HUD 'SuperNOFA' Offers Funding for TBED

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has notified its partners more than $2.3 billion is available in the FY 2003 SuperNOFA (Notification of Funding Availability), including 43 separate funding opportunities for local units of government and nonprofit faith-based and community organizations. This year's application process ultimately will result in $1.822 billion in targeted housing and homeless assistance, $241 million in community development funding, and $231 million in economic development. Several opportunities of interest to the technology-based economic development (TBED) community are listed below.

Approximately $24.84 million is available for the Rural Housing and Economic Development (RHED) program, which aims to build capacity at the state and local level for rural housing and economic development. Funds for this program will be awarded through a selection process conducted by HUD in accordance with HUD Reform Act. Additional funds may be available through recapture. Local rural nonprofit organizations, community development corporations, federally recognized Indian tribes, state housing finance agencies and state economic or community development agencies are eligible to apply. Applications are due by May 27, 2003. http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa/grprural.cfm

Approximately $54.64 million is available for the Youthbuild program, which assists disadvantaged young adults in distressed communities. Among other objectives, the program seeks to further opportunities for placement in apprenticeship programs and to promote economic self-sufficiency. Eligible applicants are public or private nonprofit agencies, including grassroots faith- and other community-based organizations, state or local housing agencies or authorities, state or units of local government, or any entity eligible to provide education and employment training under other federal employment training programs. Applications are due by June 6, 2003. http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa/grpyouth.cfm

Additional TBED funding is available for colleges and universities through the two programs below. More information on both is available at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa/grpucp.cfm

• Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) - $6.955 million. Matching funds are required. The COPC Program is designed to assist in establishing or carrying out outreach and applied research activities that address problems of urban areas; and to encourage structural change, both within an institution of higher education and in the way the institution relates to its neighbors. Eligible are public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education granting two- or four-year degrees that are accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applications are due June 24, 2003
• Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) - $2.981 million plus approximately $194,552 in previously unexpended FY 2002 funds. The purpose of this program is to help TCUs build, expand, renovate and equip their own facilities, especially those facilities that are used by or available to the larger community. Possible activities might include furnishing small business assistance centers or computer labs. Tribal colleges and universities that meet the definition of a TCU established in Title III of the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 are eligible to apply. Institutions must be accredited or state they are a candidate for accreditation by a regional institutional accrediting association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applications are due June 12, 2003.

A total of $550,000 is available for the Early Doctoral Student Research Program (EDSRP) and Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant Program (DDRGP). EDSRP seeks to help doctoral students cultivate their research skills through the preparation of research manuscripts focusing on housing and urban development issues. It also encourages new scholars to share their research findings through presentation at scholarly conferences or publication in refereed journals. The purpose of DDRGP is to assist Ph.D. candidates complete their research and dissertations on housing and urban development issues. Among eligibility requirements, a doctoral student must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien currently enrolled, as a full-time student in at an accredited doctoral program at an accredited institution of higher education. Applications are due by May 27, 2003. http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa/grpedsddrg.cfm

This year's SuperNOFA also includes everything an applicant needs to prepare their funding request of HUD. For the first time, applicants will no longer be required to seek additional information from the Department that is integral in completing their funding requests. HUD's FY 2003 SuperNOFA is available at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm