[Federal Register: April 10, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 69)]
[Notices]
[Page 17587-17590]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ap02-148]
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Part V
Department of Education
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Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI): Program of
Research on Reading Comprehension; Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.305G]
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI): Program of
Research on Reading Comprehension; Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Program of Research on
Reading Comprehension is to expand scientific knowledge of how students
develop proficient levels of reading comprehension, how reading
comprehension can be taught most optimally, and how reading
comprehension can be assessed in ways that reflect as well as advance
our current understanding of reading comprehension and its development.
The overarching goal of this program is to establish a scientific
foundation for educational practice by supporting research on reading
comprehension that is likely to produce substantial gains in academic
achievement.
For FY 2002 the competition for new awards focuses on projects
designed to meet the priority we describe in the Priority section of
this notice.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, regional
educational laboratories, public or private organizations,
institutions, agencies, and individuals, or a consortium thereof.
Deadline for Receipt of Letter of Intent: April 29, 2002.
A Letter of Intent is optional, but encouraged, for each
application. The Letter of Intent should be submitted by e-mail to
PRRCLettersofIntent@ed.gov. Receipt of the Letter of Intent will be
acknowledged by e-mail. The Letter of Intent should not exceed one page
in length and should: include a title and brief description of the
research project; identify the Principal Investigator(s) and any Co-
Principal Investigator(s); indicate the institutional affiliations of
the Principal Investigator(s) and Co-Principal Investigator(s);
indicate the duration of the proposed project; and provide an estimated
budget request by year, and a total budget request. The Letter of
Intent is for OERI planning purposes and will not be used in the
evaluation of the application.
Applications Available: April 10, 2002.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: 4:30 p.m. Washington DC
time on May 31, 2002.
Estimated Available Funds: $4.5 million.
Estimated Range of Awards: $75,000 to $500,000 (for 12 months). The
size of the awards will be commensurate with the nature and scope of
the work proposed.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Page Limits: The application must include the following sections:
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424 Standard Face Sheet), one-
page abstract, research narrative, literature cited, curriculum vitae
for principal investigators(s) and other key personnel, budget summary
form (ED 524) with budget narrative, appendix, and statement of
equitable access (GEPA 427). The research narrative is where you, the
applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. You must limit the research narrative (text
plus all figures, charts, tables, and diagrams) to the equivalent of 25
pages and the appendix to 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 research narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to the Application for Federal Assistance
(ED 424 Standard Face Sheet), the one-page abstract, the budget summary
form (ED 524) and narrative budget justification, the curriculum vitae,
and literature cited. Nor does the limit apply to the assurances and
certifications, which must be submitted before any award is made, but
do not have to be submitted with the initial application.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards.
We have found that reviewers are able to conduct the highest
quality review when applications are concise and easy to read, with
pages consecutively numbered.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75 (except as
limited in 34 CFR 700.5), 77, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86 (part 86 applies only
to Institutions of Higher Education), 97, 98, and 99. (b) The
regulations in 34 CFR part 700.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Substantial research evidence has accrued concerning early literacy
skills. Translating this research into practice should produce
improvement of basic decoding and word recognition skills. According to
recent reviews, such as the RAND Reading Study Group Report (2001),
however, relatively little research has been aimed at reading
comprehension. Comprehension builds on early skills, but involves
processing of connected discourse and other complex verbal materials
that are essential for academic success after the early elementary
years. Indeed, reading achievement, as estimated by State and national
test scores, typically declines after 4th grade. Research is needed
that addresses this critical juncture between learning to read and
reading to learn, including its antecedents in early childhood as well
as consequences for later development. To that end, the Program of
Research on Reading Comprehension is designed to expand scientific
knowledge of how students develop proficient reading comprehension, how
reading comprehension can best be taught, and how reading comprehension
can be assessed in ways that reflect as well as advance current
understanding of comprehension processes. Specifically, an important
component of the program is to obtain converging evidence on
development and assessment of comprehension that coheres with
scientifically supported theories, and that advances such theories by
subjecting their core predictions to empirical tests. A further purpose
is to provide a scientific foundation for approaches to comprehension
instruction that allow students to achieve proficient comprehension
across a range of texts and subjects.
Priority
This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the priority
in the notice of final priority for this program, published elsewhere
in this issue of the Federal Register. The title of this priority is
Program of Research on Reading Comprehension. For FY 2002 this priority
is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet the priority.
Selection Criteria: The Secretary selects the following selection
criteria in 34 CFR 700.30(e) to evaluate applications for new grants
under this competition. The proportionate percentage weight for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(a) National Significance (.2)
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(b) Quality of the Project Design (.5)
(c) Quality and Potential Contributions of Personnel (.2)
(d) Adequacy of Resources (.1)
Strong applications for Program of Research on Reading
Comprehension (PRRC) grants clearly address each of the applicable
selection criteria. They make a well-reasoned and compelling case for
the national significance of the problems or issues that will be the
subject of the proposed research, and present a research design that is
complete, clearly delineated, and incorporates sound research methods.
In addition, the personnel descriptions included in strong applications
make it apparent that the project director, principal investigator, and
other key personnel possess training and experience commensurate with
their duties.
Collaboration: We encourage collaboration in the conduct of
research. For example, major research universities and institutions may
collaborate with historically underrepresented institutions, such as
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving
Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Pre-Application Meeting: April 22, 2002.
Interested parties are invited to participate in a pre-application
meeting to discuss the funding priority. In the meeting, participants
will receive technical assistance and information about the funding
priority. Participants are also encouraged to use this meeting to
engage in substantive discussion about prior empirical research and the
nature of high quality research in this area. You may attend the
meeting in person at the Department of Education, Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 101,
Washington, DC, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. A summary of the meeting will
be posted on the Internet at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Meeting
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If
you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting
(e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials
in an alternative format), notify the contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least two weeks before the scheduled
meeting date. Although we will attempt to meet a request we receive
after that date, we may not be able to make available the requested
auxiliary aid or service because of insufficient time to arrange it.
Application Procedures
The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998, (Pub. L.
105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement
Act of 1999, (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to undertake initiatives to
improve our grant processes. Enhancing the ability of individuals and
entities to conduct business with us electronically is a major part of
our response to these Acts. Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the
Internet as our chief means of conducting transactions in order to
improve services to our customers and to simplify and expedite our
business processes.
We are requiring that applications to the FY 2002 Program of
Research on Reading Comprehension be submitted electronically using e-
Application available through the Education Department's e-GRANTS
system. The e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
Applicants who are unable to submit an application through the e-
GRANTS system may apply for a waiver to the electronic submission
requirement. To apply for a waiver, applicants must explain the
reason(s) that prevent them from using the Internet to submit their
applications. The reasons(s) must be outlined in a letter addressed to:
Anne Sweet or Rita Foy, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey
Avenue, NW, room 513, Washington, DC 20208-5573. Please submit your
letter no later than two weeks before the closing date.
Any application that receives a waiver to the electronic submission
requirement will be given the same consideration in the review process
as an electronic application.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting
applications differ from those in the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only and
do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not
required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The Program of Research on Reading Comprehension--
CFDA 84.305G is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If
you are an applicant under the Program of Research on Reading
Comprehension, you must submit your application to us in electronic
format or receive a waiver.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We shall continue to
evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
Please note the following:
Do not wait until the deadline date for the transmittal of
applications to submit your application electronically. If you wait
until the deadline date to submit your application electronically and
you are unable to access the e-Application system, you must contact the
Help Desk by 4:30 p.m. Washington DC time on the deadline date.
Keep in mind that e-Application is not operational 24
hours a day every day of the week. Click on Hours of Web Site Operation
for specific hours of access during the week.
You will have access to the e-Application Help Desk for
technical support: 1-888-336-8930 (TTY: 1-866-697-2696, local 202-401-
8363). The Help Desk hours of operation are limited to: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Washington DC time Monday-Friday.
If you submit your application electronically by the
transmittal date but also wish to submit a paper copy of your
application, then you must mail the paper copy of the application on or
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application
Control Center, Attention: CFDA # 84.305G, 7th and D Streets, SW., Room
3633, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
You can submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424 Standard Face Sheet), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Within three working days of submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED 424 Standard Face Sheet) to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
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1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative
signs this form.
3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying
number unique to your application).
4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED
424.
5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date.
You may access the electronic grant application for the PRRC at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne P. Sweet or Rita Foy Moss, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 513,
Washington, DC 20208-5573. Telephone: (202) 219-0610, or FAX: (202)
219-2135, or via Internet: PRRCinfo@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format by contacting Anne P. Sweet or Rita
Foy Moss. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an
alternative format the standard forms included in the application
package.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6031.
Dated: April 4, 2002.
Grover J. Whitehurst,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 02-8718 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am]
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