Information on Available State and Federal Grants May 1999 Vol. 13, #5
New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
Questions?
For more information contact:
Laura Koennecke
1 Commerce Plaza, Suite1125
Albany, NY 12260
or call the
Grants Action News hotline at
1-800-356-8486
...On the State Level

Appalachian Regional
Commission Program

NYS Department of State

The Department of State is pleased to announce that funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Area Development Program is anticipated for federal fiscal year 2000. This program will accept initial applications for projects in the following five Strategic Goals categories:

Goal 1: Skills and Knowledge Funding will be awarded to workforce training projects which improve the job prospects of people in Appalachian New York. These include vocational education projects, customized training and skills upgrading projects and innovative training consortia and apprenticeships. Funding will also be awarded for basic skills projects for adults to improve reading, writing, arithmetical, or computer literacy skills in direct preparation for training or employment. Educational excellence projects, such as dropout prevention efforts, school-business partnerships, and math-science programs with business and government to prepare secondary-level students for the 21st century will also be funded. Also eligible are child care programs, including early education components addressing defined community needs. Telecommunications projects consistent with New York State and Local Development District Initiatives, involving telecommunications equipment and network development activities which create, expand, or enhance telecommunications in Appalachian New York and facilitate utilization of new technologies and applications are also eligible project activities.

Goal 2: Physical Infrastructure Infrastructure projects (such as water and waste system improvements, local access roads, and business/industrial site-related activities) supporting job creation and retention, encouraging new enterprise creation and existing business expansion, or addressing critical health or safety needs documented by an Order of Consent from a New York State or county environmental or health agency are eligible for funding.

Goal 3: Community Capacity Eligible activities are leadership projects promoting leadership development and community service; and local government assistance demonstrations directed towards intermunicipal cooperation and more effective delivery of programs and services on a multi-jurisdictional basis.

Goal 4: Dynamic Local Economies Business development and assistance projects focusing on local development and implementation of business development strategies and provision of technical assistance; and recapitalization of existing regional revolving loan funds are eligible.

Goal 5: Health Care Eligible activities are telemedicine projects consistent with New York State and Local Development District Initiatives, involving telemedicine equipment, creation, expansion, and enhancement of telemedicine networks in Appalachian New York; associated health education and training activities; and rural health projects creating or expanding rural health partnerships, reducing infant mortality, and/or promoting health professional recruitment and retention in Appalachian New York, and/or developing or expanding licensed primary health care (including dental) clinics in Health Professional Shortage Areas.

ARC resources may not be used to provide assistance for 1) a relocating business or industry; 2) recruitment activities that place a state in competition with one or more other states; 3) projects that promote unfair competition between businesses within the same immediate service area; and 4) construction of hospitals, government office buildings, libraries, museums and cultural centers, law enforcement facilities, or day use recreational facilities.

ELIGIBILITY: State and local public agencies and private not-for-profit organizations.

FUNDING: Between $2 and $3 million.

DEADLINE: June 4, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties, contact Donald Rychnowski, Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board, 465 Broad Street, Salamanca, NY 14779, (716) 945-5301, fax (716) 945-5550. For Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties, contact William Hess, Southern Tier Central Regional Planning Development Board, 145 Village Square, Painted Post, NY 14870, (607) 962-5092, fax (607) 962-3400. For Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga, and Tompkins counties, contact Robert Augenstern, Southern Tier East Regional Planning and Development Board, 375 State Street, Binghamton, NY 13901, (607) 724-1327, fax (607) 724-1194. For general information, contact Keith Stack, Assistant Secretary of State or Karl R. Horstmann, ARC Unit Manager, NYS Department of State, Division of Local Government, 41 State Street, Albany, NY 12231, (518) 474-8834, fax (518) 474-6572.
Grants to Fight Violent Crime Against Women

NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services

The NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services announces the availability of competitive grants to support personnel, training, technical assistance, evaluation, data collection, and equipment costs to enhance the apprehension, prosecution and adjudication of persons committing violent crimes against women. The goal of the program is to provide and strengthen the coordination of services and response to violence against women.

ELIGIBILITY: Units of state and local government and non-profit, non-governmental victim service providers are eligible.

FUNDING: $7,934,000.

DEADLINE: May 24, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Funding and Program Assistance, 4 Tower Place, Albany, NY 12203-3702; telephone (518) 485-7923.

Reorganization Efficiency Study Grants

NYS Education Department

The NYS Education Department announces the availability of Reorganization Efficiency Study Grants. A school district may receive funds to study reorganization of the district with another district and to study sharing of programs between districts. A single district may receive funding to study district-wide administrative and operational efficiency. A school district, group of districts or a BOCES may receive funds to study with a municipality to address needs of youth-at-risk and collaboration in such areas as transportation and other services.

ELIGIBILITY: Public school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services.

FUNDING: $1,280,000.

DEADLINE: September 1, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Suzanne Spear, Supervisor, NYS Education Department, District Organization Unit – Management Services, Room 876 EBA, Albany, NY 12234; telephone (518) 474-3936.

Homes for Working Families
and Senior Housing Initiatives

NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation

The Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC) and the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) announce the availability of program funds under two initiatives involving tax-exempt bond financing: the Homes for Working Families Initiative and the Senior Housing Initiative.
For the Homes for Working Families Initiative, the HTFC expects to provide 1% interest loans from the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and the New York State HOME Program (HOME), utilizing funds which were unspent, unallocated and/or recycled from previous years appropriations.

For the Senior Housing Initiative, the DHCR expects to provide no interest loans from the Housing Development Fund (HDF) program, subject to appropriation and availability of funds.

ELIGIBILITY: Not-for-profit corporations.

FUNDING: Subject to availability.

DEADLINE: June 30, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the appropriate Regional Office from the following list: Albany Regional Office, Frank McKay, 119 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210; telephone (518) 432-0596; Buffalo Regional Office, Thomas VanNortwick, Statler Towers, 107 Delaware Avenue, Suite 600, Buffalo, NY 14202; telephone (716) 842-2244; New York City Regional Office, Sharon Ebert, 25 Beaver Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10004; telephone (212) 480-7165; Syracuse Regional Office, Frank McKay, 800 S. Wilbur Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13201; telephone (315) 473-6930.

Radon Grant Funding

NYS Department of Health

The NYS Department of Health’s Bureau of Community Relations receives funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency through the State Indoor Radon Grants Program.
The Bureau is soliciting proposals for mini-grants to support targeted, intensive, locally designed community outreach and marketing campaigns for a period of 15 months in four of 14 New York counties identified as high radon risk areas.

Organizations are expected to join in a shared effort through the formation of community-wide coalitions to plan and implement mini-grant activities. The goals are two-fold: 1) to increase homeowners’ current radon awareness and knowledge; and 2) to increase the rates of home radon testing and, if necessary, retesting and mitigation activities in each of the counties.

The project is expected to extend, in particular, to minority and socially and economically disadvantaged populations in those counties.

ELIGIBILITY: Local health departments, community action programs, county cooperative extension units, local chapters of the American Lung Association and other interested community-based organizations involved in raising community awareness and knowledge about radon which serve the following counties are eligible: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautaugua, Cortland, Erie, Madison, Rensselaer, Schuyler, Steuben, Tompkins and Yates.

FUNDING: Four mini-grants of $4,500 each.

DEADLINE: May 28, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Beth Goldberg, Bureau of Community Relations, at (518) 474-5370; fax (518) 486-2361; or e-mail bng01@health.state.ny.us.

Development, Demonstration, and Marketing of NYS
Manufactured Environmental Products and Processes

NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

The NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is requesting proposals from New York state businesses to invest in projects to develop, demonstrate, try new applications for, market, or commercialize innovative and energy-efficient environmental products for: potable and process water treatment, wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, sludge and process residuals management, recovery and recycling, brownfield site remediation, dredge material disposal management, combustion efficiency improvements, and air pollution control.

ELIGIBILITY: New York state private business enterprises.

FUNDING: $750,000 is available for grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. Proposals must be cost shared.

DEADLINE: June 4, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Elsie Beagle, Contract Management, NYSERDA, Corporate Plaza West, 286 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany, NY 12203-6399; telephone (518) 862-1090, ext. 3261; fax (518) 862-1091. Refer to Contract ID # 473-99.

…On the Federal Level


National Foundation
on the Arts and Humanities

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is requesting proposals for projects under its Museum Leadership Initiatives Program and its Professional Services Program. The goal of both programs is to improve museum services to the public.

The Museum Leadership Initiative Program (MLI) will fund projects that encourage and strengthen museum services to youth, family and adult audiences. Museums may partner with other museums and/or community-based organizations to establish or extend after-school programs or develop long-term relationships with other community-based organizations to improve the quality of life in a community.

The Professional Services Program (PSP) will fund training for staff of small museums and the development of cultural tourism. Most of the PSP awards provide professional opportunities, through workshops, needs assessments, seminars, and courses and publications.

ELIGIBILITY: MLI Program – Collaborative relationships between one museum or multiple museums and one or more community organizations are eligible. Professional Service Program – National, regional, state or local professional museum service organizations are eligible.

FUNDING: Awards are up to $50,000 each. MLI Program awards must be matched.

DEADLINES: MLI Program – June 18, 1999. Professional Service Program – July 2, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For the MLI Program, contact Beth Ann Schmitt, (202) 606-4645; e-mail bschmitt@imls.fed.us. For the Professional Services Program, contact Christine Henry, (202) 606-8687, e-mail chenry@imls.fed.us. You may also contact the IMLS Program Office for more information about these and other museum and library programs at (202) 606-8539.

U.S. Department of Education

Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology

The U.S. Department of Education will award grants to prepare tomorrow’s teachers to use modern learning technologies. Teacher preparation programs must ensure that their students master the instructional strategies, learning styles, and content applications enabled by these learning tools. The needs these grants address are: equipping our schools with 21st century learning technologies to ensure that new teachers are well prepared to use modern educational tools; helping educators master the instructional strategies and new knowledge technology brings to the classroom; and ensuring that educators in low-income communities can teach their students to use modern technology in order to gain a strong education and productive future employment.

ELIGIBILITY: Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) in collaboration with schools, school districts, and others may apply. Non-profit organizations may apply on behalf of consortia, which may include professional associations, foundations, private sector businesses, IHEs, school districts, community colleges, and others.

FUNDING: $75 million.

DEADLINE: June 4, 1999.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (800) USA-LEARN. For an application, fax request to (202) 260-8412.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Justice: Partnerships for Communication

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are supporting research aimed at achieving environmental justice for socioeconomically disadvantaged and medically underserved populations in the United States. The main objective of this program is to establish methods for linking members of a community, who are directly affected by adverse environmental conditions, with researchers and health care providers and to enable this partnership to develop appropriate research strategies to address environmental health problems of concern.

ELIGIBILITY: Domestic, non-profit organizations, public and private.

FUNDING: $2 million is available to fund awards up to $200,000 each.

DEADLINE: July 14, 1999. A letter of intent is requested by May 7, 1999, although it is not mandatory.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Frederick L. Tyson, Ph.D., telephone (919) 541-0176; fax (919) 541-4937; e-mail tyson2@niehs.nih.gov. For an application kit (PHS 398), contact the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910; telephone (301) 435-0714; email GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Renewal

1999 SuperNOFA

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Renewal (HUD) has available a comprehensive listing of available funding for 1999 HUD programs called the SuperNOFA (Super Notice of Funding Availability).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the HUD SuperNOFA Information Clearinghouse (800) HUD- 8929 or see the HUD homepage at http://www.hud.gov.

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