E8-6691. Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2008.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184N.

DATES:

Applications Available: April 4, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 19, 2008.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 18, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The goals of this program are to identify and disseminate information about exemplary and effective alcohol or other drug abuse prevention programs implemented on college campuses. Through this grant program, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) also will recognize colleges and universities whose programs, while not yet exemplary or effective, show evidence that they are promising.

Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority, definitions, requirements, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Absolute Priority: For FY 2008 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses

Under this priority the Department provides funding to IHEs that have implemented an exemplary, effective, or promising alcohol or other drug abuse prevention program on their campus. To meet the priority, in its application, an applicant must:

1. Describe the program that has for at least two full years been implemented on its campus, including the structure and content of the program, the student population that is targeted by the program, and any unique features of the program;

2. Provide a detailed theoretical basis for the program's effectiveness;

3. Provide data to demonstrate the program's impact on the target student population, including evidence of cognitive or behavioral changes, or both, among the target population; and

4. Consent to a site visit to clarify information in the application and verify evaluation data.

Under this program, the Department selects an IHE for recognition as having an exemplary, effective, or promising program based on the recommendation from the two peer reviewers who conduct the site visit. Therefore, note that selection for a site visit does not ensure recognition as an exemplary, effective, or promising program by the Department.

Recognition Types

Contingent upon the quality of data provided by the applicant and the recommendation of site visitors, an applicant may earn one of three levels of recognition.

Level 1 is recognition as an exemplary program. An IHE whose program is designated as exemplary must:

1. Within 30 days of receiving an award, provide to the Department a plan to disseminate information about its program to other IHEs;

2. Upon approval by the Department, implement its dissemination plan; and

3. Enhance and further evaluate the exemplary program during the project period of the grant award.

Level 2 is recognition as an effective program. An IHE whose program is designated as effective must:

1. Within 30 days of receiving an award, provide to the Department a plan to disseminate information about its program to other IHEs;

2. Upon approval by the Department, implement its dissemination plan; and

3. Enhance and further evaluate the effective program during the project period of the grant award.

Level 3 is designation as a promising program. An IHE whose program is recognized as promising must:

1. Within 30 days of receiving an award, submit to the Department a plan to enhance and further evaluate its program;

2. Upon approval by the Department, implement its enhancement and evaluation plan; and

3. Within 12 months of award, provide to the Department a report detailing the results of its evaluation.

Definitions

1. Exemplary program means a program that has a strong theoretical base and demonstrated effectiveness in reducing alcohol or other drug abuse among college students or reducing problems resulting from alcohol or other drug use among college students, using a research design of the highest quality. For the purpose of this grant competition, a research design of the highest quality means an experimental design in which students are randomly assigned to participate in a project being evaluated (treatment group) or not participate in the project (control group). The effect of the project is the difference in outcomes between the treatment and control groups.

If strong, experimentally determined evidence of the effectiveness of a program already exists, and the program was implemented on the applicant's campus with fidelity to the research, then a quasi-experimental evaluation of the program's implementation on the applicant's campus may be an acceptable research design. For the purpose of this grant competition, quasi-experimental designs include several designs that attempt to approximate a random assignment design.

2. Effective program means a program that has a strong theoretical base and has been evaluated using either an experimental or quasi-experimental research design, with the evaluation results suggesting effectiveness in reducing alcohol or other drug abuse among college students, reducing problems resulting from alcohol or other drug use among college students, reducing risk factors, enhancing protective factors, or resulting in some combination of those impacts.

3. Promising program means a program that has a strong theoretical base and for which evidence has been obtained, using limited research methods, that the program may reduce alcohol or other drug abuse among college students, reduce problems resulting from alcohol or other drug use among college students, reduce risk factors, enhance protective factors, or result in some combination of those impacts. For the purpose of this grant competition, limited research methods are methods that include a pre- and post-treatment measurement of the effects of a treatment on a single subject or group of single subjects.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 299. (c) The notice of final priority, definitions, requirements, and selection criteria, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Note:

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

Note:

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

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $715,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards later in FY 2008 and FY 2009 and in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $125,000-$175,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $143,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 18 months for projects designated as exemplary or effective, and up to 12 months for projects designated as promising.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs that offer an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Limitations on Eligibility:

(a) Exemplary or effective programs. The length of time an IHE is ineligible for a subsequent award after receiving recognition for an exemplary or effective program is three years.

(b) Promising programs. Programs recognized as promising may be eligible for a new award when their current grant is no longer active. A grant is considered active until the end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds. A project that fails to achieve exemplary or effective status after a second designation as a promising program may not reapply for three years after its second project period is no longer active.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​grantapps/​index.html. You may also access the electronic version of the application at the following Web sites: http://www.grants.gov or http://www.ed.gov/​programs/​dvpcollege/​applicant.html.

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: [phone]. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/​pubs/​edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [e-mail].

If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program as follows: CFDA number 84.184N.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the 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.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: April 4, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 19, 2008.

Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 18, 2008.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

5. Funding Restrictions: The maximum amount an applicant may receive for a project recognized as an exemplary or effective program may be no more than $150,000 plus indirect costs, and a project recognized as a promising program may receive no more than $100,000 plus indirect costs.

6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses, CFDA Number 84.184N, is included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.

If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses Grant Competition at http://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 84.184, not 84.184N).

Please note the following:

• Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
• 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 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/​help/​GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
• To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp). These steps include (1) Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format.
• If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms—the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424—have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
• If you submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues With the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address:

By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.184N), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or

By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.184N), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note:

The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) 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 84.184N), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from the notice of final priority, definitions, requirements, and selection criteria for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register and are listed in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary also may require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: The Secretary may choose to develop performance measures for the Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol or Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses grant competition in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). If measures are developed, grantees will be asked to provide information that relates to participant outcomes and project management.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Lucey, Jr., U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E335, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].

If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

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

Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as well as 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: http://www.ed.gov/​news/​fedregister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at [phone].

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: www.gpoaccess.gov/​nara/​index.html.

Dated: March 26, 2008.

Deborah A. Price,

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.