[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 90 (Monday, May 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27050-27057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11336]
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 90 / Monday, May 11, 2015 / Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; First in the World Program--
Development Grants
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--First in
the World (FITW) Program--Development Grants
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116F.
Dates:
Applications Available: May 11, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 31, 2015.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The FITW program is designed to support the
development, replication, and dissemination of innovative solutions and
evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread
challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for
not persisting in and completing postsecondary programs, including, but
not limited to, adult learners, working students, part-time students,
students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with
disabilities, and first-generation students. The focus of the FITW
program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education
by testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student
persistence and completion outcomes.
For FY 2015, the Department will award two types of grants under
this program: ``Development'' grants and ``Validation'' grants. These
grants differ in terms of the level of evidence of effectiveness
required for consideration of funding, the level of scale the funded
project should reach, and, consequently, the amount of funding
available to support the project.
This notice invites applications for Development grants only.
Development grants will support new or substantially more effective
practices for addressing widely shared challenges. Applications for
Development grants must be based on Strong Theory (as defined in this
notice). The Department has published a separate notice inviting
applications for Validation grants elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Priorities: This notice contains three absolute priorities and one
competitive preference priority.
These priorities are from the notice of final priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection criterion for this program
(NFP), published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that address one of the
three absolute priorities. Applicants must specify on the Abstract and
Information page of their applications which absolute priority is
addressed in the application. For Absolute Priority 2 and Absolute
Priority 3, we have identified multiple subparts. Applicants that
address one of these absolute priorities must select one subpart that
the proposed project will address to meet the absolute priority.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1: Improving Teaching and Learning
The Secretary gives priority to:
Projects designed to improve teaching and learning through:
Instruction-level tools or strategies such as adaptive learning
technology, educational games, personalized learning, active- or
project-based learning, faculty-centered strategies that systematically
improve the quality of teaching, or multi-disciplinary efforts focused
on improving instructional experiences.
Note: A large percentage of students in postsecondary education
struggle academically because they arrive to college unprepared for
college-level coursework.\1\ These struggles make the prospect of
dropping out more likely.\2\ Further, for students who do complete
their courses and programs, the limited available information on
learning proficiency suggests that too many students are lacking the
critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills needed for
the workforce.\3\ These challenges may be more acute for the types
of students that now make up the majority of students enrolled in
postsecondary education: Adult learners, working students, part-time
students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color,
and first-generation students. On the other hand, the research base
on cognitive science continues to grow, employers are becoming more
specific in the competencies they desire, data analytics offers
greater and more targeted insights, and new technologies offer the
potential for new methods and more differentiated instruction.
\1\ Xianglei Chen and others, Academic Preparation for College
in the High School Senior Class of 2003-04: Education Longitudinal
Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002), Base-year, 2002, First Follow-up, 2004,
and High School Transcript Study, 2004 (Washington: U.S. Department
of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, January
2010); Jay Greene and Greg Foster, ``Public High School Graduation
and College Readiness Rates in the United States,'' Working Paper 3
(New York: Manhattan Institute, Center for Civic Information,
Education, September 2003). Greene and Foster define being minimally
``college ready'' as: Graduating from high school, having taken four
years of English, three years of mathematics, and two years of
science, social science, and foreign language, and demonstrating
basic literacy skills by scoring at least 265 points on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress in reading.
\2\ Eric Bettinger and Bridget Terry Long, ``Addressing the
Needs of Under-Prepared College Students: Does College Remediation
Work?'' Journal of Human Resources 44, no. 3 (2009); Brian Jacob and
Lars Lefgren, ``Remedial Education and Student Achievement: A
Regression-Discontinuity Analysis,'' Review of Economics and
Statistics 86, no. 1 (2004): 226-44.
\3\ Arum, Richard and Roksa, Josipa, Academically Adrift:
Limited Learning on College Campuses (University of Chicago Press,
January 2011).
Despite these challenges and opportunities, innovations in how
students experience learning in college remain largely small scale or
limited to a small number of institutions. With some exceptions, the
same degrees and other credentials are offered in the traditional ways,
by counting numbers of courses taken or hours taught. Methods of
teaching have stayed largely static, with the traditional lecture as
the core instructional design. New approaches to teaching and learning,
such as tools and strategies that go beyond the traditional lecture to
support active learning, and that actively engage learners or customize
learning, must be tested and expanded to more postsecondary
institutions to improve accessibility and quality and reduce cost.
Absolute Priority 2: Developing and Using Assessments of Learning
The Secretary gives priority to:
Projects that support the development and use of externally
validated assessments of student learning and stated learning goals
through one of the following:
(a) Alternative assessment tools or strategies such as micro- or
competency-based assessments, assessments embedded in curriculum, or
simulations, games, or other technology-based assessment approaches.
(b) Aligning assessments across sectors and institutions, such as
across kindergarten through grade 12 and postsecondary education
systems or across two-year and four-year
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institutions, to improve college readiness and content delivery.
Note: Learning assessment has shown promise as an effective
instructional strategy to increase student success. While learning
assessment, in the past, focused more on traditional testing,
current assessment has expanded to assess not just what students
know but also what they can do, and is embedded in ways that inform
instruction on an ongoing basis. Further, a knowledge-based economy
requires assessment of higher-order thinking skills such as
analysis, synthesis, and transfer; along with ``non-cognitive''
capacities such as mindset, persistence, and other qualities. New
forms of assessments must be developed for these purposes and tested
for their benefits to students. Assessments are also needed to
measure what is learned outside the classroom, such as through
previous work experience, workplace or community-based experiences,
and other high impact engagements.
Absolute Priority 3: Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing and
Transfer
The Secretary gives priority to:
Projects designed to develop and implement systems and practices to
capture and aggregate credit or other evidence of knowledge and skills
towards postsecondary degrees or credentials through one of the
following:
(a) Seamless transfer of credits between postsecondary
institutions; or
(b) Validation and transfer of credit for learning or learning
experiences from non-institutional sources.
Note: Students obtain knowledge and skills through a variety of
experiences and from a range of institutions and providers. Many
postsecondary students attend more than one institution on their way
to earning a certificate or degree. Further, many student learning
experiences, such as learning that occurs through work experience or
from non-traditional education providers, are simply not recognized.
Alternate systems and methods of assessing, aggregating, and
credentialing learning experiences are needed to help more students
reach completion in accelerated timeframes. Additionally, new systems
of portable, stackable postsecondary degrees and credentials along
transparent career pathways must be designed and opportunities to
obtain such degrees and credential must be expanded.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2015, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
up to an additional five points to an application, depending how well
the application meets this priority. Applicants must clearly mark the
Abstract and Information page in the application package if they intend
to address this competitive preference priority.
Note: Given the limited resources of secondary schools,
institutions of higher education, and other relevant stakeholders,
the cost effectiveness of any intervention designed to improve
student outcomes is of primary importance. In recent years, numerous
institutions, researchers, and others have begun testing
interventions that are relatively low cost but have the ability to
have a high impact on student outcomes. Many of these interventions
minimize cost through the use of technology, such as digital
messaging or predictive analytics to target interventions. Others
incorporate low cost approaches, such as non-cognitive
interventions. We are particularly interested in effective low cost
interventions because even institutions with limited resources would
be able to scale such strategies to impact large numbers of
students, and, such interventions, particularly those that use
technology, are often easily replicable.
This priority is:
Implementing Low Cost-High Impact Strategies To Improve Student
Outcomes (Up to 5 Points)
The Secretary gives priority to projects that use low-cost tools or
strategies, such as those that use technology, that result in a high
impact on student outcomes.
The selection criteria for the FY 2015 Development competition are
designed to ensure that applications selected for funding have the best
potential to generate substantial improvements and research in student
outcomes, and include well-articulated plans for the implementation,
dissemination, and evaluation of the proposed projects. Applicants
should review the selection criteria and submission instructions
carefully to ensure their applications address this year's criteria.
Requirements: The following requirements are from the NFP and apply
to all applications submitted under this competition:
(a) Innovations That Improve Outcomes for High-Need Students:
Grantees must implement projects designed to improve one or more of the
following outcomes of high-need students (as defined in this notice) in
postsecondary education: Persistence, academic progress, time to degree
or and completion.
(b) Evidence Standards: To be eligible for an award, an application
for a Development grant must be supported by Strong theory (as defined
in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
(c) Independent Evaluation:
(i) The grantee must conduct an Independent Evaluation (as defined
in this notice) of its project. The evaluation must estimate the impact
of the FITW-supported practice (as implemented at the proposed level of
scale) on a relevant outcome (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
(ii) The grantee must make broadly available, digitally and free of
charge, through formal (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) or informal
(e.g., newsletters) mechanisms, the results of any evaluations it
conducts of its funded activities. The grantee must also ensure that
the data from its evaluation are made available to third-party
researchers consistent with applicable privacy requirements.
(iii) The grantee and its independent evaluator must agree to
cooperate on an ongoing basis with any technical assistance provided by
the Department or its contractor, including any technical assistance
provided to ensure that the evaluation design meets the required
evaluation standards, and comply with the requirements of any
evaluation of the program conducted by the Department. This includes
providing to the Department, within 100 days of a grant award, an
updated comprehensive evaluation plan in a format and using such tools
as the Department may require. Grantees must update this evaluation
plan at least annually to reflect any changes to the evaluation and
provide the updated evaluation plan to the Department. All of these
updates must be consistent with the scope and objectives of the
approved application.
(d) Funding Categories: An applicant will be considered for an
award only for the type of FITW grant (Development or Validation) for
which it applies. Applicants may not apply for a FITW competition in
which they currently have an active FITW grant. An applicant may submit
only one FITW application in FY 2015.
(e) Management Plan: Within 100 days of a grant award, the grantee
must provide an updated comprehensive management plan for the approved
project in a format and using such tools as the Department may require.
This management plan must include detailed information about
implementation of the first year of the grant, including key
milestones, staffing details, and other information that the Department
may require. It must also include a complete list of performance
metrics, including baseline measures and annual targets. The grantee
must update this management plan at least annually to reflect
implementation of subsequent years of the project and provide the
updated management plan to the Department.
Definitions:
The following definitions are from the NFP and from 34 CFR 77.1 and
apply
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to the priorities, requirements, and selection criteria in this notice:
High-need student means a student at risk of educational failure or
otherwise in need of special assistance and support such as adult
learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-
income backgrounds, students of color, first-generation students,
students with disabilities, and students who are English learners.
(Note: The Department does not limit the definition of high-need
students to this list. This list is illustrative and may include other
categories of high-need students).
Independent evaluation means an evaluation that is designed and
carried out independent of and external to the grantee, but in
coordination with any employees of the grantee who develop a process,
product, strategy, or practice and are implementing it.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationship among the key
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.
Minority-serving institution means an institution that is eligible
to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of Title
III, under part B of Title III, or under Title V of the HEA.
Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution,
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can
meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations (but
not What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations).
Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group.
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet What
Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations.
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product,
strategy, or practice is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of a program.
Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product,
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards means the standards set
forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook
(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The NFP.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions
of higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $60,000,000 total for the FITW program,
with up to $16,000,000 set aside for Minority-Serving Institutions
(MSIs), in accordance with the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying
the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015. In
implementing this set aside, the Department may fund high-quality
applications from MSIs out of rank order in the competition for
Development grants, Validation grants or in both competitions. We plan
to allocate at least $20 million for Development grants but the actual
amount will depend on the quality of the proposals for both
competitions.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 or later years
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.
Maximum Award: We will not fund any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period of 48-months.
The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the
maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education,
combinations of such institutions, and other public and private
nonprofit institutions and agencies.
To qualify as an eligible MSI under the FITW Program, an
institution of higher education must meet one of two criteria:
The first criterion includes: Current eligibility approval as
defined by the Department's FY 2015 eligibility process for Title III
and/or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; an open
grant under one of the Department's Title III, Parts A and F and/or
Title V programs; or a designation as a Historically Black College or
University or a Tribally Controlled College.
The second criterion includes: Specific enrollment percentages for
minority students served; and, if applicable, needy student and
educational and general expenditure criteria for determining income
eligibility.
More information on MSI eligibility is in the application package
under the section entitled Eligibility. The Department will screen the
applications to verify MSI eligibility based on these criteria and, if
applicable, will use the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System data. In the event an application does not qualify for MSI
eligibility, it will still be reviewed.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs).
To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address:
www.ed.gov/
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fund/grant/apply/grantapp/index.html. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs,
write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of
Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free:
1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free:
1-877-576-7734.
You also can contact ED Pubs at its Web site: www.EDPubs.gov or at
its email address: [email protected].
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this program as follows: CFDA number 84.116F.
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 person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
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 competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria and the competitive preference priority
that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the
section of the application narrative that addresses:
The selection criteria to no more than 30 pages, and
The competitive preference priority to no more than 2
pages.
Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application narrative
exceed 32 pages.
Please include a separate heading for the competitive preference
priority if you choose to address it.
For purposes of determining compliance with the 32-page limit, each
page on which there are words will be counted as one full page.
Applicants must use the following standards:
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 application narrative, except titles, headings,
footnotes, endnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts,
tables, figures, and graphs in the application may be single spaced.
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.
The 32-page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet, the
table of contents; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative
budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or
Abstract and Information page, the resumes (three-page limit per
resume), the citations or full studies, appendix, or letters of
support.
If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically
requested and required for the application, these items will be counted
as part of the narrative for the purposes of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 11, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015.
Applications for grants under this competition 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.
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: August 31, 2015.
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 reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and System for Award Management:
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 System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM 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 to two business days.
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 two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
days, but may take upwards of several weeks depending on the
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department,
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with SAM, 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 registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
Tip Sheet, which you can find at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative
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(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/web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition 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 First in the World Program, CFDA
number 84.116F, 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 First in
the World Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.116, not 84.116F).
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 4:30:00
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 4:30:00 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
4:30:00 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 competition 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 Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at 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 SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), 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. 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--
[[Page 27055]]
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
prevents 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: Gary Thomas, First in
the World, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6153,
Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.
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 84.116F, 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 84.116F, 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
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 following selection criteria for this
Development competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to
each criterion are indicated in parentheses. We will award up to a
total of 100 points to an application under the selection criteria.
A. Significance (Up to 20 Points)
The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
1. The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased
knowledge or understanding of education problems, issues, or effective
strategies.
2. The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
3. The potential replicability of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation
in a variety of settings.
B. Quality of the Project Design (Up to 30 Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs.
2. The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the
competition.
3. The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of
that framework.
C. Adequacy of Resources (Up to 20 Points)
The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization.
2. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
3. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
4. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the key project personnel.
D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (Up to 30 Points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are specified and measurable.
2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well
implemented, produce evidence about the project's
[[Page 27056]]
effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence
Standards with reservations.
3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well-
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without
reservations.
4. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of project consultants or subcontractors.
Note: Successful applications will be those that have an
evaluation design that has the potential to meet the What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations. The
What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook describes
in detail which types of study designs can meet WWC Evidence
Standards with or without reservations including both quasi-
experimental design studies and randomized controlled trials (as
defined in this notice). The response to this selection criterion
should include a description of the total unduplicated number of
students involved in the project. The term project consultants
include the person or firm conducting the independent evaluation (as
defined in this notice). The applicant is encouraged to select an
evaluator with experience in the design and management of
evaluations designed to meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence
Standards.
We encourage eligible applicants to review the following technical
assistance resources on evaluation:
(1) What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/references/idocviewer/doc.aspx?docid=19&tocid=1; and
(2) IES/NCEE Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/.
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).
Prior to making awards, we will screen applications submitted in
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine which
applications meet the eligibility requirements. This screening process
may occur at various stages of the application review process;
applicants that are determined ineligible will not be considered
further or be awarded a grant. For the application review process, we
will use independent peer reviewers with varied backgrounds and
professions in postsecondary education including college and university
educators, researchers and evaluators, strategy consultants, grant
makers and managers, and others with postsecondary education expertise.
All reviewers will be thoroughly screened for conflicts of interest to
ensure a fair and competitive review process.
For FITW Development grant applications the Department will use a
two-tier review process to review and score eligible applications.
Content reviewers will review and score eligible applications on the
three selection criteria: A. Significance; B. Quality of the Project
Design; and C. Adequacy of Resources. These reviewers will also review
and score the applications which address the competitive preference
priority. Eligible applications that score highly on these three
selection criteria will have the remaining criterion, D. Quality of the
Project Evaluation, reviewed and scored by a different panel of peer
reviewers with evaluation expertise.
Finally, if there are two or more applications with the same final
score and there are insufficient funds to fully support these
applications, the Department will consider an equitable distribution of
grants among geographic locations.
3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk
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 2 CFR part
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or
is otherwise not responsible.
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); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your 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.
To ensure that the Federal investment of these funds has as broad
an impact as possible and to encourage innovation in the development of
new learning materials, FITW grantees will be required to license to
the public all intellectual property (except for computer software
source code, discussed below) created with the support of grant funds,
including both new content created with grant funds and modifications
made to pre-existing, grantee-owned content using grant funds. That
license must be worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual,
irrevocable, and grant the public permission to access, reproduce,
publicly perform, publicly display, adapt, distribute, and otherwise
use the intellectual property referenced above (except for computer
software source code, discussed below) for any purposes, conditioned
only on the requirement that attribution be given to authors as
designated. Further, the Department requires that all computer software
source code developed or created with FITW funds will be released under
an intellectual property license that allows others to freely use and
build upon them.
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. 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/
[[Page 27057]]
fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the Department will use the following performance
measures in assessing the successful performance of FIPSE's FITW
grants:
(a) The extent to which funded projects are replicated (i.e.,
adopted or adapted by others).
(b) The extent to which projects are institutionalized and
continued after funding.
(c) The extent to which the metrics used to assess and evaluate
project results measure performance under the absolute priority the
project is designed to address.
(d) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that
produce evidence of their effectiveness (i.e., meet What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations) at
improving student outcomes and college affordability, especially for
low-income students.
(e) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that
provide high-quality implementation data and performance feedback that
allow for periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended
outcomes.
(f) The cost per student served by FITW grants.
(g) The cost per successful student outcome.
If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your
project on steps taken toward achieving the outcomes evaluated by these
performance measures. Consequently, applicants are advised to include
these outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and
evaluation of their proposed projects.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Thomas, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6153, Washington, DC 20006-8544.
Telephone: 202-502-7677. You may send emails to
[email protected].
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, 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 the
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.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary, to perform
the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
Dated: May 5, 2015.
Jamienne S. Studley,
Deputy Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-11336 Filed 5-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P