Department of Education; Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Grant Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program; Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2009, CFDA Number 84.304A [OSDFS]

FR Doc E8-29766[Federal Register: December 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 242)]
[Notices]               
[Page 76350-76354]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16de08-51]        
                                  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Grant 
Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.304A.

DATES
    Applications Available: December 16, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 15, 2009.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 16, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Cooperative Civic Education and Economic

[[Page 76351]]

Education Exchange Program provides grants to improve the quality of 
civic education through cooperative civic education exchange programs 
with emerging democracies.

    Note: This competition invites applications that address only 
civic education.

    Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and one 
invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the 
absolute priority is from section 2345(c) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6715(c)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2009, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Each applicant must propose to carry out each of the following 
activities:
    (1) Provide to the participants from eligible countries--
    (A) Seminars on the basic principles of United States 
constitutional democracy, including seminars on the major governmental 
institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such 
institutions;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and 
government education, in the United States;
    (C) Translations and adaptations with respect to United States 
civics and government education, curricular programs for students and 
teachers, and in the case of training programs for teachers, 
translations and adaptations into forms useful in schools in eligible 
countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and
    (D) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the cooperative education exchange programs on students' 
development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential 
for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy.
    (2) Provide to the participants from the United States--
    (A) Seminars on the histories and systems of government of eligible 
countries;
    (B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and 
organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government 
education, located in eligible countries;
    (C) Assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in 
the development of curricular materials on the history and government 
of such countries that are useful in United States classrooms;
    (D) Opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States 
curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries; 
and
    (E) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the 
effects of the cooperative education exchange programs assisted through 
this grant on students' development of the knowledge, skills, and 
traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of 
constitutional democracy.
    (3) Assist participants from eligible countries and the United 
States to participate in international conferences on civics and 
government education for educational leaders, teacher trainers, 
scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.
    Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following invitational priority.
    Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    This priority is:

Performance Data

    The Secretary is particularly interested in projects that use pre- 
and post-intervention testing, or more rigorous methods, to measure the 
effects of the Cooperative Civic Education Program on the knowledge and 
skills of students and the classroom practice(s) of participating 
teachers.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6711-6716.
    Applicable Regulations: 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.

    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: The Administration's budget request for 
FY 2009 does not include funds for this program. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress 
appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$1,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1-2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United States 
experienced in the development of curricula and programs in civics and 
government education for students in elementary schools and secondary 
schools in countries other than the United States.
    2. Eligible Country: For the purpose of this grant competition, the 
term eligible country means a Central European country, an Eastern 
European country, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of 
the former Soviet Union as defined in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support 
Act (22 U.S.C. 5801), the Republic of Ireland, the province of Northern 
Ireland in the United Kingdom, and any developing country (as such term 
is defined in section 209(d) of the Education for the Deaf Act (20 
U.S.C. 4359a(d))) if the Secretary, with the concurrence of the 
Secretary of State, determines that such developing country has a 
democratic form of government. (See 20 U.S.C. 6715(g)). A list of the 
countries is included in the application package.
    3. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    4. Other: Primary participants in the cooperative education 
exchange programs assisted through this grant shall be educational 
leaders in the areas of civics and government education, including 
teachers, curriculum and teacher training specialists, scholars in 
relevant disciplines, educational policymakers, and government and 
private sector leaders from the United States and eligible countries. 
(See 20 U.S.C. 6715(d).)

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Rita Foy Moss, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza 
(PCP), room 10006, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7866 or 
by e-mail: rita.foy.moss@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed 
in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in

[[Page 76352]]

the application package for the Cooperative Civic Education and 
Economic Education Exchange Program competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the 
application narrative [Part III] to no more than 25 pages, using the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side 
only, with 1'' margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part 
III].
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: December 16, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 15, 2009. 
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (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 of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 16, 2009.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. 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.
    We are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov 
Apply site. The Grant Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education 
and Economic Education Exchange Program, CFDA Number 84.304A, 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 Grant 
Competition for the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program at 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 84.304, not 84.304A).
    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 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
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

[[Page 76353]]

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.
     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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

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

    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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.304A), LBJ Basement Level 1, SW., Washington, DC 20202-
4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Application 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 
84.304A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR part 75.210 in EDGAR 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 also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial

[[Page 76354]]

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 may also 
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 Measure: If funded, applicants will be expected, 
consistent with one of the statutory purposes of this program (see 20 
U.S.C. 6715(b)(5)(A)), to provide information on the results of any 
independent research and evaluation assistance supported to determine 
the effects of the Cooperative Civic Education and Economic Education 
Exchange Program on students' development of the knowledge, skills, and 
traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of 
constitutional democracy. In addition, funded applicants responding to 
the Invitational Priority are encouraged to collect and submit data on 
the effects of the program on the knowledge and skills of students, and 
the classroom practice(s) of participating teachers.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita Foy Moss, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., PCP, room 10006, Washington, DC 
20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7866 or by e-mail: rita.foy.moss@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: 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 (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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: December 10, 2008.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. E8-29766 Filed 12-15-08; 8:45 am]

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