[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 34, Volume 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 34CFR647.21]



[Page 327-328]

 

                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION

 

 CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

PART 647_RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM--Table 

of Contents

 

             Subpart C_How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?

 

Sec. 647.21  What selection criteria does the Secretary use?



    The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate an application 

for a new grant:

    (a) Need (16 Points). The Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the extent to which the applicant can clearly and definitively 

demonstrate the need for a McNair project to serve the target 

population. In particular, the Secretary looks for information that 

clearly defines the target population; describes the academic, financial 

and other problems that prevent potentially eligible project 

participants in the target population from completing baccalaureate 

programs and continuing to postbaccalaureate programs; and demonstrates 

that the project's target population is underrepresented in graduate 

education, doctorate degrees conferred and careers where a doctorate is 

a prerequisite.

    (b) Objectives (9 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of 

the applicant's proposed project objectives on the basis of the extent 

to which they--

    (1) Include both process and outcome objectives relating to the 

purpose of the McNair program stated in Sec. 647.1;

    (2) Address the needs of the target population; and

    (3) Are measurable, ambitious, and attainable over the life of the 

project.

    (c) Plan of Operation (44 points). The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine the quality of the applicant's plans of 

operation, including--

    (1) (4 points) The plan for identifying, recruiting and selecting 

participants to be served by the project, including students enrolled in 

the Student Support Services program;

    (2) (4 points) The plan for assessing individual participant needs 

and for monitoring the academic growth of participants during the period 

in which the student is a McNair participant;

    (3) (5 points) The plan for providing high quality research and 

scholarly activities in which participants will be involved;

    (4) (5 points) The plan for involving faculty members in the design 

of research activities in which students will be involved;

    (5) (5 points) The plan for providing internships, seminars, and 

other educational activities designed to prepare undergraduate students 

for doctoral study;

    (6) (5 points) The plan for providing individual or group services 

designed to enhance a student's successful entry into postbaccalaureate 

education;

    (7) (3 points) The plan to inform the institutional community of the 

goals and objectives of the project;

    (8) (8 points) The plan to ensure proper and efficient 

administration of the project, including, but not limited to



[[Page 328]]



matters such as financial management, student records management, 

personnel management, the organizational structure, and the plan for 

coordinating the McNair project with other programs for disadvantaged 

students; and

    (9) (5 points) The follow-up plan that will be used to track the 

academic and career accomplishments of participants after they are no 

longer participating in the McNair project.

    (d) Quality of key personnel (9 points). The Secretary evaluates the 

quality of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project on 

the basis of the following:

    (1)(i) The job qualifications of the project director.

    (ii) The job qualifications of each of the project's other key 

personnel.

    (iii) The quality of the project's plan for employing highly 

qualified persons, including the procedures to be used to employ members 

of groups underrepresented in higher education, including Blacks, 

Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific 

Islanders (including Native Hawaiians).

    (2) In evaluating the qualifications of a person, the Secretary 

considers his or her experience and training in fields related to the 

objectives of the project.

    (e) Adequacy of the resources and budget (15 points). The Secretary 

evaluates the extent to which--

    (1) The applicant's proposed allocation of resources in the budget 

is clearly related to the objectives of the project;

    (2) Project costs and resources, including facilities, equipment, 

and supplies, are reasonable in relation to the objectives and scope of 

the project; and

    (3) The applicant's proposed commitment of institutional resources 

to the McNair participants, as for example, the commitment of time from 

institutional research faculty and the waiver of tuition and fees for 

McNair participants engaged in summer research projects.

    (f) Evaluation plan (7 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality 

of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the extent to 

which the applicant's methods of evaluation--

    (1) Are appropriate to the project's objectives;

    (2) Provide for the applicant to determine, in specific and 

measurable ways, the success of the project in--

    (i) Making progress toward achieving its objectives (a formative 

evaluation); and

    (ii) Achieving its objectives at the end of the project period (a 

summative evaluation); and

    (3) Provide for a description of other project outcomes, including 

the use of quantifiable measures, if appropriate.



(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-15)