New NTIA funding program guidelines announced (fwd)

[Mel Roseman <mrosema@EIS.CALSTATE.EDU>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 18:16:01 -0500
From: Tom Freebairn <benton@clark.net>
To: niiregional-l@rain.org
Subject: New NTIA funding program guidelines announced

We ask your assistance in posting the following announcement regarding NTIA
funding as widely as possible and in alerting eligible nonprofits to
consider applying for support or to partner with other organizations that
plan to do so.

Tom Freebairn
Information Infrastructure Clearinghouse Project

___________________________________________________________

Key elements of the NTIA program seem to be:

Background:  This is a new grant program.
Total grant funds available in this round:  $26 million
Size of individual grants:  No guidance for this first round.
Application deadline:  May 12, 1994
Announcement of awards:  Late summer or early fall, 1994
Duration of grants:  6-18 months
Special consideration:  Requires matching support
Special consideration:  Emphasis on partnerships for applications
Special consideration:  Emphasis on computer-based electronic networks
Eligibile Entities:  State and local governments; nonprofits
Types of grants:  1) Planning Grants (40% of available funds);
                  2) Demonstration Projects (60% of available funds)
Selection process:  Competitive merit review
Additional note:  Guidelines are approx 37K

Excerpts:

Summary:  "...funds for planning and demonstration projects to promote the
goals of development and widespread availability of advanced
telecommunications technologies; to enhance the delivery of social services
and generally serve the public interest; to promote access to government
information and increase civic participation; and to support the
advancement of an advanced nationwide telecommunications and information
infrastructure."

Program Description:  "NTIA announces a competitive grant program, the
TIIAP, created to advance the goals of the Administration's National
Information Infrastructure (NII) initiative.  Major goals of the NII
initiative include:  the promotion of private sector investment through
appropriate tax and regulatory policies; the extension of universal service
so that information is available to all at affordable prices, using the
widest variety of appropriate technologies; the promotion of technological
innovation and new applications; wider access to government information;
and guarantees of information security and network reliability. . . ."

"The TIIAP will provide matching grants to state and local governments,
non-profit health care providers, school districts, libraries,
universities, public safety services, and other non-profit entities.
Grants will be awarded after a competitive merit review process and will be
used to fund projects to connect institutions to existing networks and
systems, enhance communications networks and systems that are currently
operational, establish new network capabilities, permit users to
interconnect among different networks and systems, and bring more users
on-line.  Equally important, they will help leverage the resources and
creativity of the private sector to devise new applications and uses of the
NII.  The success of these pilot projects will create an ongoing process
that will generate more innovative approaches each year."

NTIA contact:

Dr. Charles Rush, Acting Director of the Office of Telecommunications and
Information Applications
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Department of Commerce
Telephone: (202) 482-2048;  fax: (202) 482-2156
e-mail:  tiiap@ntia.doc.gov
NTIA BBS via Internet: ntiabbs.ntia.doc.gov; or at: iitf.doc.gov
NTIA BBS via dial up: (202) 482-1199; modem set a either 2400 or 9600 baud,
8 data bits, 1 stop bit.



_______________________________________________________________

The Information Infrastructure Clearinghouse project is a small foundation-
supported project being developed to track federal funding regarding the
National Information Infrastructure (NII) and to make the information
widely available to nonprofit organizations.  We are not a federal agency
and do not receive any federal support.

Our project is not currently staffed to handle inquiries for extensive
assistance, so please direct any questions to the NTIA at the numbers
listed above.  As we develop our capacities, we hope to play useful roles
in identifying common interests among potential applicants and in referring
nonprofits to appropriate technical assistance providers.

________________________________________________________________


Tom Freebairn
Information Infrastructure Clearinghouse Project
c/o Benton Foundation
1634 Eye St., N.W., 12th Fl.
Washington, DC  20006

(v) 202.638.5770, x23
(f) 202.638.5771

benton@clark.net