(a) A candidate's employing agency is responsible for furnishing a statement of endorsement and information concerning the relevancy of the candidate's study to agency requirements. The agency is encouraged to identify educational and training priorities and to provide backup to support its priority candidates for these programs.

(b) Employing agencies are encouraged to give favorable consideration to the requests of candidates for educational leave and salary support for the study period to facilitate the candidates' applications. Agency decisions involving salary support and educational leave that will affect the acceptance of awards by recipients should be made at the earliest possible date to provide adequate time for the FHWA to select alternates to replace candidates that decline their awards.

(c) Agencies are responsible for negotiations with their candidates concerning conditions of reinstatement and the candidates' commitments to return to work.

(d) Employing agencies are encouraged to publicize the availability of these grants throughout the agencies, to implement procedures for internal evaluation of applications, and to forward the applications to the FHWA division office in their State.

(e) Employing agencies that choose to process their employees' applications are responsible for observing the cutoff date for the FHWA to receive applications. This date will be stipulated in the Notices announcing the program for each academic year.