Request for Letters of Intent To Apply for 2015 Technology Initiative Grant Funding, 3162-3165 [2016-00941]

Download as PDF 3162 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices operating condition as defined in 30 CFR 75.320. (6) Except for time necessary to trouble shoot under actual mining conditions, coal production in the section will cease. However, coal may remain in or on the equipment to test and diagnose the equipment under ‘‘load.’’ (7) All electronic testing and diagnostic equipment will be used in accordance with the safe use procedures recommended by the manufacturer. (8) Qualified personnel who used electronic testing and diagnostic equipment will be properly trained to recognize the hazards and limitations associated with use of the equipment. The petitioner asserts that under the terms and conditions of this petition for modification, the use of nonpermissible electronic testing and diagnostic equipment will at all times guarantee not less than the same measure of protection afforded by the existing standard. Sheila McConnell, Acting Director, Office of Standards, Regulations, and Variances. [FR Doc. 2016–00935 Filed 1–19–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4520–43–P LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION Request for Letters of Intent To Apply for 2015 Technology Initiative Grant Funding Legal Services Corporation. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this Notice describing the conditions under which Letters of Intent To Apply for Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) will be received. LSC’s TIG program was established in 2000. Since that time, LSC has made 647 grants totaling more than $53 million. This grant program provides an important tool to help achieve LSC’s goal of increasing the quantity and quality of legal services available to eligible persons. Projects funded under the TIG program develop, test and replicate innovative technologies that can enable grant recipients and state justice communities to improve low-income persons’ access to high quality legal assistance through an integrated and well managed technology system. When submitting Letters of Intent, applicants should consider the growth and continued development of technology and the resulting effects on the practice of law, management of legal aid organizations and legal aid service delivery. tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:12 Jan 19, 2016 Jkt 238001 Letters of Intent must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 29, 2016. ADDRESSES: Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically at https:// lscgrants.lsc.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst, Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20007; (202) 295–1554 (phone); ribadeneyraj@lsc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: General Information The Legal Services Corporation awards Technology Initiative Grant funds through an open, competitive, and impartial selection process. All prospective applicants for 2016 TIG funds must submit a Letter of Intent to Apply (LOI) prior to submitting a formal application. The format and contents of the LOI should conform to the requirements specified below in Section IV. Through the LOI process, LSC identifies those projects that have a reasonable chance of success in the competitive grant process based on LSC’s analysis of the project description and other information provided in the LOI. LSC will solicit full proposals for those projects. LSC Requirements Technology Initiative Grant funds are subject to all LSC requirements, including the requirements of the Legal Services Corporation Act (LSC Act), any applicable appropriations acts and any other applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, guidelines, instructions, and other directives of the Legal Services Corporation, including, but not limited to, the LSC Audit Guide for Recipients and Auditors, the Accounting Guide for LSC Recipients, the CSR Handbook, the 1981 LSC Property Manual (as amended) and the Property Acquisition and Management Manual, with any amendments to the foregoing adopted before or during the period of the grant. Before submitting a Letter of Intent to Apply, applicants should be familiar with LSC’s transfer and subgrant requirements at 45 CFR parts 1610 and 1627 (see https://www.lsc.gov/about/ laws-regulations/lsc-regulations-cfr-45part-1600-et-seq), particularly as they pertain to payments of LSC funds to other entities for programmatic activities. For additional information and resources regarding TIG compliance, including transfers, subgrants, thirdparty contracting, conflicts of interest, grant modification procedures, and PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 special TIG grant assurances, see LSC’s TIG compliance Web page. Eligible Applicants TIG awards are available only to current LSC Basic Field Grant recipients that are not subject to any short funding (i.e., less than one year) on Basic Field Grants. LSC will not award a TIG to any applicant that is not in good standing on any existing TIG projects. Applicants must be up to date, according to the milestone schedule on all existing TIG projects prior to submitting a LOI or have requested and received an adjustment to the original milestone schedule. LSC will not award a TIG to any applicant that has not made satisfactory progress on prior TIGs. LSC recipients that have had a previous TIG terminated for failure to provide timely reports and submissions are not eligible to receive a TIG for three years after their earlier grant was terminated. This policy does not apply to applicants that worked with LSC to end a TIG early after an unsuccessful project implementation resulting from technology limitations, a failed proof of concept, or other reasons outside of the applicant’s control. Funding Availability LSC has received an appropriation of $4 million for fiscal year 2016 to fund TIG projects. In 2015, 36 TIG projects received funding with a median funding amount of $86,200. (See TIG’s past awards Web page for more information on past grants.) LSC recommends a minimum amount for TIG funding requests of $40,000, but lower requests will be considered. There is no maximum amount for TIG funding requests that are within the total appropriation for TIG. Collaborations The TIG program encourages applicants to reach out to and include in TIG projects others interested in access to justice—the courts, bar associations, pro bono projects, libraries, and social service agencies. Partnerships can enhance the reach, effectiveness and sustainability of many projects. Grant Categories LSC will accept projects in two application categories: (1) Innovations and Improvements (2) Replication and Adaptation Grant Category 1: Innovations and Improvements The Innovations and Improvements Category is designated for projects that: E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM 20JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices (1) Implement new or innovative approaches for using technology in legal services or (2) enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of existing technologies so that they may be better used to increase the quality and quantity of services to clients. Although there is no funding limit or matching requirement for applications in this category, additional weight is given to projects with strong support from partners. Proposals for initiatives with broad applicability and/or that would have impact throughout the legal services community are strongly encouraged. Grant Category 2: Replication and Adaptation The Replication and Adaptation category is for proposals that seek to replicate, adapt, or provide added value to the work of prior technology projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the implementation and improvement of tested methodologies and technologies from previous TIG projects. Applicants may also replicate technology projects funded outside of the TIG program, including sectors outside the legal aid community, such as other social services organizations, the broader nonprofit community, and the private sector. Project proposals in the Replication and Adaptation category may include, but are not limited to: tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES A: Replication of Previous TIG Projects LSC requires that any original software developed with TIG funding be available to other legal services programs at little or no cost. Applicants should look to previous successful TIG projects to determine how they could be replicated at a reduced cost from the original project, and/or how they could be expanded and/or enhanced. Projects where original software or content has already been created lend themselves to replication, and LSC encourages programs to look to these projects to see how they could benefit the delivery systems in their state. B: Automated Form Replication LawHelp Interactive (LHI 1) is deployed across the country with thousands of active HotDocs templates and A2J Author modules hosted on the LawHelp Interactive National HotDocs Server at https://lawhelpinteractive.org. Despite differences from state to state in the content and format, many of these forms can be edited for use in other 1 LHI is an automated document server powered by HotDocs Server and made available to any LSC funded program at no charge. See https:// lawhelpinteractive.org. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:12 Jan 19, 2016 Jkt 238001 jurisdictions with less effort, hence a lower cost, than developing the document from scratch. Even if a form differs from one state to another, the information needed to populate a form will, for the most part, be similar. (What are the names of the plaintiff, the defendant, the children, etc.?). This means the interviews are more easily replicated than templates. All of these templates and interviews are available to be modified as needed. Applicants should identify which forms and templates are to be adapted, and then estimate the cost to do this and compare that to the cost of developing them from scratch. LHI has the capacity to support Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Korean language interviews. In addition, LHI has been integrated with other systems to allow the flow of information between LHI and court e-filing systems, and legal aid case management systems. The ‘‘Connect’’ feature enables pro bono programs from across a state to use LHI interviews and forms to assign prescreened pro bono cases and their documents to panel attorneys. For additional information, including examples, best practices, models and training materials, see the LawHelp Interactive Resource Center at https:// www.probono.net/dasupport (you may need to request a free membership to access this Web site). C. Replication of Technology Projects in Other Sectors In addition to replicating other TIG funded technology projects, LSC encourages replication of proven technologies from non-LSC funded legal aid organizations as well as sectors outside the legal aid community. Ideas for replication may be found through resources and organizations such as LSNTAP, the ABA, international legal aid providers such as the Legal Services Society of British Columbia and HiiL’s Innovating Justice project (https:// www.innovatingjustice.com), Idealware (see the article on Unleashing Innovation), NTEN, and TechSoup. Areas of Interest LSC welcomes applications for a wide variety of projects. For 2016, LSC has three areas of particular interest in which programs are encouraged to submit proposals for innovative technology approaches. The designation of these areas does not in any way limit the scope of proposals in which LSC is interested. The 2016 areas of particular interest are: A. Achieving ‘‘100 Percent Access.’’ LSC’s 2013 Technology Summit Report, available at https://www.lsc.gov/media- PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3163 center/publications/report-summit-usetechnology-expand-access-justice, proposed an integrated service-delivery system that would ‘‘move the United States toward providing some form of effective assistance to 100 percent of persons otherwise unable to afford an attorney for dealing with essential civil legal needs.’’ Recently, the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators adopted a resolution advocating a similar access goal: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators support the aspirational goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance for essential civil legal needs and urge their members to provide leadership in achieving that goal and to work with their Access to Justice Commission or other such entities to develop a strategic plan with realistic and measurable outcomes; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conferences urge the National Center for State Courts and other national organizations to develop tools and provide assistance to states in achieving the goal of 100 percent access through a continuum of meaningful and appropriate services. With this area of interest, LSC seeks proposals that use technology to further the goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance for essential civil legal needs, particularly through projects that advance related objectives developed by the Access to Justice Commission in the applicant’s state. LSC’s Technology Summit Report provides examples of strategies for achieving 100 percent access, but proposals should not be limited to approaches discussed in the report. Applicants should work with their local commissions (where they exist) and/or other stakeholders to determine the best ways to use technology to move toward achieving this goal. B. Projects to Move Organizations above the LSC Technology Baselines. ‘‘LSC Baselines: Technologies That Should Be in Place in a Legal Aid Office Today,’’ available at https://www.lsc.gov/ sites/default/files/TIG/pdfs/LSCTechnology-Baselines-2015.PDF, provides a detailed overview of the technologies that enable modern legal aid offices to operate efficiently and effectively. While LSC’s policy is that TIGs cannot be used to bring grantees up to the baselines in an area, we encourage applicants as they implement a baseline capacity to think about how they can do more than just the minimum. This area of interest focuses on initiatives that advance organizations beyond the 2015 Baselines by developing innovative, creative E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM 20JAN1 3164 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices technology solutions that not only address one or more Baseline capacities, but also exceed them. Grantees applying under this area of interest should address how their project could establish a new technology best practice that could be incorporated into future versions of the Baselines. C. Innovations in Legal Information Design and Delivery. Legal tools and content should be developed with the end user in mind, but too often the result reflects what the developer determines the end user will need, rather than what the user understands and finds helpful. Technology provides an opportunity to design and deliver legal information optimized for the end user, and there are good examples of how user-centric design can improve legal innovation (see www.legaltechdesign.com and www.nulawlab.org). Projects in this area of interest could incorporate new approaches to visual law, online learning, and user interaction in the design and delivery of content. In one example from the 2015 TIG cycle, a grantee received funding to develop a courtroom experience app that delivers just-in-time support directly to litigants’ smartphones as they navigate various stages of the court process, increasing effective self-representation. Projects could also focus on low/no-literacy and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) communities or others who are underserved by traditional methods. Specific Letter of Intent To Apply Requirements One Project per Letter of Intent Applicants may submit multiple LOIs, but a separate LOI should be submitted for each project for which funding is sought. tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Letter Requirements and Format Letters of Intent must be submitted using the online system at https:// lscgrants.lsc.gov. Additional instructions and information can be found on the TIG Web site, https:// www.lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/ our-grant-programs/tig. This system will walk you through the process of creating a simple two-page LOI. The LOI should concisely provide the following information about the proposed project: 1. Category—Select the appropriate category from the drop down list. 2. Description of Project (maximum 2500 characters)—Briefly describe the basic elements of the project, including the specific technology(ies) the project will develop or implement; how they will be developed, how they will operate, the function they will serve VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:12 Jan 19, 2016 Jkt 238001 within the legal services delivery system, their expected impact, and other similar factors. (Only the impact should be highlighted here; more details about the system’s benefits should be provided below.) 3. Major Benefits (maximum 2500 characters)—Describe the specific ways in which the project will increase or improve services to clients and/or enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of program operations. To the extent feasible, discuss both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of these benefits. 4. Estimated Costs (maximum 1500 characters)—Start by stating the amount of funding you are seeking from the TIG program, followed by the estimated total project cost, summarizing the anticipated costs of the major components of the project. List anticipated contributions, both in-kind and monetary, from all partners involved in the project. 5. Major Partners (maximum 1500 characters)—Identify organizations that are expected to be important partners. Specify the role(s) each partner will play. 6. Innovation/Replication (maximum 1500 characters)—Identify how and why the proposed project is new and innovative and/or is a replication or adaptation of a previous technology project. Identify how and why the proposed project can significantly benefit and/or be replicated by other legal services providers and/or the legal services community at large. Letter of Intent To Apply Deadline Letters of Intent must be completed and submitted into the online system at https://lscgrants.lsc.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, Monday, February 29, 2016. The online system may experience technical difficulties due to heavy traffic on the day of the deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete LOI submissions as early as possible. LSC will not accept applications submitted after the application deadline unless a waiver of the deadline has been approved in advance (see Waiver Authority). Therefore, allow sufficient time for online submission. LSC will provide confirmation via email upon the completed electronic submission of each Letter of Intent. Keep this email as verification that the program’s LOI was submitted. If no confirmation email is received, inquire about the status of your LOI at Techgrants@lsc.gov. Selection Process LSC will initially review all Letters of Intent to Apply to determine whether PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 they conform to the required format and clearly present all of the required elements listed and described above. Failure to meet these requirements may result in rejection of the Letter of Intent. LSC will review each Letter of Intent to identify those projects likely to improve access to justice, or to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of legal services provided by grantees. The Letters of Intent will also be reviewed to determine the extent to which the project proposed is clearly described and well thought out, offers major benefits to our targeted client community, is cost-effective, involves all of the parties needed to make it successful and sustainable, and is either innovative or a cost-effective replication of prior successful projects. LSC will invite those applicants that satisfy these criteria to submit full applications. Next Steps for Successful Applicants LSC will notify successful applicants by April 11, 2016. Successful applicants will have until 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 20, 2016 to complete and submit full applications in the online application system. Waiver Authority LSC, upon its own initiative or when requested, may waive provisions in this Notice at its sole discretion under extraordinary circumstances and when it is in the best interest of the eligible client community. Waivers may be granted only for requirements that are discretionary and not mandated by statute or regulation. Any request for a waiver must set forth the extraordinary circumstances for the request and be included in the application. LSC will not consider a request to waive the deadline for a Letter of Intent to Apply unless the waiver request is received by LSC prior to the deadline. Contact Information For information on the status of a current TIG project, contact Eric Mathison, Program Analyst, Telephone: 202–295–1535; Email: emathison@ lsc.gov. For questions about projects in CT, IL, IN, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, WI, WV, VT, contact David Bonebrake, Program Counsel, Telephone: 202.295.1547; Email: dbonebrake@lsc.gov. For questions about projects in AK, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, IA, KS, MP, MN, MT, NE., NV, NH, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY, contact Glenn Rawdon, Program Counsel, Telephone: 202.295.1552; Email: grawdon@lsc.gov. E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM 20JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 20, 2016 / Notices For questions about projects in AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI, VA, contact Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst, Telephone: 202.295.1554, Email: ribadeneyraj@lsc.gov. If you have a general question, please email techgrants@lsc.gov. Dated: January 12, 2016. Stefanie K. Davis, Assistant General Counsel. [FR Doc. 2016–00941 Filed 1–19–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7050–01–P NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES Institute of Museum and Library Services Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request: Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Foundation for the Arts and the Humanities. ACTION: Notice, request for comments, collection of information. AGENCY: The Institute of Museum and Library Service (‘‘IMLS’’) as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). This pre-clearance consultation program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The purpose of this Notice is to solicit comments concerning the guidelines for the agency’s Grants to States program’s five-year evaluations. A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section below on or before March 15, 2016. IMLS is particularly interested in comments that help the agency to: • Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:12 Jan 19, 2016 Jkt 238001 functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; • Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; • Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and • Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submissions of responses. ADDRESSES: For a copy of the documents contact: Kim A. Miller, Management Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1800 M Street NW., 9th Floor, Washington DC 20036. Ms. Miller can be reached by Telephone: 202–653–4762, Fax: 202– 653–4762, or by email at kmiller@ imls.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent Federal grant-making agency and is the primary source of federal support for the Nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. IMLS provides a variety of grant programs to assist the Nation’s museums and libraries in improving their operations and enhancing their services to the public. The IMLS Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the United States. Using a population-based formula, more than $150 million is distributed among the State Library Administrative Agencies. II. Current Actions The Library Services and Technology Act requires each State Library Administrative Agency to submit a plan that details library services goals for a five-year period. Pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 9134, each State Library Administrative Agency that receives an IMLS grant under the Grants to States Program is required to evaluate and report to the agency, prior to the end of their fiveyear plan, regarding the activities assisted under the LSTA. These fiveyear plans and evaluations are the foundation for improving practice and informing policy. The purpose of the proposed information collection is to promulgate guidelines to establish a consistent framework for the PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 3165 evaluations required under 20 U.S.C. 9134, so as to ensure that each State Library Administrative Agency develops and submits to IMLS an effective evaluation of their five-year plan. Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services. Title: Guidelines for Grants to States Program Five-Year Evaluations. OMB Number: To be determined. Agency Number: 3137. Affected Public: State Library Administrative Agencies. Number of Respondents: 55. Note: 55 is the number of State Library Administrative Agencies that are responsible for the collection of this information and for reporting it to IMLS. Frequency: Once every five years. Burden Hours per Respondent: To be determined. Total Burden Hours: To be determined. Total Annualized Capital/Startup Costs: To be determined. Total Annual Costs: To be determined. Contact: Kim A. Miller, Management Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1800 M Street NW., 9th Floor, Washington DC 20036. Ms. Miller can be reached by Telephone: 202–653–4762, Fax: 202– 653–4762, or by email at kmiller@ imls.gov or by teletype (TTY/TDD at 202–653–4614. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Dated: January 12, 2016. Kim A. Miller, Management Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. [FR Doc. 2016–00768 Filed 1–19–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7036–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub., L. 92– 463, as amended), the National Science Foundation announces the following meeting: Name: Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (#13883). Date and Time: February 25, 2016; 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. EDT. Place: National Science Foundation, Room 1060, Stafford I Building, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. (Via Teleconference). Type of Meeting: Open. https:// www.nsf.gov/mps/ast/aaac.jsp. Attendance information for the meeting will be forthcoming on the Web site. Contact Person: Dr. James Ulvestad, Division Director, Division of Astronomical E:\FR\FM\20JAN1.SGM 20JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3162-3165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00941]


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LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION


Request for Letters of Intent To Apply for 2015 Technology 
Initiative Grant Funding

AGENCY: Legal Services Corporation.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issues this Notice 
describing the conditions under which Letters of Intent To Apply for 
Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) will be received. LSC's TIG program 
was established in 2000. Since that time, LSC has made 647 grants 
totaling more than $53 million. This grant program provides an 
important tool to help achieve LSC's goal of increasing the quantity 
and quality of legal services available to eligible persons. Projects 
funded under the TIG program develop, test and replicate innovative 
technologies that can enable grant recipients and state justice 
communities to improve low-income persons' access to high quality legal 
assistance through an integrated and well managed technology system. 
When submitting Letters of Intent, applicants should consider the 
growth and continued development of technology and the resulting 
effects on the practice of law, management of legal aid organizations 
and legal aid service delivery.

DATES: Letters of Intent must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on 
February 29, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically at https://lscgrants.lsc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst, 
Office of Program Performance, Legal Services Corporation, 3333 K 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20007; (202) 295-1554 (phone); 
ribadeneyraj@lsc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Information

    The Legal Services Corporation awards Technology Initiative Grant 
funds through an open, competitive, and impartial selection process. 
All prospective applicants for 2016 TIG funds must submit a Letter of 
Intent to Apply (LOI) prior to submitting a formal application. The 
format and contents of the LOI should conform to the requirements 
specified below in Section IV.
    Through the LOI process, LSC identifies those projects that have a 
reasonable chance of success in the competitive grant process based on 
LSC's analysis of the project description and other information 
provided in the LOI. LSC will solicit full proposals for those 
projects.

LSC Requirements

    Technology Initiative Grant funds are subject to all LSC 
requirements, including the requirements of the Legal Services 
Corporation Act (LSC Act), any applicable appropriations acts and any 
other applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, guidelines, 
instructions, and other directives of the Legal Services Corporation, 
including, but not limited to, the LSC Audit Guide for Recipients and 
Auditors, the Accounting Guide for LSC Recipients, the CSR Handbook, 
the 1981 LSC Property Manual (as amended) and the Property Acquisition 
and Management Manual, with any amendments to the foregoing adopted 
before or during the period of the grant. Before submitting a Letter of 
Intent to Apply, applicants should be familiar with LSC's transfer and 
subgrant requirements at 45 CFR parts 1610 and 1627 (see https://www.lsc.gov/about/laws-regulations/lsc-regulations-cfr-45-part-1600-et-seq), particularly as they pertain to payments of LSC funds to other 
entities for programmatic activities.
    For additional information and resources regarding TIG compliance, 
including transfers, subgrants, third-party contracting, conflicts of 
interest, grant modification procedures, and special TIG grant 
assurances, see LSC's TIG compliance Web page.

Eligible Applicants

    TIG awards are available only to current LSC Basic Field Grant 
recipients that are not subject to any short funding (i.e., less than 
one year) on Basic Field Grants.
    LSC will not award a TIG to any applicant that is not in good 
standing on any existing TIG projects. Applicants must be up to date, 
according to the milestone schedule on all existing TIG projects prior 
to submitting a LOI or have requested and received an adjustment to the 
original milestone schedule. LSC will not award a TIG to any applicant 
that has not made satisfactory progress on prior TIGs. LSC recipients 
that have had a previous TIG terminated for failure to provide timely 
reports and submissions are not eligible to receive a TIG for three 
years after their earlier grant was terminated. This policy does not 
apply to applicants that worked with LSC to end a TIG early after an 
unsuccessful project implementation resulting from technology 
limitations, a failed proof of concept, or other reasons outside of the 
applicant's control.

Funding Availability

    LSC has received an appropriation of $4 million for fiscal year 
2016 to fund TIG projects. In 2015, 36 TIG projects received funding 
with a median funding amount of $86,200. (See TIG's past awards Web 
page for more information on past grants.) LSC recommends a minimum 
amount for TIG funding requests of $40,000, but lower requests will be 
considered. There is no maximum amount for TIG funding requests that 
are within the total appropriation for TIG.

Collaborations

    The TIG program encourages applicants to reach out to and include 
in TIG projects others interested in access to justice--the courts, bar 
associations, pro bono projects, libraries, and social service 
agencies. Partnerships can enhance the reach, effectiveness and 
sustainability of many projects.

Grant Categories

    LSC will accept projects in two application categories:
    (1) Innovations and Improvements
    (2) Replication and Adaptation

Grant Category 1: Innovations and Improvements

    The Innovations and Improvements Category is designated for 
projects that:

[[Page 3163]]

(1) Implement new or innovative approaches for using technology in 
legal services or (2) enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of 
existing technologies so that they may be better used to increase the 
quality and quantity of services to clients.
    Although there is no funding limit or matching requirement for 
applications in this category, additional weight is given to projects 
with strong support from partners. Proposals for initiatives with broad 
applicability and/or that would have impact throughout the legal 
services community are strongly encouraged.

Grant Category 2: Replication and Adaptation

    The Replication and Adaptation category is for proposals that seek 
to replicate, adapt, or provide added value to the work of prior 
technology projects. This includes, but is not limited to, the 
implementation and improvement of tested methodologies and technologies 
from previous TIG projects. Applicants may also replicate technology 
projects funded outside of the TIG program, including sectors outside 
the legal aid community, such as other social services organizations, 
the broader non-profit community, and the private sector.
    Project proposals in the Replication and Adaptation category may 
include, but are not limited to:

A: Replication of Previous TIG Projects

    LSC requires that any original software developed with TIG funding 
be available to other legal services programs at little or no cost. 
Applicants should look to previous successful TIG projects to determine 
how they could be replicated at a reduced cost from the original 
project, and/or how they could be expanded and/or enhanced. Projects 
where original software or content has already been created lend 
themselves to replication, and LSC encourages programs to look to these 
projects to see how they could benefit the delivery systems in their 
state.

B: Automated Form Replication

    LawHelp Interactive (LHI \1\) is deployed across the country with 
thousands of active HotDocs templates and A2J Author modules hosted on 
the LawHelp Interactive National HotDocs Server at https://lawhelpinteractive.org. Despite differences from state to state in the 
content and format, many of these forms can be edited for use in other 
jurisdictions with less effort, hence a lower cost, than developing the 
document from scratch.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ LHI is an automated document server powered by HotDocs 
Server and made available to any LSC funded program at no charge. 
See https://lawhelpinteractive.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Even if a form differs from one state to another, the information 
needed to populate a form will, for the most part, be similar. (What 
are the names of the plaintiff, the defendant, the children, etc.?). 
This means the interviews are more easily replicated than templates. 
All of these templates and interviews are available to be modified as 
needed. Applicants should identify which forms and templates are to be 
adapted, and then estimate the cost to do this and compare that to the 
cost of developing them from scratch.
    LHI has the capacity to support Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and 
Korean language interviews. In addition, LHI has been integrated with 
other systems to allow the flow of information between LHI and court e-
filing systems, and legal aid case management systems. The ``Connect'' 
feature enables pro bono programs from across a state to use LHI 
interviews and forms to assign pre-screened pro bono cases and their 
documents to panel attorneys. For additional information, including 
examples, best practices, models and training materials, see the 
LawHelp Interactive Resource Center at https://www.probono.net/dasupport 
(you may need to request a free membership to access this Web site).

C. Replication of Technology Projects in Other Sectors

    In addition to replicating other TIG funded technology projects, 
LSC encourages replication of proven technologies from non-LSC funded 
legal aid organizations as well as sectors outside the legal aid 
community. Ideas for replication may be found through resources and 
organizations such as LSNTAP, the ABA, international legal aid 
providers such as the Legal Services Society of British Columbia and 
HiiL's Innovating Justice project (https://www.innovatingjustice.com), 
Idealware (see the article on Unleashing Innovation), NTEN, and 
TechSoup.

Areas of Interest

    LSC welcomes applications for a wide variety of projects. For 2016, 
LSC has three areas of particular interest in which programs are 
encouraged to submit proposals for innovative technology approaches. 
The designation of these areas does not in any way limit the scope of 
proposals in which LSC is interested. The 2016 areas of particular 
interest are:
    A. Achieving ``100 Percent Access.'' LSC's 2013 Technology Summit 
Report, available at https://www.lsc.gov/media-center/publications/report-summit-use-technology-expand-access-justice, proposed an 
integrated service-delivery system that would ``move the United States 
toward providing some form of effective assistance to 100 percent of 
persons otherwise unable to afford an attorney for dealing with 
essential civil legal needs.'' Recently, the Conference of Chief 
Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators adopted a 
resolution advocating a similar access goal:

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Conference of Chief 
Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators support 
the aspirational goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance 
for essential civil legal needs and urge their members to provide 
leadership in achieving that goal and to work with their Access to 
Justice Commission or other such entities to develop a strategic 
plan with realistic and measurable outcomes;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Conferences urge the National 
Center for State Courts and other national organizations to develop 
tools and provide assistance to states in achieving the goal of 100 
percent access through a continuum of meaningful and appropriate 
services.

    With this area of interest, LSC seeks proposals that use technology 
to further the goal of 100 percent access to effective assistance for 
essential civil legal needs, particularly through projects that advance 
related objectives developed by the Access to Justice Commission in the 
applicant's state.
    LSC's Technology Summit Report provides examples of strategies for 
achieving 100 percent access, but proposals should not be limited to 
approaches discussed in the report. Applicants should work with their 
local commissions (where they exist) and/or other stakeholders to 
determine the best ways to use technology to move toward achieving this 
goal.
    B. Projects to Move Organizations above the LSC Technology 
Baselines. ``LSC Baselines: Technologies That Should Be in Place in a 
Legal Aid Office Today,'' available at https://www.lsc.gov/sites/default/files/TIG/pdfs/LSC-Technology-Baselines-2015.PDF, provides a 
detailed overview of the technologies that enable modern legal aid 
offices to operate efficiently and effectively. While LSC's policy is 
that TIGs cannot be used to bring grantees up to the baselines in an 
area, we encourage applicants as they implement a baseline capacity to 
think about how they can do more than just the minimum. This area of 
interest focuses on initiatives that advance organizations beyond the 
2015 Baselines by developing innovative, creative

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technology solutions that not only address one or more Baseline 
capacities, but also exceed them. Grantees applying under this area of 
interest should address how their project could establish a new 
technology best practice that could be incorporated into future 
versions of the Baselines.
    C. Innovations in Legal Information Design and Delivery. Legal 
tools and content should be developed with the end user in mind, but 
too often the result reflects what the developer determines the end 
user will need, rather than what the user understands and finds 
helpful. Technology provides an opportunity to design and deliver legal 
information optimized for the end user, and there are good examples of 
how user-centric design can improve legal innovation (see 
www.legaltechdesign.com and www.nulawlab.org). Projects in this area of 
interest could incorporate new approaches to visual law, online 
learning, and user interaction in the design and delivery of content. 
In one example from the 2015 TIG cycle, a grantee received funding to 
develop a courtroom experience app that delivers just-in-time support 
directly to litigants' smartphones as they navigate various stages of 
the court process, increasing effective self-representation. Projects 
could also focus on low/no-literacy and Limited English Proficiency 
(LEP) communities or others who are under-served by traditional 
methods.

Specific Letter of Intent To Apply Requirements

One Project per Letter of Intent

    Applicants may submit multiple LOIs, but a separate LOI should be 
submitted for each project for which funding is sought.

Letter Requirements and Format

    Letters of Intent must be submitted using the online system at 
https://lscgrants.lsc.gov. Additional instructions and information can 
be found on the TIG Web site, https://www.lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/tig. This system will walk you through the 
process of creating a simple two-page LOI. The LOI should concisely 
provide the following information about the proposed project:
    1. Category--Select the appropriate category from the drop down 
list.
    2. Description of Project (maximum 2500 characters)--Briefly 
describe the basic elements of the project, including the specific 
technology(ies) the project will develop or implement; how they will be 
developed, how they will operate, the function they will serve within 
the legal services delivery system, their expected impact, and other 
similar factors. (Only the impact should be highlighted here; more 
details about the system's benefits should be provided below.)
    3. Major Benefits (maximum 2500 characters)--Describe the specific 
ways in which the project will increase or improve services to clients 
and/or enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of program operations. 
To the extent feasible, discuss both the qualitative and quantitative 
aspects of these benefits.
    4. Estimated Costs (maximum 1500 characters)--Start by stating the 
amount of funding you are seeking from the TIG program, followed by the 
estimated total project cost, summarizing the anticipated costs of the 
major components of the project. List anticipated contributions, both 
in-kind and monetary, from all partners involved in the project.
    5. Major Partners (maximum 1500 characters)--Identify organizations 
that are expected to be important partners. Specify the role(s) each 
partner will play.
    6. Innovation/Replication (maximum 1500 characters)--Identify how 
and why the proposed project is new and innovative and/or is a 
replication or adaptation of a previous technology project. Identify 
how and why the proposed project can significantly benefit and/or be 
replicated by other legal services providers and/or the legal services 
community at large.

Letter of Intent To Apply Deadline

    Letters of Intent must be completed and submitted into the online 
system at https://lscgrants.lsc.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, 
Monday, February 29, 2016. The online system may experience technical 
difficulties due to heavy traffic on the day of the deadline. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete LOI submissions as early 
as possible.
    LSC will not accept applications submitted after the application 
deadline unless a waiver of the deadline has been approved in advance 
(see Waiver Authority). Therefore, allow sufficient time for online 
submission.
    LSC will provide confirmation via email upon the completed 
electronic submission of each Letter of Intent. Keep this email as 
verification that the program's LOI was submitted. If no confirmation 
email is received, inquire about the status of your LOI at 
Techgrants@lsc.gov.

Selection Process

    LSC will initially review all Letters of Intent to Apply to 
determine whether they conform to the required format and clearly 
present all of the required elements listed and described above. 
Failure to meet these requirements may result in rejection of the 
Letter of Intent.
    LSC will review each Letter of Intent to identify those projects 
likely to improve access to justice, or to improve the efficiency, 
effectiveness, and quality of legal services provided by grantees. The 
Letters of Intent will also be reviewed to determine the extent to 
which the project proposed is clearly described and well thought out, 
offers major benefits to our targeted client community, is cost-
effective, involves all of the parties needed to make it successful and 
sustainable, and is either innovative or a cost-effective replication 
of prior successful projects. LSC will invite those applicants that 
satisfy these criteria to submit full applications.

Next Steps for Successful Applicants

    LSC will notify successful applicants by April 11, 2016. Successful 
applicants will have until 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 20, 2016 to 
complete and submit full applications in the online application system.

Waiver Authority

    LSC, upon its own initiative or when requested, may waive 
provisions in this Notice at its sole discretion under extraordinary 
circumstances and when it is in the best interest of the eligible 
client community. Waivers may be granted only for requirements that are 
discretionary and not mandated by statute or regulation. Any request 
for a waiver must set forth the extraordinary circumstances for the 
request and be included in the application. LSC will not consider a 
request to waive the deadline for a Letter of Intent to Apply unless 
the waiver request is received by LSC prior to the deadline.

Contact Information

    For information on the status of a current TIG project, contact 
Eric Mathison, Program Analyst, Telephone: 202-295-1535; Email: 
emathison@lsc.gov.
    For questions about projects in CT, IL, IN, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, 
OH, PA, RI, WI, WV, VT, contact David Bonebrake, Program Counsel, 
Telephone: 202.295.1547; Email: dbonebrake@lsc.gov.
    For questions about projects in AK, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, IA, KS, 
MP, MN, MT, NE., NV, NH, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY, contact 
Glenn Rawdon, Program Counsel, Telephone: 202.295.1552; Email: 
grawdon@lsc.gov.

[[Page 3165]]

    For questions about projects in AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, 
MO, NC, PR, SC, TN, VI, VA, contact Jane Ribadeneyra, Program Analyst, 
Telephone: 202.295.1554, Email: ribadeneyraj@lsc.gov.
    If you have a general question, please email techgrants@lsc.gov.

     Dated: January 12, 2016.
Stefanie K. Davis,
Assistant General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2016-00941 Filed 1-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7050-01-P
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