Application for New Grants Under the Gulf Coast Receovery Grant Initiative

Att_GCRG Application Package 4-08.doc

Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Application for Initial Funding

Application for New Grants Under the Gulf Coast Receovery Grant Initiative

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U.S. Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Washington, D.C.

Fiscal Year

Application for New Grants Under

the

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If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: April Bolton-Smith, Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Initiative Error: Reference source not found, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E304, Washington, D.C. Error: Reference source not found.

Table of Contents

Dear Colleague Letter 1
Competition Background Information 2

Overview and Purpose 2

Frequently Asked Questions 6

Application Submission Procedures 12

Application Transmittal Instructions 12

e-Application Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants 15

Other Submission Tips 17

Attaching Files – Additional Tips 17

Electronic Application Format 19

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 20

Part 1: Preliminary Documents 21

Part 2: Budget Information 22

Part 3: Project Abstract Form 25

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form 26

Part 5: Budget Narrative 28

Part 6: Other Attachment Form 32

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications 33

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (Executive Order 12372) 34

Reporting and Accountability 35
Legal and Regulatory Information 36

Notice Inviting Applications 36

Program Statute 37

United States Department of Education

O ffice of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Dear Colleague Letter

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Gulf Coast Recovery Grant (GCRG) Initiative, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). Congress has provided funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117) to create GCRG, a grant competition to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in improving education in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, and Gustav.

Please take the time to review the applicable priority, selection criteria, application requirements, and all of the application instructions thoroughly. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the competition (EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c)).

For this competition it is mandatory for applicants to use the Department’s Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application), accessible through the Department’s e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with e-Application and strongly recommend that you register and submit early.

Using FY 2010 funds, the Department expects to award $11,880,000 for new grants under this competition. We will award discretionary grants on a competitive basis for a project period of up to 24 months. We expect to be award grants in late September.

Please visit our competition website at http://www.ed.gov/programs/gulf/index.html for further information. If you have any questions about the competition after reviewing the application package, please contact April Bolton-Smith by telephone at (202) 260-1475, or via e-mail at [email protected].

Joseph Conaty

Director

Competition Background Information

Overview and Purpose

Background

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117) appropriated $12 million for the Gulf Coast Recovery Grant (GCRG) Initiative, through which the U.S. Department of Education will make competitive grants to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in improving education in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, and Gustav.

Funds may be used for a variety of activities, including: replacing instructional materials and equipment; paying teacher incentives; modernizing, renovating, or repairing school buildings; beginning or expanding Advanced Placement or other rigorous courses; supporting the expansion of charter schools; and supporting after-school or extended learning time activities.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for the GCRG Initiative include LEAs located in counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as counties eligible for individual assistance due to damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, or Gustav.

An LEA is defined in Section 9101(26)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as: “a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or for such combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools.” This definition also includes U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education-supported schools.

Lists, by State, of LEAs that qualify for the competition are posted on the Gulf Coast Recovery Web site at www.ed.gov/programs/gulf/eligibility.html for the convenience of the applicant. These lists are based on the most recent information provided by each State and the Bureau of Indian Education to the Department.

Application Deadline Date: [Insert date 45 days after publication in Federal Register]

Applications must be submitted on or before the deadline date. Please note that the Department of Education (Department) grant application deadlines are 4:30:00 P.M. Washington, D.C. time. Late applications will not be accepted. We strongly suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

Application Submission

Applications must be submitted electronically using the Department’s e-Application system. See Section C, “Application Submission Procedures” for information on how to submit applications electronically.

Project Period

The project period for this grant is up to 24 months. Budgets should be developed for a single award with a project period of up to 24 months. No continuation awards will be provided.

All funding will be awarded at the time of the initial grant. The project period start date should be October 1, 2010.

Funding

An eligible LEA may request up to $500,000 per year for each school it intends to serve through the grant. To ensure that sufficient funds are available to support awards to LEAs of all sizes, and not only the largest LEAs, an applicant may not include more than three schools in a single application for a grant. We will reject any application that includes more than three schools in its proposal.

An eligible LEA may submit more than one application.

The following chart provides the maximum award amounts for applicants that propose to serve one, two, or three schools per grant with a one-year or two-year project period. We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amounts specified:

Maximum Awards
Number of schools served	Project Period
Number of schools served	1 year	2 years
1	$500,000	$1,000,000
2	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
3	$1,500,000	$3,000,000

The actual size of awards will be based on a number of factors, including the scope, quality, and comprehensiveness of the proposed project. As such, we estimate that awards will range from $150,000 to $3,000,000 and that the average award will be $1,500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards

We anticipate making between 6 and 10 grant awards.

Selection Criteria and Competitive Preference Priority

There are three selection criteria, with subparts, for this competition. The selection criteria can be found in Section D, part 4 (Project Narrative Attachment Form).

The competitive preference priority for this competition is as follows:

Five additional points will be awarded to an application that proposes to serve at least one school designated by the State as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” for purposes of using school improvement funds under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). A “persistently lowest-achieving school” under section 1003(g) means a school, as defined by each State, that falls into one of the following groups:

Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State (or the lowest-achieving five such schools, whichever number of schools is greater) or (ii) is a Title I high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.
Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools in the State (or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools, whichever number of schools is greater) that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds or (ii) is a high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.

Each State’s definition and list of the “persistently lowest-achieving schools” can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html.

Unique Applications

Information submitted in response to the scoring criteria should be specific to the applicant’s district and schools, and should not be identical or substantially similar to other applications. Identical or substantially similar applications are not responsive to the scoring criteria, which are designed to support funding for projects that address the needs of individual LEAs and schools.

E-mail Addresses

As part of our review of your application, we may need to contact you with questions for clarification. Please be sure your application includes a valid e-mail address for the Project Director and Authorized Representative.

Review of Applications and Notification of Awards

The review of applications and notification of awards for this competition requires approximately ten weeks. We expect to notify successful applicants by late September 2010. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 60 days of the award start date.

Procurement Practices

Applicants that intend to use procurement transactions in implementing proposed projects should be familiar with the requirements in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) that establish minimum standards for procurement activities (34 C.F.R. § 80.36).

As a general matter, 34 C.F.R. § 80.36 governs competition in procurement transactions by grantees, including a requirement that all procurement transactions be conducted in a manner “providing full and open competition” consistent with the standards in that regulation (34 C.F.R. § 80.36(c)). Although grantees use “their own procurement procedures which reflect State and local laws and regulations” to the extent those procedures are consistent with the Federal requirements, all GCRG grantees must follow the minimum requirements in 34 C.F.R. § 80.36. (See 34 C.F.R. 80.36(b)(1))

The requirements in 34 C.F.R. § 80.36 are designed to protect the competitive procurement process from undue influence, and have been in effect for many years. According to 34 C.F.R. § 80.36(c), all transactions must be conducted in a manner “providing full and open competition” consistent with the standards in the regulation. Several situations are listed in 34 C.F.R. § 80.36(c)(1) that would be considered to be restrictive of competition, although it is important to understand that the list is not exhaustive. Examples include:

Placing unreasonable requirements on firms in order for them to qualify to do business;
Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding;
Organizational conflicts of interest; and
Specifying only a “brand name” product instead of allowing “an equal” product to be offered.

If a vendor has already assisted the LEA in preparing an application for a grant, and subsequently is interested in providing contract services after the LEA receives the grant award, a close examination of all activities is warranted to ensure that the vendor did not act as an agent of the grantee, that the vendor does not have an organizational conflict of interest in the procurement, and that the requirements for full and open competition have not been violated.

Please note that the requirements regarding full and open competition could be violated even if a vendor’s participation in the application process was limited and the vendor was not acting as an agent of the grantee. For example, a vendor that provides specifications that are then included in a grant application could have a competitive advantage over other vendors. Grantees should carefully examine all interactions with vendors to ensure that these interactions do not violate the requirement concerning full and open competition.

The grantee is responsible for complying with the procurement requirements in 34 C.F.R. § 80.36, which take precedence over State and local procedures in those cases where the minimum requirements in section 80.36 provide greater protection of the procurement process.

Because grantees must use appropriate procurement procedures to select contractors, an applicant should not include the names of specific contractors or vendors in its grant application. An applicant may include information about the scope of work to be completed by outside contractors and the contractor qualifications; however, it should not pre-identify a specific contractor or enter into an agreement with any contractor(s) until after the grant has been awarded.

Competition Contact

All questions regarding the FY 2010 GCRG competition should be directed to April Bolton-Smith at: [email protected], or at 202-260-1475. Applicants are asked to review the application, the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications, and the Frequently Asked Questions in their entirety prior to forwarding questions pertaining to the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Grant Information

What is the purpose of the Gulf Coast Recovery Grants (GCRG) Initiative?

The purpose of the initiative is to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in improving education in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, or Gustav.

How are the funds awarded?

The awards will be awarded through a competitive process.

How will applicants be selected?

Applicants will be evaluated based on their responses to the selection criteria and the competitive preference priority, described in the Federal Register notice. Applications will be evaluated by a technical review panel and scored accordingly. The Department will then select applications for funding, based on a rank ordering of the applications and other relevant information, such as the applicant’s performance under previous grant awards from the Department.

What is the competitive preference priority?

Five additional points will be awarded to LEAs that propose to serve at least one school designated by the State as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” for purposes of using school improvement funds under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). A “persistently lowest-achieving school” under section 1003(g) means a school, as defined by each State, that falls into one of the following groups: 1) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State (or the lowest-achieving five such schools, whichever number of schools is greater) or (ii) is a Title I high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; or 2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools in the State (or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools, whichever number of schools is greater) that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds or (ii) is a high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.

Each State’s definition and list of “persistently lowest-achieving schools” can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html.

Who will award the competitive priority points?

The GCRG program staff will award the competitive preference priority points.

Will an applicant receive more competitive priority points if it includes more than one “persistently lowest-achieving school” in its application?

No. Applicants will be awarded 5 points regardless of whether they propose to serve 1, 2, or 3 “persistently lowest-achieving schools.” As long as one “persistently lowest-achieving” school is included, the full 5 points will be awarded. NOTE: In order to receive the 5 points, it is very important that applicants clearly list the school(s) that will be served by the project in the project abstract.

What should an applicant consider if it wants to include a “persistently lowest-achieving school” in its application?

Some schools identified as “persistently lowest-achieving” will receive School Improvement Grant (SIG) funding and will be required to adopt one of four school intervention models (turnaround, restart, school closure, or transformation). If an applicant proposes to serve a school that it anticipates will receive SIG funds, it should ensure that the project services are consistent with the school intervention model selected. So, for example, if an applicant wishes to include a school it anticipates will receive SIG funding, it should consider the fact that the school will be required to undergo major changes that may impact staffing, administration, and possible closure. Additionally, the school will receive a large amount of funding under SIG – up to $2 million per year for three years. The applicant should carefully consider these factors in its GCRG proposal. It should not propose services that cannot be implemented because they are inconsistent with the SIG reform models. For more information on the reform models and SIG requirements, see the SIG Web site at: www.ed.gov/programs/sif.

Is there a matching requirement?

No, there is no matching requirement for this program. However, if an LEA intends to provide a match, such information must be included in the budget narrative and in any future reporting documents.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for funds?

LEAs located in counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as counties eligible for individual assistance due to damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, or Gustav are eligible to apply.

Lists, by State, of LEAs that qualify for the competition are posted on the Gulf Coast Recovery Web site for the convenience of the applicant at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/gulf/eligibility.html. These lists are based on the most recent information provided by each State and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to the Department.

What happens if the LEA is located in a county that was designated by FEMA as a county eligible for individual assistance, but one or more of the schools the LEA serves is not – is the LEA eligible to apply? May it serve all the schools in its district, or just the schools located in the eligible counties?

The appropriations language states that GCRG funds shall be for awards to LEAs “located in counties … eligible for individual assistance.” We interpret, “located in” to mean “operating in,” so that the physical location of the LEA’s administrative office is secondary to the issue of where the school to be served is located. Wherever the LEA is operating a school, it is “located” there. So, if an LEA is operating schools that are located in one of the eligible counties, the LEA is eligible to receive funds to serve those schools located in the eligible counties.

What can an LEA do if it believes it is eligible, but it doesn’t see its name on the Department’s list?

The LEA should contact the GCRG staff at: [email protected]. Although the lists attempt to identify all eligible applicants, it is possible the lists are not exhaustive. Therefore, the LEA should contact the GCRG staff as soon as it can, if it believes it is eligible to apply, but is not on the list.

May a public charter school apply for funds?

Yes. A public charter school may apply for a grant if it is recognized by its State as an LEA. If a public charter school is not recognized as an independent LEA by its State, it cannot apply directly for a grant, but it may be included in an application that its LEA submits for funding. The eligible applicant list located on the Gulf Coast Recovery Web site includes charter schools that are recognized by their States as LEAs.

May a BIE school apply for funds?

Yes, schools operated by, or under grant or contract with, the BIE are eligible to apply for these funds. The eligible applicant list located on the GCRG Web site includes BIE schools that are eligible to apply.

Are Intermediate Education Units eligible to apply?

Yes. An Intermediate Education Unit may apply for a grant if it is recognized by its State as an LEA.

Is there a limit on how many applications an LEA can submit?

No. An LEA may submit multiple applications for this competition. However, it may not submit multiple applications that include the same school.

Is there a limit to the number of schools that can be included in an application?

Yes. An LEA must not include more than three schools in its application.

Application Facts

When is the application due?

The application will be due 45 days after the Notice Inviting Applications is published in the Federal Register.

Is there a page limit?

Yes. Applications are limited to 20 pages in the narrative. The project abstract, budget narrative, and appendices do not count towards the 20 page limit.

How do I submit my application?

Applications must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application), accessible through the Department’s e-Grants site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov, unless you have been approved for an exemption as described in the Notice Inviting Applications. While completing your electronic application, you will be entering data online that will be saved into a database. You may not mail or e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

Where can I find or request a DUNS number?

The Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number is a unique nine-character number that identifies your organization. It is a tool the federal government uses to track how federal money is distributed. Most large organizations, libraries, colleges and research universities already have DUNS numbers. Ask your grant administrator, chief financial officer, or business office to provide your organization’s DUNS number. If you do not have a DUNS number, you can request one by calling (866) 705-5711, or visiting the Internet at www.dnb.com/. If requested over the phone, DUNS is provided immediately; webform requests take 1 to 2 business days. DUNS Number assignment is free for all businesses required to register with the U.S. Federal government for contracts or grants.

Must I notify the Department of my intent to apply?

Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify the Department of its intent to apply, as it assists the Department in adequately preparing for the grant review. To submit a notice of intent to apply, the applicant merely needs to send an email to [email protected], with a brief statement that it intends to submit an application for the competition, along with the number of applications it plans to submit. However, it is not required and applicants will not be prohibited from applying if they declined to submit a notice of intent to apply.

Do the project director and other key personnel need to be named in the initial grant application?

No, the project director and other key personnel do not have to be named at the time the application is written. However, the qualification, expectations, and responsibilities for each position should be described in the grant application.

May I include information in the application about the contractors we want to use?

No. Because grantees must use appropriate procurement procedures to select contractors, applicants should not include information in their grant applications about specific vendors, nor the names of specific contractors, that may be used to provide services for the proposed project. Applicants may include information about the scope of work to be completed by outside contractors and contractor qualifications, however they should not pre-identify a specific contractor or enter into an agreement with any contractor(s) until after the grant has been awarded.

Budget Information

How much funding is available for this initiative?

Congress appropriated $12 million for this effort under the Fund for the Improvement of Education in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117).

What is the expected project period of the grant awards?

Up to 24 months.

How will funds be awarded?

Funds for the full project period will be awarded at the time of the initial award.

What is the average range of awards?

Because the activities that are allowed under this program vary dramatically in type and cost, and the number of schools that may be included in an application range from one to three, the estimated range of awards is quite large. The Department estimates that total awards could range from $150,000 to $3,000,000.

Is there a maximum award amount?

Yes. Given the limited amount of funding for this initiative, applicants may request up to $500,000 per year for each school it intends to serve through the grant. To ensure that sufficient funds are available to support awards to LEAs of all sizes, and not only the largest LEAs, an applicant may not include more than 3 schools in a single application for a grant.

The following chart provides the maximum award amounts for applications that propose to serve 1, 2, and 3 schools per grant with a 1-year project period and a 2-year project period:

Maximum Awards
Number of schools served	Project Period
Number of schools served	1 year	2 years
1	$500,000	$1,000,000
2	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
3	$1,500,000	$3,000,000

Please note that these award amounts are maximum amounts. We anticipate that many applicants will propose projects that cost much less than these maximum amounts. The actual size of awards will be based on a number of factors, including the scope, quality, and comprehensiveness of the proposed projects. However, applications that request more funds than the maximum amounts specified for the total grant will not be read and will be excluded from the competition.

What level of detail is required for the budget narrative?

The budget narrative should provide a detailed explanation of all proposed expenditures for the project. These expenditures should be carefully linked to the goals, objectives, and activities described in the project narrative portion of the application. ED staff will review all information related to the proposed expenditures and determine whether or not the expenditures are allowable (either permitted or not specifically prohibited); allocable (can be directly allocated to your project); and reasonable (costs that would be incurred by a "prudent person"). Any costs not fully described or justified can be deleted from your funding request during the budget review conducted by GCRG staff.

Allowable Program Costs

What types of activities are allowed under the program?

Grant funds may be used for a variety of activities aimed at improving education, including, but not limited to, replacing instructional materials and equipment; paying teacher incentives; modernizing, renovating, or repairing school buildings; beginning or expanding Advanced Placement or other rigorous courses; supporting the expansion of charter schools; and supporting after-school or extended learning time activities.

Is construction allowable under the grant?

No. Construction is not an allowable use of GCRG funds. However, GCRG funds may be used for modernization, renovation, and repair.

How is construction defined for this competition?

For the purposes of this competition, construction is considered new buildings or additions to existing buildings and other structures that establish or increase the square footage, height, or building footprint of any structure. Additionally, landscaping is not an allowable use of this competition’s grant funds.

Is there a restricted indirect cost rate for this competition?

No. You may use your LEA’s approved negotiated indirect cost rate to charge indirect costs to the grant.

Where can I find my LEA’s indirect cost rate?

The LEA’s indirect cost rate is negotiated with the LEA’s cognizant agency, which is most often the State educational agency (SEA). The SEA should have the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement on file, and your LEA’s business office should have the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement on file.

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Initiative applications through e-Application is [insert date 45 days from publication date in Federal Register].

Application Transmittal Instructions

Attention Electronic Applicants: This competition requires the electronic submission of applications--specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions.

Applications Submitted Electronically

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) accessible through the Department’s e-Grants 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.

You should review and follow the e-Application Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants in this application package to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the e-Application system.

Please note the following:

You must complete the electronic submission of your grant application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application for this competition after 4:30:00 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.
If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through e-Application, please contact the e-Grants help desk, toll free, at 1-888-336-8930.

The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and 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.
Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (.doc, .pdf or .rtf). If using Word 2007, save your file to an earlier version of Word before uploading. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.
Your electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in the Federal Register 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:

Print SF 424 from e-Application.
The applicant’s Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
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 e-Application System Unavailability

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if—

You are a registered user of e-Application and you have initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(a) The e-Application system 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) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 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 acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may contact either (1) the person listed in the Federal Register Notice under For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down 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 the Department’s e-Application system.

Exception to the Electronic Submission Requirement

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, only those requesting and qualifying for an Exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 Error: Reference source not found)

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.

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You 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 Error: Reference source not found)

550 12th Street, SW.

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.

e-Application Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

http://e-grants.ed.gov

To facilitate your use of e-Application, this document includes important application preparation and submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education. Please read and follow these step-by-step directions to create and submit your application.

ATTENTION

Applicants using the Department of Education's e-Application system will need to register first to access an application package. Forms in an application package are completed on line and narratives are uploaded while logged into the system. Therefore, allow sufficient time to complete your application before the closing date. If you have not used e-Application in the past, you may want to walk through the Demo available on the e-Application homepage. If you encounter difficulties, you may also contact the e-Grants help desk on 1-888-336-8930. The following are steps you should follow to successfully complete an application with e-Application.

Step 1 – Electronic submission is required for this competition. Familiarize yourself with the application requirements published in the Federal Register Notice. A copy of the Federal Register Notice is included in this application package. In addition, you may view the Department's Federal Register notices online at: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/announce/index.html.

Step 2 – Register in e-Application to access the application package. If you are a new user, you will need to register to use e-Application. From the e-Grants Portal Page http://e-grants.ed.gov/, click on the continue button and click the register button on the right side of the next page. Select the e-Application module and click the next button. Please provide the requested information. Your e-Grants password will be sent to the e-mail address you provide. Once you receive the e-mail, enter your username and password and click the login button.

If you already have a username and password for e-Grants, use them to login. If you have access to more than one e-Grants module, you will be directed to select which module you wish to enter. Keep in mind that this username and password will be used for all e-Grants modules. In order to update your registration for additional e-Grants modules, click the appropriate tab on the top of the screen and provide the requested information.

Note the following browser compatibility problems. The site is viewed best in Internet Explorer 5. We currently support IE 5, Netscape 6.2, Firefox 2.2 (along with later versions of IE, Netscape and Firefox). Please make sure that you have Cookies and JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Step 3 - Add Application Package to your Start Page. From your Start Page, click on the "Add" button to see the list of application packages. Click on a specific package link on the List of Application Packages to apply. The package will now appear on your Start Page. From this point forward, you will access your unique application from your Start Page (not the Packages Page).

Step 4 - Begin the Application. Click on the underlined Application Package Title on your Start Page. This brings you to a page where you will see all of the application's forms and narratives listed as underlined links.

Step 5 - Fill out Forms. Enter a form by clicking on the underlined form title in order to enter data. Remember to click the "Save" button at the bottom of the form and check the "Form Completed" box for each form as you complete it.

Step 6 - Upload File(s) for Narrative Responses. Click on an underlined narrative form title for the e-Application. Enter the title of the document, and click on the "Browse" button to locate your file. Remember to click the "Save" button after you upload the document and check the "Form Completed" box when you finish uploading your file(s). Please note for file uploads, we accept .doc, .rtf, and .pdf files only. If you are using Word 2007, please save your document in a lower version of Word before uploading into e-Application.

Step 7 - Verify Information/Print Application. Verify your information is complete and correct on all required forms and narratives. You have the option to print each form at any time by clicking on the print/view icon next to the appropriate form. After submission of the forms and narratives, you have the option to print a complete e-Application package in PDF by clicking on the “Request Complete Package in PDF” on the e-Application PR/Award page. A second window will open informing you that your request has been received and that you will be notified via e-mail once it is available. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Once you receive the e-mail, click on the link in the text of the message and enter your username and password in the new window. This will open the PDF file from which you can view/print the entire package. In addition, a blank complete package in PDF will be accessible from the package page in e-Application.

Step 8 - Submit your Application. Only authorized individuals for your organization can submit an application. Please check with your Authorizing Representative or sponsored research office before submission. Click on the "Ready to submit" button at the bottom of your application. Enter and verify the Authorizing Representative information. Click the "Submit" button. You will receive an e-mail to confirm that your application was received, and it will include a unique application number. Please print and keep this e-mail for your records. [Reminder: applications must be submitted before 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date for applications. e-Application will not accept your application if you try to submit it after 4:30:00 on the deadline date.]

Step 9 - Fax the signed SF 424 Cover Page. Write your unique application number (received in step 8) on the upper right corner of your printed SF 424 Cover Page and fax it to the Application Control Center (202) 245-6272 within 3 business days of submitting your e-Application.

NOTE: For more detailed information on submitting an e-Application, please see the User Guide. In addition, please try practicing with our e-Application Demo site by clicking on the Demo button found on the upper left corner of the e-Application Home Page. Both the User Guide and Demo can be found at http://e-grants.ed.gov.

Other Submission Tips

SUBMIT EARLY - We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. The time it takes to upload the narratives for your application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the files and the speed of your Internet connection. If you try to submit your application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time on the deadline date, the e-Application system will not accept it.

Electronic submission is required and you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Dial-Up Internet Connections - When using a dial-up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial-up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (.doc, .pdf or .rtf). If using Word 2007, save your file to an earlier version of Word before uploading. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend you keep your file names to less than 50 characters. In addition, applicants should avoid including special characters in their file names (for example, %, *, /, etc.) Both of these conditions (lengthy file names and/or special characters including in the file names) could result in difficulties opening and processing a submitted application.

Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. Please note that each file attachment in e-Application has a file size limitation, which is anywhere from 2 to 8 MB, and the limitation will be indicated on the individual screen when you upload a file. For reference, however, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the size of your attachments before uploading them into e-Application.

Electronic Application Format

In accordance with EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c), an application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the competition.

It is recommended that your electronic application be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process. Instructions for all parts and forms of the application are found either on the following pages of the application package or individually for each form on http://e-grants.ed.gov.

We strongly recommend that you review these details on http://e-grants.ed.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below.

Note: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to any forms unless it is specifically required by the instructions for the individual section of the application.

Electronic Application Submission Checklist

Review your electronic application to ensure you have completed the following forms and sections:

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (form SF 424)
ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

Part 2: Budget Information

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

Project Abstract

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Application Narrative

Part 5: Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Budget Narrative

Part 6: Other Attachments Forms

Resumes for Project Directors & Key Personnel

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if applicable)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013 Form)
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427 (ED GEPA 427 Form)

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372)

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424)
ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

These forms require basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name, address, e-mail address and DUNS number).

Note: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application.

Part 2: Budget Information

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

This part of your application contains information about the Federal funding you are requesting. Remember that you must provide all requested budget information for each year of the project and the total column in order to be considered for Federal funding. Specific instructions for completing the budget forms are provided within this application package.

Instructions for completing ED Form 524 Section A:

Name of Institution/Organization: Enter the name of the applicant in the space provided.

Personnel (line 1):

Enter project personnel salaries and wages only.
Only project staff members that are employees of the applicant should be included in this category. Staff members who are working on the project but are being paid with an in-kind contribution should be included in this category under Section B. Include fees and expenses for consultants on line 6.

Fringe Benefits (line 2):

The institution’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be charged to the program.
Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.

Travel (line 3):

Indicate the travel costs of employees and participants only.
Include travel of persons such as consultants on line 6.
Travel costs include expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence and related items incurred by employees who are in travel status on official business of the organization.
All travel must be justified and clearly linked to the goals and objectives of your project.

Equipment (line 4):

Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a useful life greater than one year and an acquisition cost that is the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article.
Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy.

Supplies (line 5):

Indicate the costs of all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost.
Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving the goals of the project.

Contractual (line 6):

Indicate all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system.
Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.

Construction (line 7):

New construction is not allowed under this competition. No costs should be listed under this category.
Costs for modernization, renovation, and repair are allowable expenses, but should be placed in the “Other” or “Contractual” category, depending on whether or not the services will be provided by a third party.

Other (line 8):

Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6.
For example, include costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. Release time for teachers to attend training or substitute teacher compensation should be put in this category, not “Personnel”
Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

Total Direct Costs (line 9): The sum of lines 1-8.

Indirect Costs (line 10):

Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per sections 75.560 – 75.564 of EDGAR.
If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant must apply to the Department for a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant. For more information, go to the Department's website at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html.

Training Stipends (line 11):

There are basically three types of projects that might include budget requests for stipends, tuition allowances, or other types of similar charges to support the objectives of the project: fellowship or scholarship program, educational training projects, and projects where students receive tuition remission or other forms of compensation as, or in lieu of, wages.
If teachers are paid a stipend (or overtime) to receive training after working hours or on weekends, these costs should be included in the “Other” category.

Total Cost (line 12):

This should equal to sum of lines 9-11 (total direct costs + indirect + stipends).
The sum for column one, labeled Project Year 1 (a), should also be equal to item 15a on the application cover sheet (SF Form 424).

NOTE: The total cost for the project cannot exceed the maximum award amount established for this competition. Applications that exceed the maximum award amount will not be considered for funding.

Applicants may request up to $500,000 per year for each school it intends to serve through the grant. An applicant may not include more than 3 schools in a single grant application. The following chart provides the maximum award amounts for applicants that propose to serve 1, 2 or 3 schools in a grant with a 1-year project period or a 2-year project period:

Maximum Awards
Number of schools served	Project Period
Number of schools served	1 year	2 years
1	$500,000	$1,000,000
2	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
3	$1,500,000	$3,000,000

Part 3: Project Abstract Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Abstract Form in accordance with the instructions found on http://e-grants.ed.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (.doc, .pdf or .rtf). If using Word 2007, save your file to an earlier version of Word before uploading. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Project Abstract

The project abstract should not exceed one double spaced page and should include a concise description of the following information:

Name of targeted schools
Number of participants to be served
Project objectives and activities
Proposed project outcomes

NOTE: It is very important that you clearly list the schools (by name) that you will serve through your project. This list will help us to determine whether or not you have met the competitive preference priority.

The competitive preference priority for this competition is: Serving persistently lowest-achieving schools. Five additional points will be awarded to LEAs that propose to serve at least one school designated by the State as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” for purposes of using school improvement funds under section 1003(g) of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). A “persistently lowest-achieving school” under section 1003(g) means a school, as defined by each State, that falls into one of the following groups: 1) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State (or the lowest-achieving five such schools, whichever number of schools is greater) or (ii) is a Title I high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; or 2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that (i) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools in the State (or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools, whichever number of schools is greater) that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds or (ii) is a high school that has had a graduation rate that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.

Each State’s definition and list of the “persistently lowest-achieving schools” can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html.

Also, you may not include more than 3 schools in a single application for a grant. Applications that include more than 3 schools will be excluded from funding.

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on http://e-grants.ed.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page.

Application Narrative

The application narrative responds to the selection criteria found in this application package and should follow the order of the selection criteria.

You must limit the project narrative to the equivalent of no more than 20 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, and quotations.

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 the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page abstract; or the appendices. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section.

Applications that exceed the page limit will be rejected.

Selection Criteria for Program Narrative

The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100 points. The points or weights assigned to each criterion are indicated in parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will review each application. They will be asked to evaluate and score each program narrative against the following selection criteria:

(a) Need for the project. (40 points) The Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The severity of the impact of the hurricane(s) on each school targeted for services under the project (10 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider providing quantitative data, qualitative data, or both, on the status of each targeted school prior to the hurricane, as well as the impact of the hurricane(s) on each targeted school.

(ii) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out at each targeted school (10 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider including quantitative data, qualitative data, or both, highlighting the specific needs resulting from the impact of the hurricane(s).

(iii) The extent to which other sources of funds (including FEMA reimbursement, private insurance, other funds) are not available to meet the needs of the targeted schools (20 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider describing the financial resources needed for recovery efforts at each targeted school, and the extent to which current or future funding exists to meet these needs.

(b) Project design and services. (30 points) The Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the proposed project services will successfully address the needs of each targeted school (15 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider proposing services that focus on restoring the learning environment and that respond to the specific recovery needs of the targeted schools.

(ii) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed project will lead to improvements in the achievement of students as measured against rigorous academic achievement standards (10 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider including an explanation of how the proposed recovery efforts will result in the increased academic achievement of students.

(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners in order to maximize the effectiveness of proposed project services (5 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider identifying how the proposed recovery efforts will be coordinated with other entities to meet the needs of the targeted schools.

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key personnel (10 points).

(ii) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget (8 points).

(iii) The extent to which the management plan articulates clearly defined responsibilities and includes realistic timelines and milestones for accomplishing project tasks (5 points).

(iv) The extent to which the applicant has a sound financial management system, including effective internal controls, to administer the grant funds (7 points). Note: In addressing this factor, applicants should consider including an overview of their financial management system, including how they maintain effective internal controls and fund-accountability procedures.

Part 5: Budget Narrative

This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on http://e-grants.ed.gov. It should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Each application must also provide a Budget Narrative (which serves to meet the requirements of ED Form 524, Section C) for requested Federal funds. The Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds should provide a justification of how the money requested for each budget item will be spent.

This section requires an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected expenditures. Be sure to complete an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for each year of the proposed project (up to 24 months).

The Budget Narrative provides an opportunity for the applicant to identify the nature and amount of the proposed expenditures. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds and project activities and outcomes.

Important Notes

Applicants are encouraged to review OMB Circular A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions [OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments or OMB Circular A-122, Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations] in preparing their budget and budget narrative.
OMB Circular A-21 may be found at the following link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a021/a21_2004.html

OMB Circular A-87 may be found at the following link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a087/a87_2004.html

OMB Circular A-122 may be found at the following link:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/a122_2004.html

Suggested Guidelines for the Budget Narrative

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, Department staff perform a cost analysis of the recommended project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are reasonable (costs that would be incurred by a “prudent person”), allowable (either permitted or not specifically prohibited), and allocable (can be directly allocated to your project). Any costs not fully described or justified may be deleted from your funding request during the budget review conducted by our staff.

To facilitate the review of your Budget Narrative, we encourage each applicant to include the following information for each year of the project:

Personnel

Provide the title and duties of each position to be compensated under this project.
Provide the salary for each position under this project.
Provide the amounts of time, such as hours or percentage of time to be expended by each position under this project.
Explain the importance of each position to the success of the project.
Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Fringe Benefits

Give the fringe benefit percentages of all personnel included under Personnel.

Provide the rate and basis on which fringe benefits are calculated.

Travel

Explain the purpose of the travel, how it relates to project success, how it aligns with the project goals and objectives and which program participants or staff will participate.
Submit an estimate for the number of trips, points of origin and destination, and purpose of travel.

Submit an itemized estimate of transportation and/or subsistence costs for each trip.

Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Equipment

Indicate the estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased.

Identify each type of equipment.

Provide adequate justification of the need for items of equipment to be purchased.

Explain the purpose of the equipment, and how it relates to project success.

Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Supplies

Provide an itemized estimate of materials and supplies by nature of expense or general category (e.g., instructional materials, office supplies, etc.).

Explain the purpose of the supplies and how they relate to project success.

Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Contractual

Provide the purpose and relation to project success.
Describe the products to be acquired, and/or the professional services to be rendered
Provide the cost per contractor.
Provide the amount of time that the project will be working with the contractor(s).

For professional services contracts, provide the amounts of time to be devoted to the project, including the costs to be charged to this proposed grant award.

Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Construction

Not applicable.

Other

List and identify items by major type or category (e.g., communications, printing, postage, equipment rental, etc.).
Provide the cost per item (e.g., printing = $500, postage = $750).
Provide the purpose for the expenditures and relation to project success.

Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Total Direct Costs

The amount that is the sum of expenditures, per budget category, of lines 1-8.

Indirect Costs

Identify indirect cost rate (if the applicant will charge indirect costs to the grant).
Note: Remember to provide a copy of the most recent approved indirect cost agreement in the Other Attachments form section of the application.

11. Training Stipends

Include the number of stipends.
Include the amount of each stipend.
Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

12. Total Costs

Sum total of direct costs, indirect costs, and stipends.
Please provide total costs for each year of the project as well as grand total cost for the entire project period (up to 24 months).

NOTE: The total cost for the project cannot exceed the maximum award amount established for this competition. Applications that exceed the maximum award amount will not be considered for funding. Applicants may request up to $500,000 per year for each school it intends to serve through the grant. An applicant may not include more than 3 schools in a single grant application. The following chart provides the maximum award amounts for applicants that propose to serve 1, 2 or 3 schools per grant with a 1-year or a 2-year project period:

Maximum Awards
Number of schools served	Project Period
Number of schools served	1 year	2 years
1	$500,000	$1,000,000
2	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
3	$1,500,000	$3,000,000

Important Information Regarding Indirect Cost Rates

The Department of Education (ED) reimburses a grantee for part of its indirect costs incurred in projects funded by the Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Initiative (CFDA 84.215C). These kinds of costs generally are recovered through an indirect cost rate (ICR) that the grantee negotiates with its cognizant agency, i.e., either the Federal agency from which it has received the most direct funding, subject to indirect cost support, the particular agency specifically assigned cognizance by the Office of Management and Budget or the State agency that provides the most subgrant funds to the grantee.

Note: Applicants should pay special attention to specific questions on the application budget form (ED 524) about their cognizant agency and the ICR they are using in their budget.

Applicants for discretionary grants that are not a State or a local government and that do not have a negotiated restricted rate may use the eight percent rate described at EDGAR § 76.564(c)(2). The eight percent rate must be multiplied by the modified total direct cost base described in EDGAR § 76.569.

If an applicant selected for funding under this competition has not already established a current indirect cost rate with its cognizant agency as a result of current or previous funding, ED requires the grantee to propose a restricted rate to its cognizant agency within 90 days after the beginning date of the grant award. Applicants should be aware that ED is very often not the cognizant agency for its own grantees.

Also, an applicant that has not previously established a restricted indirect cost rate with its cognizant agency and that is selected for funding will not be allowed to charge its grant for indirect costs until it has negotiated a current indirect cost rate agreement with its cognizant agency.

Applicants with questions about charging indirect costs on this competition should contact the competition contact person noted elsewhere in this application package.

Part 6: Other Attachment Form

Attach documents to the Other Attachments Forms in accordance with the instructions for this competition. You may only attach a single document to each form.

Indirect Cost Rate (If applicable)
Individual Resumes for Project Directors and Key Personnel: Provide brief resumes or job descriptions that describe their qualifications for the responsibilities they will carry out under the project.

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications in http://e-grants.ed.gov, and include all required information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications required for this application are:

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)

The purpose of this form is to certify that the applying organization and its authorized representative are aware of the legal requirements of the grant and are willing to comply with them.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form) (if applicable)

The purpose of this form is to disclose any lobbying activities that use any non-Federal funds to influence Congress in the grant-making progress. If this does not apply to you do not need to include this form in your submission.

Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013 Form)

The purpose of this form is to certify that the applying organization has not and will not lobby Congress in connection with the grant, and that if any non-Federal funds have been used to lobby, this information will be disclosed on Standard Form LLL.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

This purpose GEPA is to require the applicant, as a condition of receiving a grant, to identify barriers to equitable participation in its federally assisted program and to provide a description of the steps it will take to overcome the barriers. Barriers might include gender, race, national origin, disability, age, language background, or other unique factors in the setting in which the program will be carried out. A general statement of the applicant’s nondiscrimination policy is not sufficient to meet this requirement.

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (Executive Order 12372)

This competition falls under the rubric of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive order is to strengthen federalism--or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government--by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have devised for coordinating and reviewing proposed Federal financial grant applications.

The process for doing this requires grant applicants to contact State Single Points of Contact for information on how this works. Multi-State applicants should follow procedures specific to each State.

Further information about the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) process and a list of names by State can be found at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.pdf

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the Department. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in the actual application notice to the following address: The Secretary, EO 12372--CFDA# [commenter must insert number--including suffix letter, if any], U.S. Department of Education, room 7E200. 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR §75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (eastern time) on the closing date indicated in this notice.

Important note: The above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed applications. Do not send applications to the above address.

Not all States have chosen to participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located in a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to the Department as described in the Federal Register notice.

Reporting and Accountability

Successful applicants with multi-year grants must submit an annual performance report demonstrating their progress in meeting approved project objectives. Grantees must also provide the most current financial and performance measure data for each year of the project.

At the end of the project period, applicants will also be required to submit a final performance report.

Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed the following performance measure for measuring the overall effectiveness of the GCRG initiative:

The percentage of grantees that successfully accomplish their project goals and objectives. The Department will collect data for this measure from grantees’ final performance reports.

For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to the ED Performance Report Form 524B at http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

Legal and Regulatory Information

Notice Inviting Applications

[Insert once approved by OS.]

Program Statute

The Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Initiative is authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117):

Provided further, That from the funds for subpart 1 of part D of title V of the ESEA, $12,000,000 shall be for competitive awards to local educational agencies located in counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas that were designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as counties eligible for individual assistance due to damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, or Gustav: Provided further, That such awards shall be used to improve education in areas affected by such hurricanes and shall be for such activities as replacing instructional materials and equipment; paying teacher incentives; modernizing or renovating or repairing school buildings; beginning or expanding Advanced Placement or other rigorous courses; supporting the expansion of charter schools; and supporting after-school or extended learning time activities.

File Type	application/msword
File Title	OESE application package template
Last Modified By	Authorised User
File Modified	2010-04-14
File Created	2010-04-14

Application for New Grants Under the Gulf Coast Receovery Grant Initiative

Att_GCRG Application Package 4-08.doc

Gulf Coast Recovery Grant Application for Initial Funding