[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 107 (Friday, June 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30210-30211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14117]
[[Page 30209]]
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Part IV
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Department of Education
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Office of Postsecondary Education; Underground Railroad Educational and
Cultural Program: Inviting Applications for Grants Under the
Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program for Fiscal Year
(FY) 1999; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 107 / Friday, June 4, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 30210]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.345]
Office of Postsecondary Education; Underground Railroad
Educational and Cultural Program: Notice Inviting Applications for
Grants Under the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program
for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999
Purpose of program: To provide grants to nonprofit educational
organizations that are established to research, display, interpret, and
collect artifacts relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
Eligible applicants: Nonprofit educational organizations that are
established to research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts
relating to the history of the Underground Railroad.
Deadline for transmittal of applications: July 6, 1999.
Deadline for intergovernmental review: September 7, 1999.
Available funds: $1,750,000.
Estimated range of awards: $100,000 to $1,750,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $580,000.
Estimated number of awards: 1-3.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Applicable statute and regualtions: (a) Section 841 of the Higher
Education Amendments of 1998, Public Law 105-244, 20 U.S.C. section
1153; and (b) the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, and 86.
Other Requirements
Authorized Activities
As required by statute, each nonprofit educational organization
awarded a grant under this program must enter into an agreement with
the Department. Each agreement must require the organization--
(1) To establish a facility to house, display, and interpret the
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad, and to
make the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher
education that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree;
(2) To demonstrate substantial private support for the facility
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal
Government;
(3) To create an endowment to fund any and all shortfalls in the
costs of the on-going operations of the facility;
(4) To establish a network of satellite centers throughout the
United States to help disseminate information regarding the Underground
Railroad throughout the United States, if these satellite centers raise
80 percent of the funds required to establish the satellite centers
from non-Federal public and private sources;
(5) To establish the capability to electronically link the facility
with other local and regional facilities that have collections and
programs that interpret the history of the Underground Railroad; and
(6) To submit, for each fiscal year for which the organization
receives funding under this program, a report to the Department that
contains--
(a) A description of the programs and activities supported by the
funding;
(b) The audited financial statement of the organization for the
preceding fiscal year;
(c) A plan for the programs and activities to be supported by the
funding as the Secretary may require; and
(d) An evaluation of the programs and activities supported by the
funding as the Secretary may require.
Selection Criteria
Applications for Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural
Program grants will be evaluated using the following weighted selection
criteria from section 841 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998
and 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses. The maximum overall score is 100 points. Your grant
application must carefully address each of the selection criteria and
describe your efforts in these areas in detail.
(1) Overall Concept (20 points). How well the facility supported by
the proposed grant would effectively house, display, and interpret
artifacts related to the history of the Underground Railroad and make
the interpretive efforts available to institutions of higher education
that award a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
(2) Public-Private Support (20 points). How well the applicant
organization demonstrates substantial private support for the facility
through the implementation of a public-private partnership between a
State or local public entity and a private entity for the support of
the facility. The private entity must provide matching funds for the
support of the facility in an amount equal to 4 times the amount of the
contribution of the State or local public entity, except that not more
than 20 percent of the matching funds may be provided by the Federal
Government.
(3) Endowment (5 points). How well the applicant organization
addresses the requirement to create an endowment to fund any and all
shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the facility.
(4) Satellite Center (10 points). How well the applicant
organization addresses the requirement to establish a network of
satellite centers throughout the United States to disseminate
information regarding the Underground Railroad and demonstrates the
ability to raise 80 percent of the funds required from non-Federal
public and private sources.
(5) Electronic Link (10 points). How well the applicant
organization addresses the requirement to establish the capability to
electronically link the facility with other local and regional
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the
history of the Underground Railroad.
(6) Quality of Program Personnel (10 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
program. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the following:
(a) The qualifications including relevant training and experience
of key personnel. (5 points)
(b) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. (5 points)
(7) Quality of Management Plan (15 points). The Secretary considers
the quality of the management plan for the proposed grant program. In
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following:
(a) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks. (5 points)
(b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
(c) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to
[[Page 30211]]
bear in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
(8) Quality of Project Evaluation (10 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed
program. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evolution are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (7 points)
(b) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings. (3 points)
Application Requirements
An application submitted for funding under this program must
include--
(1) The name, address, and web site address, if any, of the
nonprofit educational organization seeking to participate, and the
name, title, mailing and e-mail address, and telephone number of a
contact person for the organization.
(2) A description of the facility that will be used to house,
display, and interpret the artifacts related to the history of the
Underground Railroad and to make the interpretive efforts available to
institutions of higher education that award a baccalaureate or graduate
degree.
(3) A description of the substantial private support for the
facility through the implementation of a public-private partnership
between a State or local public entity and a private entity for the
support of the facility and documentation that these entities will
provide matching funds as required in section 841(b)(2) of the Higher
Education Amendments of 1998.
(4) A description of how the endowment will be created to fund any
and all shortfalls in the costs of the on-going operations of the
facility and expected sources of these funds.
(5) A statement as to whether the applicant organization intends to
establish a network of satellite centers throughout the United States
to help disseminate information regarding the Underground Railroad
throughout the United States. If the applicant's organization does
intend to establish a network, the applicant must describe the network
and document how the satellite centers will raise 80 percent of the
funds required from non-Federal public and private sources.
(6) A detailed description of how the applicant intends to
electronically link the facility with other local and regional
facilities that have collections and programs which interpret the
history of the Underground Railroad, including a listing of the
facilities the applicant intends to include.
Instructions for Submitting an Application
Applicants should submit a narrative that addresses the elements
described in this notice under ``Application Requirements.'' There is
no prescribed application form for the program. All applications should
clearly designate a contact person, telephone number, and the e-mail
address of the contact person. Applicants need only submit one original
application. No copies are necessary. Applications must be postmarked
on or before the deadline date.
Mail the application on or before the deadline date to Linda
Kleckner, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room
4050, ROB-3, Washington, DC 20202, or hand deliver the application by
4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the deadline date to Linda Kleckner,
U.S. Department of Education, Seventh & D Streets, SW., Room 4050, ROB-
3, Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Kleckner at the address in the
previous paragraph, by e-mail at Linda__Kleckner@ed.gov, or by
telephone at (202) 708-9086. Information concerning the program can
also be found on the Web site of the Department (http://ed.gov).
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC
area, at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: Section 841 of the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998, Pub. L. 105-244, 20 U.S.C. 1153.
Dated: May 28, 1999.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-14117 Filed 6-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U
