[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 241 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77985-77990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32197]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Graduate Assistance in Areas of
National Need
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Program.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.200A.
DATES:
Applications Available: December 15, 2011.
[[Page 77986]]
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 20, 2012.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 20, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The GAANN program provides grants to academic
departments and programs of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to
support graduate fellowships for students with excellent academic
records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest
degree available in their course of study at the institution. Students
are not eligible to apply for grants under this program.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority
is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 648.33(a) and Appendix
to part 648--Academic Areas).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Areas of National Need: A project must provide fellowships in one
or more of the following areas of national need: Area Studies;
Biological Sciences/Life Sciences; Chemistry; Computer and Information
Sciences; Engineering; Foreign Languages and Literatures; Mathematics;
Nursing; Physics; and Educational Evaluation, Research, and Statistics.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34
CFR part 648.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants redistributed as graduate
fellowships to individual fellows.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$40,717,000 for this program for FY 2012, of which $30,998,224 is
estimated to be available for new awards. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $131,925 to $263,850.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $175,900.
Estimated Number of Awards: 175.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Stipend Level: The Secretary will determine the fellowship stipend
for the GAANN program for the academic year 2012-2013 based on the
level of support provided by the graduate fellowships of the National
Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, as of February
1, 2012. However, the Secretary will adjust the amount as necessary so
as not to exceed the fellow's demonstrated level of financial need as
calculated for purposes of the Federal Student Financial Aid Programs
under title IV, part F, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended.
Institutional Payment: The Secretary will determine the
institutional payment for the academic year 2012-2013 by adjusting the
previous academic year's institutional payment, which is $13,975 per
fellow, by the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for the
2011 calendar year.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Academic departments of IHEs that meet the
requirements in 34 CFR 648.2.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: An institution must provide, from
non-Federal funds, an institutional matching contribution equal to at
least 25 percent of the grant amount received. (See 34 CFR 648.7.)
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. (See 34 CFR 648.20.)
3. Other: For requirements relating to selecting fellows, see 34
CFR 648.40.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Rebecca Green, U.S.
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., room 7105, Washington, DC
20006-8510. Telephone (202) 502-7779 or by email: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-(800) 877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed in
this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limit: The project narrative, Part II of the application, is
where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers
use to evaluate your application. You must limit the project narrative
(Part II) to no more than 40 pages, using the standards listed below. A
partial page will count as a full page toward the page limit. For
purposes of determining compliance with the page limit, each page on
which there are words will be counted as one full page, except as
specifically discussed below:
A project narrative in a single discipline must be limited
to no more than 40 pages.
An inter-disciplinary project narrative must be limited to
no more than 40 pages. An inter-disciplinary application must request
funding for a single proposed program of study that involves two or
more academic disciplines.
A multi-disciplinary project narrative must be limited to
no more than 40 pages for each academic department included in the
proposal. A multi-disciplinary application must request funding for two
or more academic departments in areas of national need designated as
priorities by the Secretary that are independent and unrelated to one
another.
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' , on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the project narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, tables,
figures, and graphs in the project narrative may be single spaced and
will count toward the page limit.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10 point
font in charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
Appendices are limited to the following: Curriculum
Vitae--no more than two pages per faculty member; a course listing;
letters of support; a bibliography; and one additional optional
appendix relevant to the support of the proposal, not to exceed five
pages.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for
Federal Assistance
[[Page 77987]]
(SF 424) and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for
the SF 424 Form; the one-page Abstract; the GAANN Statutory Assurances
Form; the GAANN Budget Spreadsheet(s) Form; the Appendices; or Part
III, the Assurances and Certifications. The page limit also does not
apply to a two-page Table of Contents, if you include one. However, the
page limit does apply to all of the project narrative section in Part
II.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: December 15, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 20, 2012.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for
Intergovernmental Review: March 20, 2012.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
648.64. We reference additional regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) Be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web Page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the GAANN program, CFDA number
84.200A, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be
able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email
an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the GAANN
program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.200,
not 84.200A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
[[Page 77988]]
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home
page at http://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for the SF 424, the GAANN Budget
Spreadsheet(s) Form, and the GAANN Statutory Assurances, and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document)
read-only, non-modifiable format. Specifically, do not upload an
interactive or fillable .PDF file. If you upload a file type other than
a read-only, non-modifiable .PDF or submit a password-protected file,
we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-(800) 518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system;
and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Rebecca Green,
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., room 7105, Washington, DC
20006-8510. Fax (202) 502-7857.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.200A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.200A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
[[Page 77989]]
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your
application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this
notification within 15 business days from the application deadline
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
in 34 CFR 648.31.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an
award are in 34 CFR 648.32.
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
With regard to those grantees with significant adverse risk
assessment findings, the Secretary will attach special terms and
conditions to their grant awards. These terms and conditions could
include requiring special reporting or targeted monitoring such as on-
site visits and monthly conference calls. It could also include placing
the grantee on a cost reimbursement status if necessary.
For grantees with missing or late audits, program staff will
contact the grantee to obtain a copy of the audit report. Audit reports
will be reviewed upon receipt and applicable findings, if any, will be
addressed through requiring corrective actions and special conditions
if appropriate. Technical assistance will be provided to these grantees
as needed.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 648.66. If you wish to view the performance
report currently required, visit the GAANN program Web site at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/gaann/performance.html. Please be advised that the
report is for informational purposes only, and does not reflect the
actual reporting instrument that you will use, should you receive a
GAANN grant. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
(c) Grantees will be required to submit a supplement to the Final
Performance Report two years after the expiration of their GAANN grant.
The purpose of this supplement is to identify and report the
educational outcome of each GAANN fellow.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the following measures will be used by the
Department in assessing the performance of the GAANN program:
(1) The percentage of GAANN fellows completing the terminal degree
in the designated areas of national need.
(2) The percentage of GAANN fellows from traditionally
underrepresented groups.
(3) The median time to completion of Master's and Doctorate degrees
for GAANN students.
If funded, you will be required to collect and report data in your
project's annual performance report (34 CFR 75.590) on these measures
and on steps taken toward improving performance on these outcomes.
Consequently, applicants are advised to include these outcomes in
conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their
proposed projects. Their measurement should be a part of the project
evaluation plan, along with measures of your progress on the goals and
objectives specific to your project.
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their success in addressing these performance
measures.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
[[Page 77990]]
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Green, U.S. Department of
Education, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Program, 1990
K Street NW., Room 7105, Washington, DC 20006-8510. Telephone (202)
502-7779 or by email: [email protected].
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-(800) 877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: December 9, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-32197 Filed 12-14-11; 8:45 am]
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