In this issue:
High school students invited to Service Academy Workshop
Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 16
Opportunities - Federal contracts, grants, and jobs for and in the Marianas
Highlights in the legislative program
High school students invited to Service Academy Workshop.
High school students interested in applying to a U.S. service academy are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the congressional office on Wednesday, November 25, 10am - 11am at the Napu Room, Pacific Islands Club on Saipan. A congressional nomination is the first step in applying for the service academies, and by law I am able to nominate up to ten students per available slot for the Northern Marianas. There are currently two slots available for Northern Marianas students for the 2016-2017 school year – one each at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Additional slots may soon open up for NMI students at the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the Military Academy in West Point, New York, if the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that was sent to President Obama’s desk this week becomes law.For more information about the Service Academy Workshop, contact the congressional office at (670) 323-2647 or email kilili@mail.house.gov. To learn more about requesting a congressional nomination to the service academies, visit http://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations. Applications are due December 11, 2015.
Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 16:
SBA Relocates Disaster Office to Capital Hill.
The Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center relocates to the Juan A. Sablan Memorial Building, Office of the Governor, on Capitol Hill as of Monday, November 23. The Center, which has processed and approved $22.1 million in federal disaster loans to businesses, nonprofits, and individual residents, has been located at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe since Typhoon Soudelor. Although the deadline to apply for property damage loans has expired, businesses and private nonprofit organizations may still apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans to provide working capital. The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center is open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. No appointments are necessary.
Opportunities - Federal contracts, grants, jobs for and in the Marianas:
Grants:
Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment - These cooperative agreements will support outreach strategies and grantee participation in key outreach initiatives coordinated by the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign. The Campaign provides a full range of outreach and enrollment materials including customizable posters and flyers, as well as radio and TV public service announcements, videos featuring successful outreach strategies and outreach strategy guides that suggest effective ways to use the materials produced by the Campaign. Current closing date isJanuary 20, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280091.
Tech Hire Partnership Grants - This grant program is designed to equip individuals with the skills they need through innovative approaches that can rapidly train workers for and connect them to well-paying, middle- and high-skilled, and high-growth jobs across a diversity of H-1B industries such as Information Technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and broadband. Projects funded by this grant program will help participants begin careers in H-1B occupations and industries which are in-demand and/or high growth in the area applicants are proposing to serve. On a limited basis, this grant program will also enable applicants to work with companies on increasing the skills of existing workers in lower-skilled jobs to move into more highly skilled positions requiring technology-related skills. Current closing date is March 11, 2016. For more information, go http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280094.
Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants - This notice solicits proposals from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field, with a focus on solid and hazardous waste remediation, environmental health and safety, integrated pest management, and wastewater-related training. Current closing date is January 14, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280040.
National Fish Habitat Action Plan - Funds appropriated to implement the Action Plan will be utilized in collaboration with the National Fish Habitat Board and Fish Habitat Partnerships. Fish Habitat Partnerships are the primary work units of the Action Plan, formed around distinct geographic areas, "keystone" fish species, or system types (e.g. large lakes, impoundments, estuaries). Funds will support national and regional science and coordination activities to protect, restore, or enhance fish habitats. All or a portion or project funds may be transferred to partner organizations if the Service lacks the capability to implement a project. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280034.
Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program - The Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program of the USGS is offering a two-year cooperative agreement opportunity to state or local water-resources agencies that collect groundwater data to participate in the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. The USGS is working with the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information and its Subcommittee on Ground Water to develop and administer a National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. This funding opportunity is to support data providers for the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network. Current closing date is January 19, 2016. For more information, go tohttp://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280077.
Advanced Nursing Education Program - Funded projects will implement creative academic-practice partnerships within advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) primary care programs. Partnerships between academic institutions and rural and/or underserved primary care practice sites will promote APRN students’ readiness to practice upon graduation by improving training and competencies for both students and preceptors. Working collectively, these partnerships will: facilitate the meaningful exchange of information to identify the needs of the community and the clinical workforce; use this information to enhance curriculum, preceptor recruitment, training and evaluation; and shape the experiential training of advance practice nursing students to be better prepared upon graduation to provide care for rural and underserved populations. Current closing date is January 15, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280099.
Oral Health Service Expansion - This announcement solicits applications for Fiscal Year 2016 Oral Health Service Expansion funding. The purpose of this supplemental funding opportunity is to increase access to oral health care services and improve oral health outcomes for Health Center Program patients. Eligible applicants must be existing Health Center Program award recipients funded under section 330(e), (g), (h) and/or (i) of the Public Health Service Act. Current closing date is January 19, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280107.
Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program - The purpose of this program is to support the delivery of coordinated and comprehensive high-quality voluntary early childhood home visiting services to eligible families. This program is administered by HRSA in partnership with the Administration for Children and Families. Current closing date is January 19, 2016. For more information, go tohttp://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280143.
Statewide Consumer Network Program - The purpose of this program is to improve mental health services for people with serious mental illness. In doing so, the program seeks to enhance statewide mental health consumer-run and –controlled organizations to promote service system capacity and infrastructure that is consumer-driven, recovery-focused, trauma-informed, culturally relevant, holistic, and resiliency-oriented. Current closing date is January 20, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280080.
Statewide Family Network Program - The purpose of this program is to enhance state capacity and infrastructure to better respond to the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances and their families by providing information, referrals, and support to families who have a child, youth, or adolescent with mental health challenges, and to create a mechanism for families to participate in state and local mental health services planning and policy development. Current closing date is January 21, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=280108.
Summer Seminars for K-12 and College Educators - The list of NEH’s Summer Seminars, Institutes and Landmarks Workshops for K-12 teachers and 2- and 4-year college faculty is available. Educators will have until early March to apply to attend a professional development summer program. For more information, and to view campuses and deadlines, go to http://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/summer-programs.
Scholarly Editions and Translations Grants - Scholarly Editions and Translations grants support the preparation of editions and translations of pre-existing texts of value to the humanities that are currently inaccessible or available in inadequate editions. Typically, the texts and documents are significant literary, philosophical, and historical materials; but other types of work, such as musical notation, are also eligible. Current closing date is December 9, 2015. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/scholarly-editions-and-translations-grants.
Collaborative Research Grants - Collaborative Research Grants support interpretive humanities research undertaken by two or more collaborating scholars, for full-time or part-time activities for periods of one to three years. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; field work; applications of information technology; and technical support and services. Current closing date is December 9, 2015. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/collaborative-research-grants.
Media Projects: Development Grants - Development grants enable media producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and to prepare programs for production. Grants should result in a script or detailed treatment and may also yield a plan for outreach and public engagement. Current closing date is January 13, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/public/media-projects-development-grants.
Media Projects: Productions Grants - Media Projects: Production Grants support film, television, and radio projects for general audiences that encourage active engagement with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. All projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship in disciplines such as history, art history, film studies, literature, drama, religious studies, philosophy, or anthropology. Projects must also demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical (rather than celebratory). Current closing date is January 13, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/public/media-projects-production-grants.
Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations: Planning Grants - This grant program supports projects for general audiences that encourage active engagement with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Many different formats are supported, including permanent and traveling exhibitions, book or film discussion programs, historic site or district interpretations, living history presentations, and other face-to-face programs in public venues. Current closing date is January 13, 2016. For more information, go tohttp://www.neh.gov/grants/public/museums-libraries-and-cultural-organizations-planning-grants.
Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations: Implementation Grants - Implementation grants are for projects in the final stages of preparation to “go live” before the public. Grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public. Current closing date is January 13, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/public/museums-libraries-and-cultural-organizations-implementation-grants.
National Digital Newspaper Program - NEH is soliciting proposals from institutions to participate in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP is creating a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1836 and 1922, from all the states and U.S. territories. This searchable database will be permanently maintained at the Library of Congress (LC) and will be freely accessible via the Internet. Current closing date is January 14, 2016. For more information, go tohttp://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/national-digital-newspaper-program.
Public Scholar Program - The Public Scholar program supports well-researched books in the humanities intended to reach a broad readership. Although humanities scholarship can be specialized, the humanities also strive to engage broad audiences in exploring subjects of general interest. They seek to deepen our understanding of the human condition as well as current conditions and contemporary problems. Current closing date is February 2, 2016. For more information, go to http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/public-scholar-program.
Digital Humanities Implementation Grants - This program is designed to fund the implementation of innovative digital-humanities projects that have successfully completed a start-up phase and demonstrated their value to the field. Such projects might enhance our understanding of central problems in the humanities, raise new questions in the humanities, or develop new digital applications and approaches for use in the humanities. Current closing date is February 17, 2016. For more information, go tohttp://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-implementation-grants.
Jobs:
Store Associate - The Defense Commissary Agency, Department of Defense is accepting applications for a Store Associate in Guam. Incumbent will assist customers, operate electronic checkout system, perform duties related to preparing and maintain stock levels of grocery and produce items, review stock levels, prepare and maintain documents, and maintain security, safety and sanitation practices and procedures. Position is open until November 24, 2015. For more information, go tohttps://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/421595500.
Highlights in the Legislative Program
THIS WEEK:
On the floor
H.R.308 – Keep the Promise Act (Failed, 263-146)
H.R.1694 – Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2015 (Passed, 285-138)
H.R.3114 – To provide funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to hire veterans and members of the Armed Forces to assist the Corps with curation and historic preservation activities, and for other purposes (Passed, 422-3)
H.R.1073 – Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (Agreed to by voice vote)
H.R.3144 – Partners for Aviation Security Act, as amended (Agreed to by voice vote)
H.R.1338 – Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act of 2015 (Passed, 409-0)
H.R.1384 – Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act (Passed, 407-0)
H.R.1478 – Policyholder Protection Act of 2015 (Agreed to by voice vote)
H.R.511 – Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015 (Passed, 249-177)
H.Res.524 – Condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Paris, France on November 13, 2015m, that resulted in the loss of at least 129 lives (Agreed to by voice vote)
H.R.1737 – Portfolio Lending and Mortgage Access Act (Passed, 241-185)
H.R.3189 – Fed Oversight Reform and Modernization (FORM) Act of 2015 (Passed, 241-185)
H.R.4038 – American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015 (Passed, 289-137)
Co-sponsorships
H.R.3711 – Chicano Park Preservation Act
NEXT WEEK:
The House is in recess for the District Work Period