of any matching share funds, and fairly assess any in-kind
contributions in evaluating the cost to the Government and the
feasibility of the project budget (see the ``Evaluation Criteria''
section below). While cash contributions are preferred, in-kind
contributions, fairly evaluated by EDA, may provide the non-federal
share of the total project cost. See section 204(b) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C.
3144) and section III.B. of the FFO announcement for this request for
applications. In-kind contributions, which may include assumptions of
debt and contributions of space, equipment, and services, are eligible
to be included as part of the non-federal share of eligible project
costs if they meet applicable federal cost principles and uniform
administrative requirements. Funds from other federal financial
assistance awards are considered matching share funds only if
authorized by statute, which may be determined by EDA's reasonable
interpretation of the statute. See 13 CFR 300.3. The applicant must
show that the matching share is committed to the project for the entire
project period, will be available as needed, and is not conditioned or
encumbered in any way that precludes its use consistent with the
requirements of EDA investment assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under the NTA Program are
not subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.''
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: To apply for an award under
this request for applications, an eligible applicant must submit a
completed application package to EDA before the closing date and time
specified in the ``Dates'' section of this notice, and in the manner
provided in section IV. of the applicable FFO announcement. Any
application received or transmitted, as the case may be, after 5 p.m.
EDT on May 9, 2008 will not be considered for funding. Applications
that do not include all items required or that exceed the page
limitations set forth in section IV.C. of the FFO announcement will be
considered non-responsive and will not be considered by the review
panel. By June 9, 2008, EDA expects to notify the applicants selected
for investment assistance under this notice. Unsuccessful applicants
will be notified by postal mail that their applications were not
selected for funding. Applications that meet all the requirements will
be evaluated by a review panel comprised of at least three EDA staff
members, all of whom will be full-time Federal employees.
Evaluation Criteria: The review panel will evaluate the
applications and rate and rank them using the following criteria of
approximate equal weight:
(1) Conformance with EDA's statutory and regulatory requirements,
including the extent to which the proposed project satisfies the award
requirements set out below and as provided in 13 CFR 306.2:
Strengthens the capacity of local, State, or national
organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective
economic development programs targeted to regions of distress;
Benefits distressed regions; and
Demonstrates innovative approaches to stimulate economic
development in distressed regions.
(2) The degree to which an EDA investment will have strong
organizational leadership, relevant project management experience, and
a significant commitment of human resources talent to ensure the
project's
[[Page 13847]]
successful execution (see 13 CFR 301.8(b)).
(3) The ability of the applicant to implement the proposed project
successfully (see 13 CFR 301.8).
(4) The feasibility of the budget presented.
(5) The cost to the Federal Government.
Also, the addition of research and project data to an existing
website or the design of a companion website designed to disseminate
research results and provide links to data encapsulated in the report
free of charge is preferred.
Selection Factors: The Assistant Secretary, as the Selecting
Official, expects to fund the highest ranking applications, as
recommended by the review panel, submitted under this request for
applications. However, if EDA does not receive satisfactory
applications, the Assistant Secretary may not make any selection.
Depending on the quality of the applications received, the Assistant
Secretary may select more than one application for one research project
and make no selection for another research project. Also, he may select
an application out of rank order for the following reasons: (1) A
determination that the selected application better meets the overall
objectives of sections 2 and 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147);
(2) the applicant's performance under previous awards; or (3) the
availability of funding.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements
Administrative and national policy requirements for all Department
of Commerce awards are contained in the Department of Commerce Pre-
Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements,
published in the Federal Register on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696).
This notice may be accessed through the Federal Register Internet Web
site at https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/retrieve.html, making sure the
radial button for the correct Federal Register volume is selected
(here, 2008 Federal Register, Vol. 73), entering the Federal Register
page number provided in the previous sentence (7696), and clicking the
``Submit'' button.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This request for applications contains collections of information
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the use of Form ED-
900A (Application for Investment Assistance) under control number 0610-
0094. Form ED-900A's program-specific component (National Technical
Assistance, Training, and Research and Evaluation Program Requirements)
also is approved under OMB control number 0610-0094, and incorporates
Forms SF-424A (Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs, OMB
control number 0348-0044) and SF-424B (Assurances--Non-Construction
Programs, OMB control number 0348-0040). OMB has approved the use of
Form SF-424 (Application for Financial Assistance) under control number
4040-0004. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA unless the collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes
of Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.''
Executive Order 13132
It has been determined that this notice does not contain ``policies
that have Federalism implications,'' as that phrase is defined in
Executive Order 13132, ``Federalism.''
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act
Prior notice and an opportunity for public comments are not
required by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).
Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to
5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable.
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.
Dated: March 10, 2008.
Benjamin Erulkar,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and
Chief Operating Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-5190 Filed 3-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-24-P
