[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 78 (Friday, April 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21266-21269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9498]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information;
Building State Capacity for Preventing Youth Substance Use and
Violence; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184W.
Dates: Applications Available: April 23, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 7, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 6, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: Building State Capacity for Preventing Youth
Substance Use and Violence provides competitive grants to State
educational agencies (SEAs) to build and sustain capacity to prevent
youth substance use and violence and support collaboration between SEAs
and other State agencies that are involved in efforts to prevent these
problems. Funds must be used to enhance the capacity of State agencies
to support local educational agencies (LEAs) in their efforts to create
and sustain a safe and drug-free school environment.
Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2010 grant
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in accordance with
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) State
and Local Grants program, which, for many years, provided funding for
formula grants to States to support LEAs and community-based
organizations in developing and implementing programs to prevent drug
use and violence among children and youth, did not receive a fiscal
year 2010 appropriation. As we transition from formula to discretionary
and competitive funding under the FY 2010 appropriation, this priority
is established to help States increase their capacity to provide a
State prevention infrastructure and to assist States with strategic
planning during this transition process by facilitating partnerships
between SEAS and other State agencies to support the prevention efforts
of LEAs.
Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Grants to build and sustain SEA capacity to prevent youth substance
use and violence and support collaboration between the SEA and other
State agencies that are involved in efforts to prevent these problems.
To meet this priority, funds must be used to enhance the capacity of
State agencies to support LEAs in their efforts to create and sustain a
safe and drug-free school environment. Grantees may carry out technical
assistance and training, program support services, data analysis,
coordination of activities, and information dissemination, as well as
other activities that enhance the capacity of State agencies to support
local school-based efforts to create safe and drug-free environments
for their students.
[[Page 21267]]
Also as part of this priority, grantees must produce a plan for
sustaining their State's infrastructure to support the implementation
of effective drug and violence prevention activities at the State and
local levels after the grant support provided by this program has
ended. The plan must identify and address key elements of the State's
strategy, including, but not limited to: (1) The State's strategic
goals for preventing youth drug use and violence; (2) planned continued
collaboration with other State agencies and relevant non-governmental
organizations with expertise in preventing youth drug use and violence,
including school and community prevention efforts; (3) the State's
systematic needs assessment process, which must include an assessment
of available resources at the State and local levels to address the
State's needs with regard to preventing youth drug use and violence;
and (4) a statement, based on the needs assessment, of the State's
performance measures, that will help State agencies, as well as schools
and communities, assess progress in preventing youth drug use and
violence.
Application Requirements: To be eligible for a grant under this
program, an applicant must include in its application--
1. A description of how the applicant will use grant funds to
enhance the capacity of State agencies to support LEAs in their efforts
to create and sustain safe and drug-free learning environments for
their students;
2. A description of how the applicant will plan and coordinate
substance use and violence prevention services with the Single State
Agency for Substance Abuse Services or other State agencies that are
involved in efforts to prevent youth substance use and violence. The
application must include a letter signed by the SEA and all
participating State agencies indicating their agreement to conduct the
activities proposed in the application and specifying the roles and
responsibilities of each party;
3. A description of the process the applicant will use to develop
the required plan to create or enhance, and sustain, a State
infrastructure designed to support effective efforts to prevent youth
drug use and violence;
4. A description of how the applicant will use funds to sustain its
prevention efforts, identifying relevant sources of funding and other
types of support, after the end of the grant period;
5. A description of how the applicant will identify possible
overlap and duplication of services, and more efficient uses of
resources; and
6. A description of the process the applicant will use to identify
gaps and weaknesses in the existing infrastructure.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and other
requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary
to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under
section 4121 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (20 U.S.C. 7131), and therefore qualifies for this exemption.
In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to
forgo public comment on the priority and application requirements under
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. This priority and these application
requirements will apply to the FY 2010 grant competition and any
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in CFR part 299.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $8,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2011 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $125,000-$250,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000 for a State with fewer
than 1,400,000 students enrolled; $185,000 for a State with at least
1,400,000 but fewer than 2,000,000 students enrolled; and $250,000 for
a State with at least 2,000,000 students enrolled. Award ranges are
based on 2007-2008 school year enrollment data submitted by SEAs
through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Estimated Number of Awards: 45.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
Note: To support applicants in planning their proposed budgets,
the Department has developed the following list, which contains a
nonbinding budget maximum for each State.
Group 1--$125,000: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico.
Outlying Areas: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas
Islands (CNMI), Guam, Virgin Islands.
Group 2--$185,000: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio,
Pennsylvania.
Group 3--$250,000: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other:
Participation by Private School Children and Teachers:
Section 9501 of the ESEA, requires that SEAs, LEAs, or other
entities receiving funds under the SDFSCA provide for the equitable
participation of private school children, their teachers, and other
educational personnel in private schools located in areas served by the
grant recipient.
In order to ensure that grant program activities address the needs
of private school children, the applicant must engage in timely and
meaningful consultation with private school officials during the design
and development of the program. This consultation must take place
before any decision is made that affects the opportunities of eligible
private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel to
participate in grant program activities.
Administrative direction and control over grant funds must remain
with the grantee.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet. To obtain a copy via the
Internet, use the following address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. You can also request an application by
writing to: Christine F. Pinckney, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 10077, Potomac
[[Page 21268]]
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202.
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
under Accessible Format in section VII of this notice.
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 program.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: April 23, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 7, 2010.
Applications for grants under this program may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site, 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: August 6, 2010.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 program.
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 program may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you
must use e-Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants
Web site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
program after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m.
Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 8 p.m. Sunday,
Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of maintenance, the
system is unavailable between 8 p.m. on Sundays and 6 a.m. on Mondays,
and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington,
DC time. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants
Web site.
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.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
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. 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.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of e-Application. If e-Application is available, and,
for any reason, you are unable to submit your application
electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgment of
your submission, you may submit your
[[Page 21269]]
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with
the instructions in this notice.
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 84.184W), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, 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 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
84.184W), 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 grant 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 75.210 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 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 information, as directed
by the Secretary. Part of the performance report must include the
sustainability plan described in the absolute priority of this notice.
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 Measures: We have identified the following
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) performance
measure for assessing the effectiveness of the Building State Capacity
for Preventing Youth Substance Use and Violence program: The percentage
of grantees that submit a high-quality plan to create and sustain an
effective infrastructure to support the implementation of effective
drug and violence prevention activities. The plan must include, at a
minimum, the four key elements described in the absolute priority of
this notice.
This measure constitutes the Department's indicator of success for
this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant under
this program to give careful consideration to this measure in
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project.
Each grantee will be required to provide, in its final report, data
about its progress in meeting this measure.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine F. Pinckney, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 10077, Potomac Center
Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7894 or by e-
mail: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (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 program 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.
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: April 20, 2010.
Kevin Jennings,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 2010-9498 Filed 4-22-10; 8:45 am]
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