Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 73054-73059 [2010-29993]

Download as PDF 73054 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices college, continue their postsecondary education. Applicants must propose annual targets for these measures in their applications. The national target for GPRA 1 for FY 2011 is that 86 percent of CAMP participants will complete the first academic year of their postsecondary program. The national target for GPRA 2 for 2011 is that 85 percent of CAMP participants after completing the first academic year of college, continue their postsecondary education. The national targets for subsequent years may be adjusted based on additional baseline data. The panel readers will score related selection criteria on the basis of how well an applicant addresses these GPRA measures. Therefore, applicants will want to consider how they will make demonstration of a sound capacity to provide reliable data on GPRA measures, including the project’s annual performance targets for addressing the GPRA performance measures, as is required by the OMB approved annual performance report that is included in the application package. All grantees will be required to submit, as part of their annual performance report, information with respect to these performance measures. 5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made ‘‘substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.’’ This consideration includes the review of a grantee’s progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). Washington, DC 20202–6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260–2063, or by e-mail: tara.ramsey@ed.gov. If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800– 877–8339. VIII. Other Information Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible 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 of 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. 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: November 23, 2010. ´ Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. 2010–29987 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P HEP project is conducted, and to help them gain employment or be placed in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education or training. Priorities: This competition includes four priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference priority for being a ‘‘novice applicant’’ is from the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.225). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the competitive preference priority for ‘‘prior experience of service delivery’’ is from section 418A(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by section 408(3) of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (20 U.S.C. 1070d–2(e)). The third priority is an invitational priority for applications that promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. The fourth priority is an invitational priority for applications that propose to engage faith-based and community organizations in the delivery of services under this program. Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011 these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award: (1) An additional five points to an application that meets the ‘‘novice applicant’’ competitive preference priority; and (2) up to a maximum of 15 additional points to an application, depending on how well the applicant meets the ‘‘prior experience of service delivery’’ competitive preference priority. These priorities are: Novice Applicant Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 VII. Agency Contact Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.141A. DATES: Applications Available: November 29, 2010. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 19, 2011. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 21, 2011. The applicant must be a ‘‘novice applicant,’’ as defined in 34 CFR 75.225(a). A novice applicant is defined as one who has: (i) Never received a grant or a subgrant under the HEP program; (ii) never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127–75.129, that received a grant under the HEP program; and (iii) not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal government in the five (5) years before the deadline date of receiving applications. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Full Text of Announcement Prior Experience of Service Delivery I. Funding Opportunity Description For applicants with an expiring HEP project, the Secretary will consider the applicant’s prior experience in implementing its expiring HEP project, based on information contained in documents previously provided to the Department, such as annual performance reports, project evaluation David De Soto, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, Washington, DC 20202–6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260–8103, or by e-mail: david.de.soto@ed.gov, or Tara Ramsey, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E342, VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:57 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 Purpose of Program: The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family obtain a general education diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high school equivalency established by the State in which the PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices reports, site visit reports, and the previously approved HEP application. Under this competition, we also are particularly interested in applications that address the following priorities. Invitational Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. These priorities are: Invitational Priority 1—Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Projects that are designed to address one or more of the following priority areas: (a) Providing students with increased access to rigorous and engaging coursework in STEM. (b) Increasing the opportunities for high-quality preparation of, or professional development for, teachers or other educators of STEM subjects. Note: Applicants could consider activities to better prepare program participants to transition into postsecondary education, such as preparing students to successfully pass the sections of college entrance examinations in STEM-related subjects, or activities such as counseling and tutoring services that are designed to motivate participants to pursue postsecondary education in STEM-related fields. Similarly, for demonstrating professional development, applicants could propose how they intend to increase the opportunities for high-quality professional development in the area of mathematics instruction and related GED instruction among their project instructors. Opportunities for increasing professional development of GED instructors of STEMrelated subjects could include, for example, these instructors’ participation in training on intensive science teaching techniques presented by a professionally credentialed expert in science education. Invitational Priority 2—Faith-Based and Community Organizations Applications that propose to engage faith-based and community organizations in the delivery of services under this program. mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d–2. Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Education Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 206. (c) The definitions in 34 CFR 200.81. (d) The regulations in 20 CFR 669.110 and 669.320. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only. Note: The Department published final regulations updating the program regulations VerDate Mar<15>2010 21:56 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 in accordance with the changes enacted by the HEOA in the Federal Register on October 26, 2010 (75 FR 65711). These revised regulations will be effective on December 27, 2010. The application package identifies any provisions in part 206 that have been superseded by enactment of the HEOA. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $4,629,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2011. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Estimated Range of Awards: $180,000–$475,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $432,000. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a HEP award exceeding $475,000 for any of the five single budget periods of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Minimum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a HEP award that is less than $180,000 for any of the five single budget periods of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the minimum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 11. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 60 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or private non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in cooperation with an IHE and propose to operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of the IHE. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching. However, consistent with 34 CFR 75.700, which requires an applicant to comply with its approved application, an applicant that proposes non-Federal matching funds and is awarded a grant must provide those funds for each year that the funds are proposed. 3. Annual Meeting Attendance: Projects funded under this competition are encouraged to budget for a two-day Annual Meeting for HEP Directors in the Washington, DC area during each year of the project period. PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 73055 IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: David De Soto, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, Washington, DC 20202–6135. Telephone: (202) 260– 8103 or by e-mail: david.de.soto@ed.gov. The application package content also can be viewed electronically at the following address: https://www.ed.gov/ programs/hep/applicant.html. 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 accessible format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. Panel readers will award points only for an applicant’s response to a given selection criterion that is contained within the section of the application designated to address that particular selection criterion. Readers will not review, or award points for responses to a given selection criterion that is located in any other section of the application or the appendices. You must limit the application narrative to no more than 25 pages, 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. However, you may single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs presented in the application narrative count toward the page limit. • Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch) throughout the entire application package. • Appendices must be limited to 20 pages and must include the following: Resumes and job descriptions of key personnel. Job descriptions must include duties and minimum E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES 73056 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices qualifications. Items in the appendices will only be used by the program office for the purpose of approving any future personnel changes. The 25-page limit for the project narrative does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section. Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that exceed the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: November 29, 2010. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 19, 2011. Applications for grants under this competition 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. 7. Other Submission Requirements of 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 of 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: March 21, 2011. 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 of this notice. 6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the Department of Education, you must— VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:57 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government’s primary registrant database; c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period. You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day. If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2–5 weeks for your TIN to become active. The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete. In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3Step Registration Guide (see https:// www.grants.gov/section910/ Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). 7. 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 High School Equivalency Program, CFDA number 84.141A, 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. PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 HEP 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 84.141, not 84.141A). Please note the following: • When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation. • Applications received by Grants.gov are 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. 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 4:30:00 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 E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department’s G5 system home page at https://www.G5.gov. • You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your application in paper format. • You must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 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. • You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file type other than .PDF 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 an extension until 4:30:00 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:57 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 instructions described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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 4:30:00 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. Address and mail or fax your statement to: David De Soto, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–6135. FAX: (202) 205–0089. PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 73057 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 following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.141A, LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202–4260. 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 84.141A, 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 4:30:00 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— E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 73058 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices (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: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant’s use of funds, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality. In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible. mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES 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 VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:57 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b). (b) 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 of 1993 (GPRA), the Department developed the following performance measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1) The percentage of HEP program exiters receiving a General Education Diploma (GED) (GPRA 1), and (2) the percentage of HEP GED recipients who enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military (GPRA 2). Applicants must propose annual targets for these measures in their applications. The national target for GPRA 1 for FY 2011 is that 69 percent of HEP program exiters will receive a GED credential. The national target for GPRA 2 for FY 2011 is that 80 percent of HEP GED recipients will enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military. The national targets for subsequent years may be adjusted based on additional baseline data. The panel readers will score related selection criteria for applicants, in part, on the basis of how well an applicant addresses these GPRA measures. Therefore, applicants should consider how they will demonstrate their capacity to provide reliable data on these measures, including the project’s PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 annual performance targets for the GPRA measures, as required by the OMB approved annual performance report that is included in the application package. All grantees will be required to submit, as part of their annual performance report, information with respect to these GPRA measures. 5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made ‘‘substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.’’ This consideration includes the review of a grantee’s progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David De Soto, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–6135. Telephone: (202) 260–8103 or by e-mail: david.de.soto@ed.gov, or Tara Ramsey, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E342, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–6135. Telephone: (202) 260–2063 or by e-mail: tara.ramsey@ed.gov. If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, FRS, toll free, at 1–800– 877–8339. VIII. Other Information Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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. E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 228 / Monday, November 29, 2010 / Notices 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: November 23, 2010. ´ Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. 2010–29993 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Discretionary Grant Programs Department of Education. Notice announcing additional requirement for applicants and grantees. AGENCY: ACTION: The Department of Education announces an additional requirement affecting applicants and grantees. We are taking this action to conform our requirements with final guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on September 14, 2010 (Financial Assistance Use of Universal Identifier and Central Contractor Registration). The new guidance affects an applicant’s or grantee’s registration of its Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Vick, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202–0170. Telephone: (202) 245– 6147 or by e-mail: gregory.vick@ed.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In each notice inviting applications for grant awards, we include requirements governing an applicant’s DUNS Number and TIN and specify that to do business with the Department, an applicant must register those numbers with the CCR, the Government’s primary registrant database. In its final guidance issued under 2 CFR Part 25 and published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2010 (75 FR 55671), OMB added a requirement that an entity doing business with the Department must maintain an active CCR registration with current information while its application is under review and, if it is awarded a grant, during the project period. The final guidance took effect on October 1, 2010, which made it applicable to every grant competition with an application deadline date on or after October 1, 2010. However, on or mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:57 Nov 26, 2010 Jkt 223001 before the effective date, we had published a number of notices inviting applications that had application deadline dates on or after October 1, 2010, but that did not include the new requirement with regard to maintaining an active CCR registration. This notice serves to inform applicants and potential applicants under those affected competitions that the new requirement applies to them, and each such potential applicant must, therefore, maintain an active CCR registration during the time its application is under review and, if funded, during the project period. However, this requirement does not affect the submission of their applications and does not require any applicant to amend, withdraw, or resubmit its application. The affected competitions and the publication date in the Federal Register of each notice inviting applications are shown below in order of Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number. Questions about the applicability of this notice to any application submitted under these programs should be directed to the program contact identified for each program. CFDA No. 84.019A—Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published October 1, 2010 (75 FR 60740). Program contact: Cynthia Dudzinski, 202–502–7589. CFDA No. 84.021A—Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published September 24, 2010 (75 FR 59051). Program contact: Michelle Guilfoil, 202–502–7625. CFDA No. 84.022A—Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published September 17, 2010 (75 FR 57000). Program contact: Amy Wilson, 202–502–7689. CFDA No. 84.327J—Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities—Video Description Research and Development Center; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published August 12, 2010 (75 FR PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 73059 48957). Program contact: Jo Ann McCann, 202–245–7434. CFDA No. 84.327W—Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities—The Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Personnel Development Center; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published September 28, 2010 (75 FR 59699). Program contact: Glinda Hill, 202–245–7376. CFDA No. 84.330B—Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. Published September 1, 2010 (75 FR 53681). Program contact: Francisco Ramirez, 202–260–1541. 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. 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: November 23, 2010. Thomas P. Skelly, Delegated Authority to Perform the Functions of the Chief Financial Officer. [FR Doc. 2010–29990 Filed 11–26–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Record of Decision and Floodplain Statement of Findings for the Cushman Hydroelectric Project, Mason County, Washington, Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS–0456) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ACTION: Record of Decision (ROD) and Floodplain Statement of Findings. AGENCY: DOE announces its decision to provide approximately $4.6 million appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Public Law 111–5 (Recovery Act), to the City SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 228 (Monday, November 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73054-73059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29993]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview 
Information; High School Equivalency Program (HEP); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.141A.

DATES: Applications Available: November 29, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 19, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 21, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of HEP is to help migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate family obtain a 
general education diploma (GED) that meets the guidelines for high 
school equivalency established by the State in which the HEP project is 
conducted, and to help them gain employment or be placed in an 
institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary education 
or training.
    Priorities: This competition includes four priorities. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference 
priority for being a ``novice applicant'' is from the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.225). 
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the competitive preference 
priority for ``prior experience of service delivery'' is from section 
418A(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by section 
408(3) of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (20 U.S.C. 1070d-2(e)). 
The third priority is an invitational priority for applications that 
promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 
education. The fourth priority is an invitational priority for 
applications that propose to engage faith-based and community 
organizations in the delivery of services under this program.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011 these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award: (1) An additional five points to an application that meets the 
``novice applicant'' competitive preference priority; and (2) up to a 
maximum of 15 additional points to an application, depending on how 
well the applicant meets the ``prior experience of service delivery'' 
competitive preference priority.
    These priorities are:

Novice Applicant

    The applicant must be a ``novice applicant,'' as defined in 34 CFR 
75.225(a). A novice applicant is defined as one who has: (i) Never 
received a grant or a subgrant under the HEP program; (ii) never been a 
member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 
75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the HEP program; and (iii) 
not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal government in 
the five (5) years before the deadline date of receiving applications.

Prior Experience of Service Delivery

    For applicants with an expiring HEP project, the Secretary will 
consider the applicant's prior experience in implementing its expiring 
HEP project, based on information contained in documents previously 
provided to the Department, such as annual performance reports, project 
evaluation

[[Page 73055]]

reports, site visit reports, and the previously approved HEP 
application.
    Under this competition, we also are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1--Science, Technology, Engineering and 
Mathematics (STEM) Education

    Projects that are designed to address one or more of the following 
priority areas:
    (a) Providing students with increased access to rigorous and 
engaging coursework in STEM.
    (b) Increasing the opportunities for high-quality preparation of, 
or professional development for, teachers or other educators of STEM 
subjects.

    Note:  Applicants could consider activities to better prepare 
program participants to transition into postsecondary education, 
such as preparing students to successfully pass the sections of 
college entrance examinations in STEM-related subjects, or 
activities such as counseling and tutoring services that are 
designed to motivate participants to pursue postsecondary education 
in STEM-related fields. Similarly, for demonstrating professional 
development, applicants could propose how they intend to increase 
the opportunities for high-quality professional development in the 
area of mathematics instruction and related GED instruction among 
their project instructors. Opportunities for increasing professional 
development of GED instructors of STEM-related subjects could 
include, for example, these instructors' participation in training 
on intensive science teaching techniques presented by a 
professionally credentialed expert in science education.

Invitational Priority 2--Faith-Based and Community Organizations

    Applications that propose to engage faith-based and community 
organizations in the delivery of services under this program.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d-2.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Education Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 
85, 86, 97, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 206. (c) The 
definitions in 34 CFR 200.81. (d) The regulations in 20 CFR 669.110 and 
669.320. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

    Note:  The Department published final regulations updating the 
program regulations in accordance with the changes enacted by the 
HEOA in the Federal Register on October 26, 2010 (75 FR 65711). 
These revised regulations will be effective on December 27, 2010. 
The application package identifies any provisions in part 206 that 
have been superseded by enactment of the HEOA.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$4,629,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2011. The actual 
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. 
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete 
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $180,000-$475,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $432,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a HEP 
award exceeding $475,000 for any of the five single budget periods of 
12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary 
Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in 
the Federal Register.
    Minimum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a HEP 
award that is less than $180,000 for any of the five single budget 
periods of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 
Secondary Education may change the minimum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 11.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs or private non-profit organizations 
(including faith-based organizations) that plan their projects in 
cooperation with an IHE and propose to operate some aspects of the 
project with the facilities of the IHE.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching. However, consistent with 34 CFR 75.700, which 
requires an applicant to comply with its approved application, an 
applicant that proposes non-Federal matching funds and is awarded a 
grant must provide those funds for each year that the funds are 
proposed.
    3. Annual Meeting Attendance: Projects funded under this 
competition are encouraged to budget for a two-day Annual Meeting for 
HEP Directors in the Washington, DC area during each year of the 
project period.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: David De Soto, U.S. 
Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 3E344, Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 
260-8103 or by e-mail: david.de.soto@ed.gov.
    The application package content also can be viewed electronically 
at the following address: https://www.ed.gov/programs/hep/applicant.html.
    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 accessible format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed 
in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page 
Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address 
the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. 
Panel readers will award points only for an applicant's response to a 
given selection criterion that is contained within the section of the 
application designated to address that particular selection criterion. 
Readers will not review, or award points for responses to a given 
selection criterion that is located in any other section of the 
application or the appendices. You must limit the application narrative 
to no more than 25 pages, 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. However, you may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. Charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs presented in the application narrative 
count toward the page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch) throughout the entire application 
package.
     Appendices must be limited to 20 pages and must include 
the following: Resumes and job descriptions of key personnel. Job 
descriptions must include duties and minimum

[[Page 73056]]

qualifications. Items in the appendices will only be used by the 
program office for the purpose of approving any future personnel 
changes.
    The 25-page limit for the project narrative does not apply to the 
cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page 
abstract. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application 
narrative section.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: November 29, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 19, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this competition 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. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of 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 
of 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: March 21, 2011.
    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 of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. 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 High School Equivalency Program, 
CFDA number 84.141A, 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 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 HEP 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 84.141, not 
84.141A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are 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 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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 
4:30:00 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

[[Page 73057]]

pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 
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.
     You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a 
file type other than .PDF 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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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 4:30:00 
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.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: David De Soto, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, LBJ, 
Washington, DC 20202-6135. FAX: (202) 205-0089.
    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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
CFDA Number 84.141A, LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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 84.141A, 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 4:30:00 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--

[[Page 73058]]

    (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: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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 of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 of 1993 (GPRA), the Department developed the following 
performance measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1) 
The percentage of HEP program exiters receiving a General Education 
Diploma (GED) (GPRA 1), and (2) the percentage of HEP GED recipients 
who enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded 
employment, or the military (GPRA 2).
    Applicants must propose annual targets for these measures in their 
applications. The national target for GPRA 1 for FY 2011 is that 69 
percent of HEP program exiters will receive a GED credential. The 
national target for GPRA 2 for FY 2011 is that 80 percent of HEP GED 
recipients will enter postsecondary education or training programs, 
upgraded employment, or the military. The national targets for 
subsequent years may be adjusted based on additional baseline data. The 
panel readers will score related selection criteria for applicants, in 
part, on the basis of how well an applicant addresses these GPRA 
measures. Therefore, applicants should consider how they will 
demonstrate their capacity to provide reliable data on these measures, 
including the project's annual performance targets for the GPRA 
measures, as required by the OMB approved annual performance report 
that is included in the application package. All grantees will be 
required to submit, as part of their annual performance report, 
information with respect to these GPRA measures.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David De Soto, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E344, LBJ, Washington, DC 
20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 260-8103 or by e-mail: 
david.de.soto@ed.gov, or Tara Ramsey, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E342, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-6135. 
Telephone: (202) 260-2063 or by e-mail: tara.ramsey@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, FRS, toll free, 
at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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.


[[Page 73059]]


    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: November 23, 2010.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2010-29993 Filed 11-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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