Dept. of Ed. Calls for Clearinghouse Grant Applications

WASHINGTON—The Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is accepting applications for its 2010 Educational Facilities Clearinghouse grant competition.

The Clearinghouse grant program will provide technical assistance and training on the planning, design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of public nursery, pre-kindergarten, K-12 and higher education facilities. The program will also develop resources and assemble best practices on issues related to ensuring safe, healthy, and high-performance public facilities, including procedures for identifying hazards and conducting vulnerability assessments.

Eligible applicants for the Clearinghouse grant competition include state or local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or other public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions.

To be considered for the award, applicants must meet the following requirements:

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• Establish     and maintain a Web site that includes electronic resources, such as links     to published articles and research related to the planning, design,    financing, construction, improvement, operation and maintenance of safe,    healthy, high-performance public facilities for nursery, pre-kindergarten,    K-12 and higher education
• Develop     resource materials that support the planning, design, financing,    construction, improvement, operation and maintenance of safe, healthy,    high-performance public facilities for nursery and pre-kindergarten, K-12     and higher education
• Plan     to convene up to three distance-learning events each year on topics     related to this notice
• Develop     and conduct a minimum of two training programs per year for public     nursery, pre-kindergarten and K-12 schools; local educational agencies     (LEAs); or public higher education facilities
• Provide     technical assistance to public nursery, pre-kindergarten and K-12 schools;    LEAs; or public higher education facilities regarding issues related to     the planning, design, financing, construction, improvement, operation and     maintenance of public educational facilities

Applications are due July 30, 2010. Only one winner will receive the $1 million grant. Additional information on the program may be found in the ”Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards.”