34 C.F.R. Subpart C—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?
Title 34 - Education
(a) The Secretary evaluates an application for a new grant as follows: (1)(i) The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the selection criteria in §647.21. (ii) The maximum score for all the criteria in §647.21 is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion. (2)(i) For an application from an applicant who has carried out a McNair project in the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year for which the applicant is applying, the Secretary evaluates the applicant's prior experience on the basis of the criteria in §647.22. (ii) The maximum score for all the criteria in §647.22 is fifteen (15) points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion. (iii) If an applicant described in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section applies for more than one new grant in the same fiscal year, the Secretary applies the criteria in §647.22 to a project that seeks to continue support for an existing McNair project on that campus. (b) The Secretary makes new grants in rank order on the basis of the total scores received by applications under paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this section. (c)(1) If the total scores of two or more applications are the same and there are insufficient funds for these applications after the approval of higher-ranked applications, the Secretary uses the remaining funds to achieve an equitable geographic distribution of all new projects. (2) In making an equitable geographic distribution of new projects, the Secretary considers only the locations of new projects. (d) The Secretary may decline to make a grant to an applicant that carried out a Federal TRIO Program project that involved the fraudulent use of funds. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 and 1070a–15) The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate an application for a new grant: (a) Need (16 Points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which the applicant can clearly and definitively demonstrate the need for a McNair project to serve the target population. In particular, the Secretary looks for information that clearly defines the target population; describes the academic, financial and other problems that prevent potentially eligible project participants in the target population from completing baccalaureate programs and continuing to postbaccalaureate programs; and demonstrates that the project's target population is underrepresented in graduate education, doctorate degrees conferred and careers where a doctorate is a prerequisite. (b) Objectives (9 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the applicant's proposed project objectives on the basis of the extent to which they— (1) Include both process and outcome objectives relating to the purpose of the McNair program stated in §647.1; (2) Address the needs of the target population; and (3) Are measurable, ambitious, and attainable over the life of the project. (c) Plan of Operation (44 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the applicant's plans of operation, including— (1) (4 points) The plan for identifying, recruiting and selecting participants to be served by the project, including students enrolled in the Student Support Services program; (2) (4 points) The plan for assessing individual participant needs and for monitoring the academic growth of participants during the period in which the student is a McNair participant; (3) (5 points) The plan for providing high quality research and scholarly activities in which participants will be involved; (4) (5 points) The plan for involving faculty members in the design of research activities in which students will be involved; (5) (5 points) The plan for providing internships, seminars, and other educational activities designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral study; (6) (5 points) The plan for providing individual or group services designed to enhance a student's successful entry into postbaccalaureate education; (7) (3 points) The plan to inform the institutional community of the goals and objectives of the project; (8) (8 points) The plan to ensure proper and efficient administration of the project, including, but not limited to matters such as financial management, student records management, personnel management, the organizational structure, and the plan for coordinating the McNair project with other programs for disadvantaged students; and (9) (5 points) The follow-up plan that will be used to track the academic and career accomplishments of participants after they are no longer participating in the McNair project. (d) Quality of key personnel (9 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project on the basis of the following: (1)(i) The job qualifications of the project director. (ii) The job qualifications of each of the project's other key personnel. (iii) The quality of the project's plan for employing highly qualified persons, including the procedures to be used to employ members of groups underrepresented in higher education, including Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (including Native Hawaiians). (2) In evaluating the qualifications of a person, the Secretary considers his or her experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project. (e) Adequacy of the resources and budget (15 points). The Secretary evaluates the extent to which— (1) The applicant's proposed allocation of resources in the budget is clearly related to the objectives of the project; (2) Project costs and resources, including facilities, equipment, and supplies, are reasonable in relation to the objectives and scope of the project; and (3) The applicant's proposed commitment of institutional resources to the McNair participants, as for example, the commitment of time from institutional research faculty and the waiver of tuition and fees for McNair participants engaged in summer research projects. (f) Evaluation plan (7 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the extent to which the applicant's methods of evaluation— (1) Are appropriate to the project's objectives; (2) Provide for the applicant to determine, in specific and measurable ways, the success of the project in— (i) Making progress toward achieving its objectives (a formative evaluation); and (ii) Achieving its objectives at the end of the project period (a summative evaluation); and (3) Provide for a description of other project outcomes, including the use of quantifiable measures, if appropriate. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–15) (a) The Secretary reviews information relating to an applicant's performance as a grantee under its expiring McNair project. In addition to the application under review, this information may be derived from performance reports, audit reports, site visit reports, and project evaluation reports received by the Secretary during the project period about to be completed. (b) The Secretary evaluates the applicant's performance as a grantee on the basis of the following criteria: (1) (3 points) Whether the applicant consistently served the number and types of participants the project was funded to serve. (2) (4 points) Whether the applicant was successful in providing the participants with research and scholarly activities and whether those activities had an impact on project participants. (3) (8 points) The extent to which the applicant met or exceeded its funded objectives with regard to project participants as demonstrated by the number of participants who— (i) Attained a baccalaureate degree; (ii) Enrolled in a postbaccalaureate program; and (iii) Attained a doctoral level degree. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11 and 1070a–15) (a) The Secretary sets the amount of a grant on the basis of— (1) 34 CFR 75.232 and 75.233 for new grants; and (2) 34 CFR 75.253 for the second and subsequent years of a project period. (b) If the circumstances described in section 402A(b)(3) of the HEA exist, the Secretary uses the available funds to set the amount of the grant beginning in fiscal year 1995 at the lesser of— (1) $190,000; or (2) The amount requested by the applicant. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11)
Title 34: Education
PART 647—RONALD E. MCNAIR POSTBACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
Subpart C—How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?
§ 647.20 How does the Secretary decide which new grants to make?
§ 647.21 What selection criteria does the Secretary use?
§ 647.22 How does the Secretary evaluate prior experience?
§ 647.23 How does the Secretary set the amount of a grant?
