[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 159 (Thursday, August 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20446]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: August 18, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA Nos.: 84.116A; 84.116B]
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education--
Comprehensive Program (Preapplications and Applications) Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995
Purpose of Program: To provide grants or enter into cooperative
agreements to improve postsecondary education opportunities.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education or
combinations of such institutions and other public and private
nonprofit educational institutions and agencies.
Deadline for Transmittal of Preapplications: October 18, 1994.
Deadline for Transmittal of Final Applications: March 15, 1995.
Note: All applicants must submit a preapplication to be eligible
to submit a final application.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 15, 1995.
Applications Available: August 18, 1994.
Available Funds: The President's budget includes $20,326,000 for
the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education for FY 1995. Of
this amount, it is anticipated that approximately $5,250,000 will be
available for an estimated 75 new awards under the Comprehensive
Program. The Congress has not yet completed action on the FY 1995
appropriation. The estimates in this notice assume passage of the
Administration's request.
Estimated Range of Awards: $15,000 to $150,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $70,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 75.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
82, 85, and 86, with the exceptions noted in 34 CFR 630.4(a)(2); and
(b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR Part 630.
Priorities
Absolute Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), 34 CFR 630.12 and 34 CFR 630.11(a), the
Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet the
following priority. The Secretary funds under this competition only
applications that meet this absolute priority:
Projects that respond to immediate problems or issues and that seek
to improve postsecondary education opportunities.
Invitational Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) and 34 CFR 630.12, the Secretary is
particularly interested in applications that meet one or more of the
following invitational priorities. However, an application that meets
one or more of these invitational priorities does not receive
competitive or absolute preference over other applications:
Invitational Priority 1--Applications to support new ways of
ensuring equal access to postsecondary education, and to improve rates
of retention and program completion, especially for low-income and
underrepresented minority students, whose retention and completion
rates continue to lag disturbingly behind those of other groups.
Invitational Priority 2--Applications to create programs that
prepare students for entering the workforce and that serve the
continuing education and retraining needs of workers.
Invitational Priority 3--Applications to improve the campus climate
by creating an environment that is safe, welcoming, and conducive to
learning for all students.
Invitational Priority 4--Applications to restructure institutions
in ways that reassert the primacy of teaching and learning; and to
increase learning productivity--that is, to transform programs and
teaching to promote more student learning relative to institutional
resources expended.
Invitational Priority 5--Applications to promote cooperation
between colleges and universities and elementary and secondary schools
in order to improve students' preparation for, access to, and success
in college. In particular, the Secretary seeks innovative school-
college partnerships to improve articulation and develop new ways to
improve both pre-service and in-service teacher education at both the
elementary and secondary level.
Invitational Priority 6--Applications to support innovative reforms
of undergraduate, graduate, and professional curricula that improve not
only what students learn, but how they learn.
Invitational Priority 7--Applications to support the development of
faculty as professionals by assessing and rewarding effective teaching;
helping institutions and faculty find ways to increase their emphasis
on teaching and other means of involvement with student learners;
promoting new and more effective teaching methods; and improving the
preparation--especially the teaching skills--of graduate students who
will be future faculty members.
Invitational Priority 8--Recognizing that many innovative
postsecondary educational programs have already been locally developed
and implemented, the Secretary invites applications to disseminate
these programs to other institutions.
Selection Criteria
In evaluating applications for grants under this program
competition, the Secretary uses the following selection criteria chosen
from those listed in 34 CFR 630.32:
(a) Significance for Postsecondary Education. The Secretary reviews
each proposed project for its significance in improving postsecondary
education by determining the extent to which it would--
(1) Address an important problem or need;
(2) Represent an improvement upon, or important departure from,
existing practice;
(3) Involve learner-centered improvements;
(4) Achieve far-reaching impact through improvements that will be
useful in a variety of ways and in a variety of settings; and
(5) Increase the cost-effectiveness of services.
(b) Feasibility. The Secretary reviews each proposed project for
its feasibility by determining the extent to which--
(1) The proposed project represents an appropriate response to the
problem or need addressed;
(2) The applicant is capable of carrying out the proposed project,
as evidenced by, for example--
(i) The applicant's understanding of the problem or need;
(ii) The quality of the project design, including objectives,
approaches, and evaluation plan;
(iii) The adequacy of resources, including money, personnel,
facilities, equipment, and supplies;
(iv) The qualifications of key personnel who would conduct the
project; and
(v) The applicant's relevant prior experience;
(3) The applicant and any other participating organizations are
committed to the success of the proposed project, as evidenced by, for
example--
(i) Contribution of resources by the applicant and by participating
organizations;
(ii) Their prior work in the area; and
(iii) The potential for continuation of the proposed project beyond
the period of funding (unless the project would be self-terminating);
and
(4) The proposed project demonstrates potential for dissemination
to or adaptation by other organizations, and shows evidence of interest
by potential users.
(c) Appropriateness of funding projects. The Secretary reviews each
application to determine whether support of the proposed project by the
Secretary is appropriate in terms of availability of other funding
sources for the proposed activities.
Under 630.32, the Secretary determines the methods that will be
used in applying the selection criteria.
For preapplications (preliminary applications), the Secretary will
give greater weight to the selection criteria under Significance for
Postsecondary Education. The Secretary will give equal weight to
Feasibility, and Appropriateness of funding projects. For final
applications (applications), all criteria are equally important. Within
each of these criteria, the Secretary gives equal weight to each of the
subcriteria. In applying the criteria, the Secretary first analyzes a
preapplication or application in terms of each individual criterion and
subcriterion. The Secretary then bases the final judgment of an
application on an overall assessment of the degree to which the
applicant addresses all selection criteria.
FOR APPLICATIONS OR INFORMATION CONTACT: Fund for the Improvement of
Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 3100, ROB-3, Washington, D.C. 20202-5175.
Telephone: (202) 205-0104 to order applications; or (202) 708-5750 for
information, Information about the Department's funding opportunities,
including copies of application notices for discretionary grant
competitions, can be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin
board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Internet Gopher
Server at GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins, and Press
Releases). However, the official application notice for a discretionary
grant competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135a-3.
Dated: August 12, 1994.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 94-20446 Filed 8-17-94; 8:45 am]
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