Adult Literacy Services Grants

NYS Education Department

The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for library/adult literacy projects. Activities must be planned and carried out with at least one other community literacy provider such as a public school, college, volunteer group or other non-profit organization. For this program, literacy skills means the minimum skills needed to read and comprehend English through the 6th grade level and adult means anyone 16 years of age or older not attending school full time.
ELIGIBILITY: Public libraries and public library systems are eligible.
FUNDING: Approximately $200,000 is available for grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
DEADLINE: May 9, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the New York State Library, Division of Library Development, NYS Education Department, Room 10B41 Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230; telephone (518) 474-7890.

Parent and Child Services Program

NYS Education Department

The New York State Education Department is accepting applications for programs that will create models using the approaches to learning and the materials and programmatic resources of cultural institutions and encourage, advocate and support preschool, after school, weekend, and summer learning programs for children using public television, museums, historical societies, environmental centers, libraries and other cultural resources.
ELIGIBILITY: Public libraries in New York State are eligible.
FUNDING: Grants will be available in amounts from $5,000 to $50,000.
DEADLINE: April 18, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the New York State Library, Parent and Child Library Services Program, NYS Education Department, Room 10B41 Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230; telephone (518) 474-7890.

Rural Volunteer Fire Assistance

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will administer the Volunteer Fire Assistance matching grant program to assist rural fire companies in the purchase of wildland fire suppression equipment and wildland fire suppression safety equipment. Grants are based on federal guidelines and are for use in townships with populations under 10,000.
ELIGIBILITY: Fire companies serving rural townships are eligible.
FUNDING: Approximately $160,000 will be awarded to approximately 160 fire companies as matching grants.
DEADLINE: May 15, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Joseph Zeglen, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management, 50 Wolf Road, Room 440C, Albany, NY 12233-2560; telephone (518) 457-5740.

NYS Department of Health

The New York State Department of Health, Spinal Cord Injury Research Board welcomes basic or clinical research proposals on topics bearing on its mission to reverse paralysis and restore function, or to minimize and prevent damage occurring during the acute phase of injury. Projects targeting regeneration, repair, or restoration of function are of strong interest.

Outcomes of supported research are expected ultimately to propel advances in treatment of spinal cord injury. This announcement is not intended to support large-scale clinical trials or “program project-type” proposals.
ELIGIBILITY: Qualified professionals; independent investigators at any stage of professional development; established investigators new to the field; junior researchers; qualified investigators; basic research scientists and clinicians with spinal cord injury experience are eligible.
FUNDING: Annual award amounts are expected to be $200,000 for direct costs plus up to 20 percent facilities and administration costs.
DEADLINE: March 31, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the NYS Department of Health at SCIRB@wadsworth.org, telephone (518) 474-8583, or fax (518) 474-3439. Proposal guidelines and forms are also available at http://wadsworth.org/new/rfp/index.htm

Financial Aid to Business – Dry Cleaner Program

NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation

The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) proposes to provide funding to the owners of certain eligible dry cleaning facilities to defray the costs associated with new environmental protection requirements. This funding is available through the Financial Assistance to Business (FAB) program that was created by the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996.
Under the program, EFC will provide financial assistance for the acquisition of certain new or upgraded eligible dry cleaning equipment that complies with Part 232 of the new state regulations.
ELIGIBILITY: The FAB Dry Cleaner Program only applies to dry cleaning facilities in existence prior to May 15, 1997; which are located within New York State, but outside New York City; and which are “small businesses.” A “small business” is any business which is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field, and employs not more than 100 people.
FUNDING: Up to $5,000 is available for upgrading eligible dry cleaning equipment. Owners of multiple dry cleaning projects may submit requests for state assistance for up to five dry cleaning projects.
DEADLINE: May 31, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Laurie A. Allen, NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation, Financial Assistance to Business Program, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205-2603; telephone (800) 200-2200; fax (518) 457-0742.

Financial Aid to Business – Water Program

NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation

The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), through its Financial Assistance to Business (FAB) Water Program, proposes to provide funding to help businesses and water suppliers, on behalf of businesses, increase the availability and improve the quality of water supplies and to help businesses and municipalities, on behalf of business, increase the availability and improve the quality of wastewater treatment facilities. Funding is for projects that will create, improve or extend water supply and wastewater treatment facilities that are designed to comply with applicable federal and state requirements.
ELIGIBILITY: Businesses and water suppliers, on behalf of businesses, and businesses and municipalities, on behalf of businesses, are eligible to apply. All projects must demonstrate an environmental or public health benefit. Assistance will only be available to projects that are located in villages, towns, and cities with a population of less than one million people.
FUNDING: EFC will make State Assistance Payments for not more than 75 percent of the cost of an eligible project on a reimbursement basis.
DEADLINE: April 25, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Laurie A. Allen, NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation, Financial Assistance to Business Program, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205-2603; telephone (800) 200-2200; fax (518) 457-0742.

…On the Federal Level

Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program

U.S. Department of Education

The United States Department of Education is accepting applications for its Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program. The program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.
ELIGIBILITY: Institutions of higher education that have a total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution of higher education for the preceding fiscal year that equals or exceeds $350,000 are eligible.
FUNDING: The estimated range of awards is $10,000 to $300,000. An institution will be eligible for a maximum grant award equal to one percent of its Federal Pell Grant disbursement with no grant being less than $10,000.
DEADLINE: April 24, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Karen W. Johnson, U.S. Education, 1990 K Street NW, Suite 7018, Washington, DC 20006; telephone (202) 502-7525; fax (202) 502-7864. For Applications, call (877) 433-7827 or visit http://e-grants.ed.gov

Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program Grants

U.S. Department of Transportation

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Transit Administration announces the availability of funds for the 2001 Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program. The program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road buses to finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with DOT’s over-the-road bus accessibility rules.
Over-the-road buses are used in intercity fixed-route service as well as other services, such as charter and tour bus services.
ELIGIBILITY: Eligible capital costs include adding lifts, tie downs, moveable seats, doors and all labor costs associated with work on the vehicle needed to make new vehicles accessible. Retrofitting vehicles with such accessibility components is also an eligible expense.
Eligible training costs include training in the proper operation and maintenance of accessibility features and equipment, boarding assistance, securement of mobility aids, sensitive and appropriate interaction with passengers with disabilities, and handling and storage of mobility devices. The costs associated with developing training materials or providing training for local providers of over-the-road bus services for these purposes are eligible.
FUNDING: Approximately $3 million is available to providers of intercity fixed-route service and $1.7 million is available to other providers of over-the-road bus services, including local fixed-route service, commuter service, and charter and tour service.
DEADLINE: April 27, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Letitia Thompson, FTA Regional Administrator, 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 2940, New York, NY 10278-0194; telephone (212) 264-8162. For general program information, contact Sue Masselink, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-2053, e-mail sue.masselink@fta.dot.gov

High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

U.S. Department of Education

The United States Department of Education invites applications for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). The purpose of HEP and CAMP is to provide grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs), or to private non-profit agencies working in cooperation with IHEs, to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers complete high school and succeed in postsecondary education.
HEP assists migrant and seasonal farmworkers to obtain a general education diploma (GED) and to be placed in postsecondary education or training, career positions, or the military.
CAMP assists migrant and seasonal farmworkers to successfully complete the first academic year of study in a college or university, and provides follow-up services to help students continue in postsecondary education.
ELIGIBILITY: IHEs or private non-profit agencies working in cooperation with IHEs are eligible.
FUNDING: For HEP, the estimated range of awards is $150,000 - $475,000. For CAMP, the estimated range of awards is $150,000 - $400,000.
DEADLINE: March 23, 2001.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Mary L. Suazo, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Migrant Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E227, FOB 6, Washington, DC 20202-6135; telephone (202) 260-1396; e-mail mary_suazo@ed.gov or fax (202) 205-0089. More information can also be found at http://www.ed.gov/news.html

AmeriCorps Timeline for Applications

Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service announces the following timeline for applications for assistance under AmeriCorps State/National, AmeriCorps Education Awards Program, and AmeriCorps Promise Fellows:

• AmeriCorps State, Formula – May 15, 2001
• AmeriCorps State, Indian Tribes (new) – March 28, 2001
• AmeriCorps National (new) – May 3, 2001
• AmeriCorps National (continuing) – April 17, 2001
• AmeriCorps Education Awards Program – May 15 and November 8, 2001
• AmeriCorps Promise Fellows – June 15, 2001

The application guidelines for each program contain information concerning available funds and program requirements as well as information about the application process itself.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Organizations that apply directly to the Corporation for National and Community Service may download application guidelines from http://americorps.org/resources or obtain a hard copy by calling (202) 606-5000 ext. 163. Organizations that apply directly to a state commission may obtain contact information at http://www.nationalservice.org/contactus.html/

Grant Writing

The Grantsmanship Center
Buffalo and Utica

The Grantsmanship Training Program is coming to Buffalo March 19-23, hosted by the American Red Cross, and to Utica April 2-6, hosted by Human Technologies Corporation. The five-day class is kept to a maximum of 26 participants and costs $675 ($625 for each additional registrant from the same agency).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For the Buffalo program, call Michele Barnes at (716) 878-2373. For the Utica program, call Audrey Furgal at (315) 724-9891. Or contact the Grantsmanship Center at (800) 421-9512. The Center also has a library of federal grant proposals on CD-ROM, which lets you download the text of top ranked proposals for dozens of major programs. More information is on the web site: http://www.tgci.com

Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence
Livingston

The Council on Opportunities for Professional Excellence (COPE) is offering a one-day grant writing seminar in collaboration with the Southern Columbia County Ambulance Squad, Inc. on March 28, 2001. Please call or fax COPE at the number below by March 15th to register. The seminar costs $145 per person or $118 per person if two or more from the same organization attend.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact COPE at (845) 756-2673 or e-mail them at jnb@copeinc.com

Syracuse University
Syracuse

Syracuse University is offering a one-day Introduction to Grant Writing class on March 14, 2001. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $159 per person.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Peg DeGuire at (315) 443-3271.

Grants Action News by E-mail

If you are interested in receiving the Grants Action News by e-mail every month, write to signup@assembly.state.ny.us. Please include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address, including your agency or organization.
If you also are interested in receiving timely legislative updates from the Assembly Internet Information Service, indicate your area of interest (such as education, economic development, local government) in your note. Response time will depend on the volume of interest.