Application for Grants under the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program
Request for Approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act and
5 CFR 1320.5 (a)(1)(iv)
A. Justification
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is requesting reinstatement, with change, of the previously approved application for new grants under the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) Program. The previous package expired on July 31, 2005 (OMB No. 1840-0619). In January 2005, OMB approved our request to allow the application to expire because we did not need to use it until the summer of 2006, and planned to include any changes made to the governing statute during reauthorization of that law .
The application is used to award new grants and collect data under the McNair Program. The McNair Program provides grants to institutions of higher education and combinations of such institutions to prepare low-income, first generation college students, and students from groups underrepresented in graduate education, for doctoral study.
The McNair Program grant competition is authorized by Title IV, Part A, Section 402A and Section 402E of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 and 1070a-15); and governed by the program regulations in 34 CFR Part 647, and the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. Copies of the authorizing statute and program regulations are attached.
The application package requests programmatic and budgetary information needed to evaluate new applications, and make funding decisions, based on the authorizing statute, program regulations, and EDGAR. Failure to collect this information would prevent the awarding of appropriated funds because essential information would not be available for evaluating the applications in accordance with the statute and regulations.
For the first time in fiscal year 2007, as a part of the Department’s goal to increase the electronic submission of applications for grants, applications for grants under the McNair Program will be submitted electronically via the Grants.gov portal. Based on our experience with electronic submission of applications for grants under similar programs, we estimate that the Department will receive 95 percent of the applications electronically.
The application package has been prepared in a format for easier and faster posting of information on the Web. Prospective applicants will be able to view and download the application through the FIND function on Grants.gov at www.grants.gov.
Since the information submitted in the application is unique to each respondent, no duplication exists as far as can be determined. There is no other collection instrument available to collect the information that is requested.
The form requests the minimal amount of information needed to ensure that the applicant is eligible to address the purpose of the McNair Program. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education and combinations of such institutions.
The Department uses this information to make new multi-year grant awards only. Since the Department now makes four and five-year grant awards, competitions for new grants are held once every four years. Successful applicants are only required to respond to this information collection once. If this information is not collected or is collected less frequently, the Department would not be able to evaluate applications and make funding decisions based on the provisions in the authorizing statute and the program regulations.
No information will be collected in the manner covered under any of the special circumstances outlined.
The Department’s Regulatory Information Management Group will solicit public comment on this information collection in the Federal Register, pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8 (d), after submitting the collection to OMB. A summary of any comments received will be shared with OMB. The Department also will solicit informal views and comments from persons outside the Department during the yearly national and regional educational conferences.
The Department will not provide payment or gifts to respondents.
The Department’s disclosure policies adhere to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a).
The application does not include questions about sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, or other items that are commonly considered sensitive and private.
The estimated burden hours for this collection of information are 34 hours.
We expect approximately 300 respondents.
Applications are submitted once every four years.
Estimated number of respondents per year………...75
Total estimated burden hours………………………...2,550
. Estimated Costs To Respondents:
Professionals(75 personnel x 34 hours x $30 per hour) Clerical (75 clerical x 10 hours x $12 per hour) |
$ 76,500
$ 9,000 |
Total Staff Costs: |
$ 85,500 |
Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents:
The only cost to respondents is shown in item 12 above.
Total Annual Costs to Respondents: $85,500
14. Estimated Cost to the Federal Government:
A professional staff to develop clearance package (GS-14 employee: 160 hours x 55 per hour = $8,800) (overhead costs: at 50 percent of salary = $4,400) |
$ 13,200 |
Application printing (750 copies x $1) |
$ 750 |
Application mailing (50 copies x $.40) |
$ 20 |
Other Department staff to review and approve the request GS-15 employee for final review and approval |
$ 630 |
OMB review (8 hours x $45 per hour = $360) (Overhead costs at 50 percent = $180). |
$ 540 |
Estimated Total |
$ 15,140 |
Cost for Federally-supervised review of applications: |
|
Outside field reviewers (90 x $1,100). |
$ 99,000 |
Forms and Web site development costs for E-Reader Process |
$ 4,200 |
Processing applications – staff (4 staff x 40 hours x $45 per hour = $7,200) (Overhead cost: at 50 percent of salary = $3,600) |
$ 10,800 |
Contractor logistical support for workshops, application processing, field reading and slate preparation |
$ 33,217 |
Staff time for conducting supervised review. (1 week x 2 control reviews, and 15 panel chairpersons) (18 staff x 40 hours = 720 hours x $45 per hour = $32,400) (Overhead cost: at 50 percent of salaries = $16,200) |
$ 48,600 |
Staff time for generating slate (3 staff x $55 per hour x 40 hours = $6,600). (Overhead cost: at 50 percent of salaries = $3,300) |
$ 9,900 |
Staff time to review and approve funding recommendation. (126 awards x 4 hours per award x $45 per hour = $22,680) (Overhead cost: at 50 percent of salaries = $11,340) |
$ 34,020 |
Staff time to generate, proof, and issue grant awards (6 hours per award x 126 awards = 756 hours 756 hours x $45 per hour = $34,020) (Overhead cost: at 50 percent of salaries = $17,010) |
$ 51,030 |
Estimated Total |
$290,767 |
Annual Monitoring Cost: |
|
(126 grant awards X 10 hours = 1,260 hours/year/6 staff = 210 hours/staff (6 staff x $45/hour x 210 hours = $56,700) (Overhead: at 50 percent of salaries = $28,350) |
$ 85,050 |
Estimated Total |
$ 85,050 |
Total Annual Government Estimated Cost |
$390,957 |
A difference of +2,550 burden hours is shown in Item 12 because the previous collection expired.
Results of collected information will not be published for statistical purposes.
The Department will display on the form the expiration date for the OMB approval as required.
There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
B. Collection of Information Employing Statistical methods statement.
The collection of information does not employ statistical methods.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | JUSTIFICATION |
| Author | gaby l watts |
| Last Modified By | joe.schubart |
| File Modified | 2006-10-11 |
| File Created | 2006-10-11 |