Financial Assistance for Internship Program for Postsecondary Students

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No. 970827207-7207-01]

Financial Assistance for Internship Program for Postsecondary

Students

AGENCY: Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (DoC) is establishing a

postsecondary internship program to aid and promote experiential

training activities which foster future employment in DoC or the

Federal Government in general. U.S. citizens enrolled as students in

two-and four-year accredited educational institutions will participate

in on-site work experiences in DoC bureaus and offices in order to

integrate academic theory and workplace requirements; gain relevant

skills and knowledge; explore Federal career options; develop

professional networks; and develop a greater awareness of the role of

Federal agencies. The program will be administered through a

partnership between the DoC and non-profit and/or educational

institution(s) and funded by cooperative agreement(s). This notice

solicits proposals from eligible institutions that desire to

collaborate with the DoC on this initiative.

Student opportunities will be primarily in the Washington, D.C.

metropolitan area, but will include field locations outside the area.

Summer internship sessions will be for a ten-week period. Academic

semester or quarter internship sessions will be structured to coincide

with the academic calendar of the students' institutions. Institutions

that are selected as training partners will develop and administer a

comprehensive internship program. The DoC will serve as hosts for the

student interns and provide program support through the financial

assistance award; however, students may be assigned to work in Federal

agencies other than DoC. When interns are assigned to other Federal

agencies, those agencies will reimburse DoC for costs associated with

the interns. There will be no employer-employee relationship between

the DoC and its hosted interns. Interns will receive stipends. Round-

trip air or ground transportation between the metropolitan D.C. area

(or field job location) and the students' residence or school site will

also be provided to interns as needed. The number of available

internships will vary depending upon the financial position of the

potential host offices and bureaus, but for the purposes of this

notice, the following will be used for projections: twenty-five student

interns for the summer session, and five students for each academic

year session.

Selected institution(s) will perform the following functions:

Outreach and recruitment; application processing and referral;

selection notification and follow up; logistics, including temporary

housing and accommodations; orientation and communication; enrichment

activities program; intern personnel and pay administration; intern

monitoring; intern evaluation; program evaluation; and evaluation

reporting.

DATES: Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern

Standard Time, February 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit one signed original plus two (2)

copies of the application, including all information required by the

application kit. Applications must be mailed to: U.S. Department of

Commerce, Office of Executive Assistance Management, Attn.: Carol A.

Hayashida, Room H6020, 14th & Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington,

D.C. 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Carol Hayashida, (202) 482-3288.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

5 U.S.C. 7201 requires that each Executive agency conduct a

continuing program for the recruitment of members of minorities to

address underrepresentation of minorities in various categories of

Federal employment. The DoC uses this authority as a recruitment

mechanism in order to increase the applicant pool of

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candidates for its jobs. However, applications will be accepted from

any eligible institution, and applications for internships shall be

accepted from all students meeting program eligibility criteria and

will not be limited only to minority students. Application, referral

and selection processes shall be conducted without any consideration of

race, ethnicity, gender, or other personal factors. Executive Order

12876 provides for Executive departments to enter into, among other

things, cooperative agreements with Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCUs) to further the goals of the Executive Order,

principally that of strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to provide

quality education, and to increase opportunities to participate in and

benefit from Federal programs. Executive Order 12900 calls for

Executive departments to develop plans to increase opportunities for

Hispanic Americans to participate in and benefit from Federal education

programs.

Program Description

A number of potent forces have come together recently to

significantly curtail Federal hiring of college students. Downsizing

initiatives have influenced the budgets of virtually all agencies and

the possibility of reductions in force loom for many. Additionally, and

related to downsizing, changes in the manner in which students are

included in organizations' employee ceiling counts have drastically

reduced the number of work-study opportunities they offer. One approach

to ensuring that the Government can maintain some level of visibility

and attractiveness to the ``best and brightest'' college students is to

develop partnerships between Federal departments and nonprofit or

educational institutions; the DoC has experimented successfully with

these types of collaborations over the last several years. The DoC is

now prepared to launch a three-year program that will serve to improve

opportunities for college students to prepare for their transition to

the workplace and foster human resource diversity in DoC. Depending

upon the responsiveness of the institutions which submit applications,

more than one institution may be selected to participate in this

program.

There will be two components to the program: A ten-week summer

session and an academic year program that consists of two sessions. The

length of each academic year session will be structured to coincide

with the academic calendar of the students' institutions, e.g.,

semester or quarter hour system; applicants who wish to administer an

academic year program must indicate the proposed duration of the

academic year sessions. The first session under this program will begin

summer 1998. The first academic session will begin in fall 1998,

followed by a session in the spring of 1999. This cycle is expected to

be repeated until three years after the initial grant is awarded. It is

anticipated that intern opportunities will be greater during the summer

sessions than the academic year sessions.

In addition to including the mandatory activities described below,

an organization should propose an intern program design that represents

a comprehensive approach to a work-study experience and its own

philosophy about workforce preparedness. For the purposes of the

proposal, plans and budgets should be presented separately for the

summer and academic year sessions. An organization may wish to

collaborate with DoC on a summer program only, on an academic year

program only, or on both a summer program and an academic year program;

it is not required that both components be included in an application

in order to be selected as a recipient.

The recipient(s) selected to administer the intern program must

conduct the following activities:

Outreach and recruitment. Design, prepare, duplicate and distribute

application materials to students. Collect information about potential

internship openings from host offices to assist in identifying student

applicants who are the best matches for the offices' needs. Prepare

publicity to inform academic institutions and students about upcoming

program opportunities and to solicit applications from a broad range of

students who meet defined program criteria such as GPA and academic

standing. Process applications, including evaluating candidates'

eligibility and qualifications, and referring candidates to host

Federal officials for consideration and selection. Outreach and

publicity must be conducted so that women and minorities that are

underrepresented in the DoC are included in the target groups.

Participation in the program must be open to all eligible students

without regard to race, ethnicity, or gender. In cases of jobs

requiring technical skills or for other related reasons, Federal

mangers, liaisons, or other program officials may elect to participate

in the evaluation of applicant packages.

Selection notification and follow up. Receive selection decisions

from host offices, convey internship offers to selectees, explain

logistical and administrative processes to selectees. Distribute

written information to students that will help them adequately prepare

for their professional and personal needs during their internship;

material must be sent to students before their departure for their

internship sites. Communicate with DoC program representatives or

liaisons on the status of offers of selection, acceptances and

declinations.

Logistical arrangements. Locate suitable housing for students, make

all prior arrangements to allow students to move into housing upon

their arrival at the internship site. Make round trip airline

reservations for students between home/school city and host office

location; arrange for students to receive their tickets. Arrange for

ground transportation to pick up arriving students at airport and take

to housing site. At the end of the internship period, arrange for

transportation between the housing site and the airport. Explain

housing, air transportation, ground transportation, and other

logistical arrangements to students so that there is a clear

expectation of what costs, if any, are involved and what the

responsibilities of both the student and the recipient institution/

organization are. Housing must be convenient to public transportation

and affordable. The DoC must be consulted in the process to select

student housing facilities, but the final decision and negotiations

with the housing provider will be left wholly to the recipient

institution.

Orientation and communication. Design and provide orientation

program to familiarize students with local area in which they will live

and work, services, safety and security, public transportation systems,

and educational and administrative program requirements.

Enrichment activities. Design and implement a comprehensive

enrichment program; ideally the program should require a minimum of

time away from the work site during duty hours. The activities should

focus on students' personal and professional growth, and provide

insights into ways to reach their academic and personal goals. They may

also be designed to teach students how the different branches of the

Federal Government operate, to improve interns' communication skills,

or to foster an understanding of cultural or ethnic issues.

Personnel administration. Maintain interns' personnel records; pay

stipends; deduct applicable payroll taxes; provide worker compensation

insurance, unemployment insurance, and short-

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term accident insurance; provide state, Federal and local tax

information and report of earnings forms to students.

Intern monitoring. Communicate on a regular basis, both by

telephone and in person , with the students, their supervisors, and DoC

and bureau coordinators to assure that the experience is progressing as

intended and that problems or questions are resolved.

Intern performance evaluation. Selected recipients must develop and

design an effective evaluation program that will assess the interns'

performance and progress. Ideally all aspects of intern performance and

the overall work experience from the perspective of both the intern and

his or her supervisor will be included in the assessment. Student

performance should be evaluated at the mid-point and at the end of each

session. Evaluations will be submitted to the DoC Federal Program

manager within one month of the assessment date.

Program Performance. In accordance with OMB Circular A-110,

selected recipients must manage and monitor functions and activities

supported by the financial award and should have a plan to do so.

Performance reports are required at mid-term and at the end of each

session. The reports should focus on program accomplishments against

the goals and objectives of the program, and include other pertinent

information. Of interest would be overall demographic information about

program participants such as name of educational institutions and or

regional area represented, academic majors represented, academic

standing, average GPA . Additionally, lessons learned about the design

and implementation of the program and identification of areas requiring

improvement are particularly useful.

Funding Availability

Applicants must submit project plans and budgets for three years.

Project(s) will be funded for no more than one year at a time. Funding

for each subsequent year will be at the sole discretion of the DoC and

will depend on satisfactory performance by the recipient and the

availability of funds to support the continuation of the project(s).

Funds available under this program are expected to be awarded in

November of each year. Funds for the first year are expected to be

awarded in February 1998. Projections based upon previous experience

indicate availability of between $150,000-$730,000 to support from 25

up to about 100 interns. However the exact level of funding available

is not yet known. Proposals should be based upon the cost of

administering a summer program for 25 student interns and also include

a per capita cost for additional students; proposals for a semester or

quarter session should be projected on the basis of 5 students.

Matching Requirements

Applications must reflect the total budget necessary to accomplish

the project, including contributions and/or donations. Cost-sharing is

not required for the internship program; however, cost-sharing is

encouraged. The appropriateness of all cost-sharing will be determined

on the basis of guidance provided in applicable Federal cost

principles. If an applicant chooses to cost-share, and if that

application is selected for funding, the applicant will be bound by the

percentage of the cost-share reflected in the cooperative agreement

award. The non-Federal share may include the value of in-kind

contributions by the applicant or third parties or funds received from

private sources or from state or local governments. Federal funds may

not be used to meet the non-Federal share of matching funds, except as

provided by Federal statute. Third party in-kind contributions may be

in the form of, but are not limited to, personal services rendered in

carrying out functions related to the project and use of real or

personal property owned by others (for which consideration is not

required) in carrying out the projects. The total cost of a project

begins on the effective award date of an authorized cooperative

agreement between the applicant and the DoC Grants Officer and ends on

the date specified in the award. Accordingly, time expended and costs

incurred in either the development of a project or the financial

assistance application, or in any subsequent discussions or

negotiations prior to the award, are neither reimbursable nor

recognizable as part of the recipient's cost share.

Type of Funding Instrument

Financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements

will be used to fund this program. The DoC and its participating

bureaus will have substantive involvement in the following program

activities: provide liaisons to institutions who will assist in

coordinating program activities; provide description of available

intern assignments and required academic backgrounds and job skills;

participate in review and rating panels; and interview and make final

selections from lists of eligible students that are provided by the

institutions.

Eligibility Criteria

Accredited universities and colleges (2-year and 4-year) and non-

profit organizations are eligible to apply. Eligible institutions may

form joint ventures to submit a joint application to share costs and

administration roles and responsibilities. In such cases, one of the

institutions must be designated as the lead organization for purposes

of receipt and overall accountability for any financial assistance

award received under this program.

Award Period

The award period for the internship project will be three years.

Funding will be provided annually at the discretion of the DoC and will

depend upon satisfactory performance by the recipient and availability

of funds for the DoC to continue funding the project. Normally each

project budget period may be no more than 12 months in duration. DoC

policy limits the total duration of a project to three years. Project

proposals accepted for funding for a project period over 1 year that

include multiple project components and severable tasks to be funded

during each budget period will not compete for funding in subsequent

budget periods within the approved project period. Publication of this

notice does not obligate DoC to award any specific cooperative

agreement or to obligate all or any parts of the available funds.

Indirect Costs

The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an

application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate

negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the

proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent of the total

proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is

less.

Application Forms and Kit

An application kit containing all required application forms and

certifications is available by calling Lisa Duckett at (202) 482-4115.

Evaluation Criteria

Quality of Program Plan (30%). Includes but is not limited to

strategy for outreach and publicity, procedures for collecting and

evaluating applications, comprehensiveness of program design, and

practicality of approach.

Proposed Costs (30%). The proposed budget must be comprehensive and

should include all costs for program personnel, fringe benefits,

travel, equipment, supplies, and other associated items. The stipend

level

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proposed for students should be stated in the budget.

Key Personnel Qualifications (20%). Includes an assessment of the

number, qualifications and proposed roles of staff who will administer

the internship program. Resumes of proposed personnel will facilitate

the evaluation of the competency and experience of the proposed staff.

Capabilities of the Applicant Organization (20%). Considers, among

other things, previous experience and success administering similar

programs, and staff and resources to assure adequate development,

supervision and execution of the proposed program. Additionally, an

organization's commitment to educate/advance the education of women,

minorities, and people with disabilities will be a consideration in

evaluating this factor.

Selection Procedures

Each application will receive an independent, objective review by a

panel qualified to evaluate the applications submitted. The Independent

Review Panel, consisting of at least three individuals, will review all

applications based on the criteria stated above. The Independent Review

Panel will evaluate and rank the proposals. The final decision on

awards will be based upon the numerical review panel ranking,

availability of funding, and the Selecting Official's (DoC Federal

Program Officer) determination of which proposals best meet the

objectives of the program. The amount of funds awarded to each

recipient will be determined in preaward negotiations between the

applicant, the Grants Officer, and the DoC Program Officer.

Federal Policies and Procedures

Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and

Federal and DoC policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to

Federal financial assistance awards.

Past Performance

Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in

an application not being considered for funding.

Preaward Activities

If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do

so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government.

Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that may have been

received, there is no obligation on the part of DoC to cover preaward

costs.

No Obligation for Future Funding

If an application is selected for funding, DoC has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in connection with that award.

Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of

performance is at the total discretion of DoC.

Delinquent Federal Debts

No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has an

outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either:

The delinquent account is paid in full, negotiated repayment

schedule is established and at least one payment is received, or Other

arrangements satisfactory to DoC are made.

Name Check Review

All nonprofit applicants are subject to a name check review

process. Name checks are intended to reveal if any key individuals

associated with the applicant have been convicted of or are presently

facing criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters

which significantly reflect on the applicant's management honesty or

financial integrity.

Primary Applicant Certifications

All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511,

``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby provided:

Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

Prospective participants (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section

105) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and

Suspension'' and the related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies;

Drug-Free Workplace

Recipients (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605) are subject

to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-

Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the certification

form prescribed above applies;

Anti-Lobbying

Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Section 105) are subject to

the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and

financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of the certification

form prescribed above applies to applications/bids for grants,

cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than $100,000, and loans

and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the single family

maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever is greater; and

Anti-Lobbying Disclosures

Any applicant that has paid or will pay for lobbying using any

funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' as

required under 15 CFR Part 28, Appendix B.

Lower Tier Certifications

Recipients shall require applicants/bidders for subgrants,

contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered transactions at

any tier under the award to submit, if applicable, a completed Form CD-

512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions and Lobbying''

and disclosure form, SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.''

Form CD-512 is intended for the use of recipients and should not be

transmitted to DoC. SF-LLL submitted by any tier recipient or

subrecipient should be submitted to DoC in accordance with the

instructions contained in the award document.

False Statements

A false statement on an application is grounds for denial or

termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment by a fine or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this program are not subject to Executive Order

12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products

Applicants are hereby notified that they are encouraged, to the

extent feasible, to purchase American-made equipment and products with

funding provided under this program in accordance with Congressional

intent.

Fly America Act

The Fly America Act requires that Federal travelers and others

performing U.S. Government-financed foreign air travel must use U.S.

flag air carriers, to the extent that service by such carriers is

available. Foreign air carriers may be used only when a U.S. flag air

carrier is unavailable, or use of U.S. flag air carrier service will

not accomplish the agency's mission.

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Classification

This document involves collections of information subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act, which have been approved by OMB under OMB

control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, and 0348-0046.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to

respond to nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to

comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of

the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information

displays a current valid OMB control number. This document has been

determined to be ``not significant'' for purposes of Executive Order

12866.

Sonya G. Stewart,

Director for Executive Budgeting and Assistance Management.

[FR Doc. 97-32540 Filed 12-11-97; 8:45 am]

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