Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities in the Workforce System Initiative, 2529-2543 [E8-473]
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[FR Doc. E8–502 Filed 1–14–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–28–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and
Solicitation for Grant Applications
(SGA) for the Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Opportunities in the Workforce System
Initiative
Announcement Type: New. Notice of
Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/
DFA PY 07–03.
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Catalog of Federal Assistance Number:
17.268
Key Dates: This competition will be
implemented in two phases, a
preliminary proposal phase (Phase I)
and a full proposal phase (Phase II),
with a closing date for each phase for
receipt of applications. For Phase I of
the competition, preliminary proposals
must be received at the address below
no later than 4 p.m. (ET) on March 11,
2008. All applicants are required to
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submit Phase I proposals. A virtual
Prospective Applicant Conference will
be held for this grant competition on
January 25, 2008 at 2 p.m. (ET).
Additional information and links to
registration for this Virtual Prospective
Applicant Conference can be found at
https://www.workforce3one.org/public/
webinars/details.cfm?id=266.
After completion of review of Phase I
proposals, selected applicants will
receive a notice of recommendation to
participate in Phase II of the
competition and in this notification,
further information regarding the Phase
II submission deadline will also be
provided. Applicants may only
participate in the Phase II competition
after receiving notice of
recommendation. Please note that
applicants that only submit full
proposals will not be reviewed.
SUMMARY: The Employment and
Training Administration (ETA), U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL), announces
the availability of approximately $10
million in grant funds for the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities in
the Workforce System Initiative (STEM
Initiative). These grants will be awarded
through a two-phased competitive
process to primarily expand and align
current and new STEM workforce
education and training strategies,
activities, and resources in One Stop
Career Centers to promote, attract, and
prepare disadvantaged youth and
dislocated workers for STEM careers,
while simultaneously enhancing the
competitive position of local and
regional employers.
Grants will be awarded to a select
number of individual workforce
investment boards (WIBs), representing
a regional consortium of WIBs. A WIB
must submit an application on behalf of
a specific, defined multi-county
economic region comprised of various
workforce investment areas that make
up the consortium. Joint applications for
regions that cross state lines will be
accepted. Applications for multi-state
regions must be from an individual WIB
that will have responsibility for
administering the project. This
solicitation contains an exception if the
defined region is a rural area or a
portion of a state whereby only one WIB
exists.
In awarding STEM Initiative grants,
every effort will be made to fairly
distribute grants across rural and urban
areas and across the different geographic
regions of the United States. It is
anticipated that the number of awards
will range from five to seven, with the
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average award ranging from $1.5 million
to $2 million.
This solicitation provides background
information and describes the
application submission requirements,
outlines the process that eligible entities
must use to apply for funds covered by
this solicitation, and details how
grantees will be selected.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be
addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Marsha Daniels,
Reference SGA/DFA PY 07–03, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N–
4716, Washington, DC 20210.
Telefacsimile (FAX) applications will
not be accepted. Information about
applying online can be found in Part
IV(C) of this document. Applicants are
advised that mail delivery in the
Washington area may be delayed due to
mail decontamination procedures. Hand
delivered proposals will be received at
the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
solicitation consists of eight parts:
• Part I is the funding opportunity
description that includes background
information, the overview and details of
the STEM Initiative including the five
key features, project scope and
allowable activities, and an outline of
objectives and goals.
• Part II describes the size and nature
of the anticipated awards.
• Part III describes eligibility
information and other grant
specifications.
• Part IV provides information on the
application and submission process for
the preliminary (Phase I) and full
proposal (Phase II) submissions.
• Part V describes the criteria against
which applications will be reviewed
and evaluated, and explains the
proposal review process for Phase I and
II.
• Part VI provides award
administration information.
• Part VII contains DOL agency
contact information.
• Part VIII lists additional resources
of interest to applicants.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Background
There is broad consensus that the
long-term key to continued U.S.
competitiveness and growth in an
increasingly global economic
environment is the adequate supply of
qualified Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
workers capable of translating
knowledge and skills into new
processes, products, and services.
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According to the National Science
Foundation (NSF), scientific innovation
has produced roughly half of all U.S.
economic growth in the last fifty years
and the STEM fields, including those
who work in them, are critical engines
to that innovation and growth.
According to one recent estimate, while
only five percent of the U.S. workforce
is employed in STEM fields, the STEM
workforce accounts for more than fifty
percent of the nation’s sustained growth
(Babco 2004).
The engine of growth is increasingly
precarious in today’s global economy
and American pre-eminence in STEM
will not be secured or extended without
addressing the education and workforce
pipeline challenges that have become a
growing national concern. The National
Academy of Sciences study, Rising
Above the Gathering Storm (2006),
argues that, absent a serious and rapid
response, the U.S. will lose quality jobs
to other nations; lowering our standard
of living, reducing tax revenues, and
weakening the domestic market for
goods and services. Once this cycle
accelerates, it will be difficult to regain
lost preeminence in technology-driven
innovation and its economic benefits.
The STEM education and workforce
challenges are multi-faceted and five
major trends have been identified that
will dramatically impact the STEM
pipeline of the future: (1) An increasing
number of high school graduates with
insufficient academic grounding in
STEM to successfully enter postsecondary education geared to STEM
careers; (2) waning enrollment in
technical studies, including two- and
four-year college level, graduate, and
post-graduate science and engineering
programs; (3) impending retirement of a
large portion of the existing STEM
workforce; (4) declining immigration of
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics professionals in STEM
fields; and (5) difficulty attracting and
retaining a cadre of highly qualified
STEM teaching professionals.
However, the STEM workforce
pipeline challenge is not just about the
supply and quality of the baccalaureate
and advance degree earners. A large
percentage of the workforce in
industries and occupations that rely on
STEM knowledge and skills are
technicians, including others who enter
and advance in their field through subbaccalaureate degrees and certificates or
through workplace training.
Competitiveness in STEM fields
requires a focus on the skills and the
supply of those involved in STEM fields
from the most complex research and
development leadership positions to
production, repair, marketing, sales, and
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other jobs that require competencies
built upon math, science, engineering,
and technology knowledge. Creating
interest and preparing more Americans
to be productive in STEM-related jobs
will require attention to segments of the
workforce that are often overlooked in
STEM discussions: incumbent workers
who need skills upgrading, dislocated
workers who are trying to find new jobs
in industries with a future, and
individuals from groups traditionally
underrepresented in STEM fields.
The seriousness of this STEM-related
challenge has penetrated public and
opinion-makers’ consciousness; and
government, industry, academia, and
foundations have begun to respond in
an unprecedented way. In October 2005,
the Government Accountability Office
inventoried the Federal programs that
were designed to increase the numbers
of students and graduates in STEM
fields or to improve the quality of
education in those areas. From this
inventory, it is reported that 13 Federal
agencies spent a total of $2.8 billion for
207 programs that were designed to
increase the number of students and
graduates or to improve educational
programs in STEM fields. Six Federal
agencies spent the bulk of the reported
funding for STEM education: National
Institutes of Health (NIH), followed by
NSF, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), Department of
Education, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), and the Health Resources
and Services Administration.
In his 2006 State of the Union
address, the President proposed the
American Competitiveness Initiative
(ACI) to strengthen education, promote
research and development, and
encourage entrepreneurship.
Specifically, ACI proposes to create and
expand on a number of programs
targeted at improving K–12 math and
science education, increasing
professional development for teachers,
attracting new teachers to the classroom,
developing research-based curricula,
and providing access to flexible
resources for worker training. In
addition to the proposed efforts under
ACI, the Deficit Reduction Act was
signed into law and established the
Academic Competitiveness Council, a
cabinet-level group tasked with
coordinating and evaluating the Federal
role in math and science education, in
an effort to align government policies
and programs to better address STEM
education.
In addition to this Federal effort,
industry associations, businesses, state
governments, foundations, and other
organizations have launched a variety of
programs and competitions that target
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K–12, undergraduate, and graduate
students in STEM fields. For example,
industry associations that include: the
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the
American Chemical Society, the
American Physical Society, the National
Association of Manufacturers, and the
National Science and Technology
Education Partnership have invested in
STEM education initiatives that involve
curricular improvements, career-focused
Web sites, mentoring programs, and
scholarships; while corporate
foundations including Raytheon, Bayer,
and General Electric have created their
own outreach programs. Despite these
efforts, much remains to be done within
government and across diverse public
and private sectors to ensure that U.S.
education, workforce, and economic
systems rise to the STEM challenge.
ETA will invest $14 billion in a
national public workforce development
system to increase the skills and
education of the current and emerging
workforce, and is committed to
becoming an important contributor to a
robust national strategy for tackling the
STEM workforce pipeline challenge. To
that end, ETA recently launched a
STEM action agenda which includes
three focus areas: (1) Building the
gateway to STEM careers; (2) enhancing
the capacity of talent development
institutions to produce more and betterskilled STEM workers; and (3)
catalyzing and supporting innovation,
entrepreneurship, and economic growth
that can expand STEM employment
opportunities.
In addition, ETA launched the
Workforce Investment in Regional
Economic Development (WIRED)
Initiative in 2006, which focuses on the
role of talent development in driving
regional economic competitiveness,
increased job growth, and new
opportunities for American workers.
Thirty-six of the 39 WIRED regions are
targeting STEM-related industries for
economic growth in their regions.
ETA believes that responding to the
STEM challenge will require a
concerted and multi-faceted partnership
approach; the public workforce
investment system is uniquely
positioned in many communities to be
an important partner in these efforts
because of its universal access to human
capital, its strong partnerships, and its
support of high growth industries, many
of which require a highly skilled and
educated STEM workforce. The STEM
Initiative creates a way for the public
workforce system to help develop and
broaden the talent pool of the current
and future STEM workforce in regions
throughout the country, and to act as a
catalyst in these important efforts.
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B. STEM Initiative Description
The STEM Initiative will make
resources and technical assistance
available to a select number of
consortiums of WIBs representing
regional economies across the country.
These resources will : (1) Help to
develop and enhance the STEM
capabilities of the regions by aligning
and expanding current workforce
education and training strategies,
activities, and resources in the One Stop
Career Centers; (2) promote, attract, and
prepare a broader range of workforce
system participants for STEM careers;
and (3) simultaneously enhance the
competitive position of local and
regional STEM employers.
The linchpin to a coordinated and
strategic regional STEM approach will
be the strategic partnerships that will be
developed, enhanced, and expanded
under this Initiative. For this
solicitation, ETA requires at a
minimum, partnerships to include the
workforce investment system, the
continuum of education, and STEM
employers. However, stronger
connections between the workforce
system and educational institutions, e.g.
multiple educational pathway programs,
adult education, community colleges,
and four year colleges and universities,
including other Federal agencies,
nonprofit organizations, employer
associations, faith and communitybased organizations, and STEM
professional societies, will also be
essential in leveraging assets and filling
gaps where expertise, financial, and
operational resources are missing.
The objectives of the STEM Initiative
will be reached through five key
features:
1. STEM One Stop Workforce Centers
of Excellence;
2. STEM Coaches;
3. STEM Mentors;
4. Career Blueprints; and
5. Technical Assistance.
It is ETA’s expectation that all
applications will reflect and clearly
articulate the operationalization of these
key features of the STEM Initiative
described below, and which are
reflected in the evaluation criteria in
Part V.
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1. STEM One Stop Workforce Centers of
Excellence
STEM One Stop Workforce Centers of
Excellence (STEM Centers of
Excellence), either virtual or site-based,
will be established in One Stop Career
Centers by a regional WIB consortium
under this Initiative to achieve a
number of goals: (1) Expand the
capacity of the One Stop Career Centers
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to train and prepare individuals, with
special emphasis on disadvantaged
youth and dislocated workers, along the
STEM career ladder/lattice with
multiple entry and exit points; (2)
leverage and align STEM education and
training resources from a variety of
funding sources and entities, so that
individuals have expanded education
and training options, and are served in
a more coordinated and effective
fashion; (3) understand the workforce
needs of STEM employers and meet
those needs with a variety of services,
including placing skilled and prepared
workers into STEM jobs; (4) support the
establishment and strengthening of
partnerships to ensure optimal STEM
expertise and resources are available in
the One Stop Career Centers; and (5)
provide a replicable demonstration
model as a resource for other One Stop
Career Centers.
Five to seven STEM Centers of
Excellence will be expected to build
upon the current infrastructure and
capabilities of the One Stop system.
Grant funds used to develop the STEM
Centers of Excellence must be used to
also enhance and expand a variety of
participant and employer services with
a sole focus on STEM fields. The goal
of this SGA is to develop strategies that
support more workers to obtain postsecondary education and training
leading to employment in STEM fields.
NSF defines the following as STEM
fields:
i. Biological Sciences (with the
exception of medicine and other clinical
fields);
ii. Physical Sciences, including
physics, chemistry, astronomy, and
materials science;
iii. Mathematical Sciences;
iv. Computer and Information
Science;
v. Engineering; and
vi. Technology areas associated with
the preceding fields—for example,
biotechnology, chemical technology,
engineering technology,
nanotechnology, and information
technology (with the exception of
health, veterinary, or medical
technicians).
The STEM resources and activities
available through the STEM Centers of
Excellence will provide individuals
engaged in a STEM career pathway and
STEM employers with a customized set
of services that are driven by regional
employer demand. The STEM Initiative
will give special emphasis to
disadvantaged youth in multiple
educational pathway programs (i.e.
alternative education) and dislocated
workers, although other individuals
with STEM aptitudes and/or interests
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may also be served in the STEM Centers
of Excellence. While One Stop Career
Centers have not traditionally targeted
disadvantaged youth populations, it is
the expectation of this solicitation that
applicants will consider how to better
address the needs of this integral STEM
pipeline within the STEM Centers of
Excellence.
Career Guidance. Under this
Initiative, STEM Centers of Excellence
will provide and coordinate career
awareness and guidance activities that
clarify the range of opportunity along
the STEM career ladder/lattice and
debunk myths around the
inaccessibility of STEM careers due to
the perceived academic requirements.
The enormous variety of STEM
occupations will require career
guidance information on alternative
career pathways/career lattice models
and non-academic training routes. Some
of these career awareness, guidance
activities, and products under the STEM
Initiative may be provided by
connecting with existing projects and/or
funding that may have already
developed valuable STEM career
guidance materials, such as those from
the High Growth Job Training Initiative,
Community-Based Job Training Grants
grantees, Career Voyages Web site
(https://www.careervoyages.gov/),
professional associations, and other
government agencies.
To indicate the range of opportunities
for individuals, the following is an
example of a career ladder in advanced
manufacturing:
• Entry level (laborer, packer,
machine operator);
• Mid-level or two-year degree or tech
prep (engineering technician, electronic
technician, instrument maker,
laboratory technician, mechanical
technician); and
• Professional level (chemist,
physicist, scientist, mechanical
engineer, biochemical engineer).
Training and Educational
Opportunities. The major focus of the
STEM Initiative is to allow participants
to have access to a variety of
educational, training, and retraining
opportunities through numerous
funding mechanisms and entities, with
the goal of receiving a post-secondary
degree or an industry-recognized
license, certificate, or credential that
will lead to job placement in a STEM
occupation. These education and
training opportunities may range from a
short-term training program leading to a
certificate, to an associate’s or bachelor’s
degree course of study, to work-based
learning opportunities such as preapprenticeships and apprenticeships,
internships, and on-the-job training.
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ETA expects that the regional WIB
consortium will coordinate through the
STEM Centers of Excellence the
integration of funding and activities
available through the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), and its
partners with current STEM activities
funded through other sources such as:
NSF, Departments of Education, Energy
and Defense, NASA, and EPA to
enhance and expand workforce system
participants’ STEM education and
training opportunities and experiences.
Applicants may pilot Career
Advancement Accounts (CAAs) as part
of this Initiative, which are selfmanaged accounts that enable current
and future workers to gain skills needed
to succeed in 21st century jobs. In
addition, applicants are encouraged to
create STEM-related registered
apprenticeship programs and ETA will
provide technical assistance, if needed.
Other Participant Services. Participant
services provided in the STEM Centers
of Excellence through a STEM Coach
(described below) may include, but are
not limited to:
• Intake/recruitment;
• Assessment of STEM interest and
aptitude, including identification of
skill gaps inhibiting employment
opportunities, certifications, specific
credentials, security clearances,
technical skills, and business/soft skills;
• Development of a Career Blueprint
(described below) based on the
assessment;
• Job search and placement support
provided by STEM Coaches and
partnering employers; and
• STEM Mentors (described below).
An important part of each project will
be the industry’s identification of skills
and competencies required in the STEM
workforce region, which will require a
strong partnership between regional
STEM employers and training and
education providers including the K–12
(primarily high schools and career and
educational high schools), adult
education, community and technical
colleges, four year colleges and
universities, and other training entities.
This partnership will ensure that all
participant activities in the STEM
Centers of Excellence will be aligned
with industry-driven STEM workforce
education and training strategies
including competency models,
curricula, and new learning
methodologies and technology-based
learning. Please note that there is a large
body of work completed on industry
competencies and skills from a variety
of sources, so in order to avoid
duplication of efforts, ETA will work
with grantees to connect them to
resources to support this work.
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Employer Services. STEM employers
may receive a variety of customized
services that may include, but not be
limited to:
• Recruiting and screening qualified
STEM workers;
• Job listings;
• Limited incumbent worker training
and linkage to other training resources
(see definition of limited in Part I(C),
Project Scope and Allowable Activities);
• Customized labor market
information; and
• Job retention services such as
mentoring and other services.
In addition to receiving these services,
it is ETA’s expectation that regional
STEM employers will be actively
engaged in the project and should
participate fully in grant activities
including: (1) Helping to define the
STEM Centers of Excellence strategy
and approach; (2) identifying needed
skills and competencies; (3) designing
training approaches and curricula; (4)
implementing project activities; (5)
contributing financial support; and (6)
where appropriate, hiring qualified
STEM education and training graduates.
2. STEM Coaches
STEM Coaches, who may be sitebased or virtual, will serve a critical
function in the STEM Centers of
Excellence, forging ties to STEM
employers and linking program
participants to STEM employment,
education, and training opportunities.
Each proposal must include funding of
at least one STEM Coach, and these
individuals will be required to have a
diverse and unique set of skills that will
be valuable to both the worker and the
employer.
To be successful at cultivating
productive relationships with STEM
enterprises in the regional economy and
assisting workers in preparation and
employment in STEM occupations, the
STEM Coach must have:
• Experience as a recruiter of STEM
professionals or as a STEM educator,
and an understanding of STEM
employment, including understanding
of STEM workforce needs, hiring
processes, and applicable job market
requirements for enterprises in their
assigned regions; and
• Understanding of skills and
competencies in STEM.
Key services for employers and
participants provided by the STEM
Coaches were addressed in the previous
section (B.1) STEM One Stop Workforce
Centers of Excellence.
3. STEM Mentors
Many people currently in STEM
careers had access to professionals who
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were in similar fields and could provide
advice and support to help them
succeed. Youth graduating from
multiple educational pathway programs
and dislocated workers may lack that
social capital. However, in this
Initiative, STEM Mentors will serve in
this critical function to remove obstacles
to achievement and support participants
along the STEM career ladder/lattice.
STEM Mentors, who may be virtual or
site-based, will clarify and identify
career development opportunities for
STEM job seekers that support both the
individual and employer objectives. The
STEM Mentor may be someone who is
currently employed by industry,
enrolled in a STEM academic program,
or a STEM retiree who is interested in
supporting youth and dislocated
workers. The Mentor will offer ongoing
support to the newly placed employee
in the content areas of STEM, and also
will encourage the character qualities
required in the workplace (e.g.
motivation, problem-solving, teamwork,
adaptability/flexibility, and
dependability/reliability). In addition,
Mentors may be asked to support
participants in education and training, if
needed.
The STEM Mentor will be required to
fulfill the following functions:
a. Participate in self-paced/long
distance/or classroom-based orientation
for mentor program;
b. Engage in a 6-month or 1 year
´ ´
commitment with protege;
c. Meet regularly with the STEM
candidate/student; and
d. Communicate with STEM
candidate/student on an as-needed
basis.
STEM Coaches will recruit STEM
Mentors and connect them to the
´ ´
appropriate protege. Applicants will
need to articulate recruitment and
outreach strategies for STEM Mentors
and describe the mentoring activities
that will be available to STEM
candidates/students.
4. Career Blueprint
Participants in this Initiative will
develop and test the concept of a
‘‘Career Blueprint,’’ which is an
intentional career development
framework and map synchronized with
the skills and competencies needed to
advance along a STEM career pathway
for all individuals at all ages and stages
of their lives. While somewhat similar
in concept to an Individual
Development Plan or Individual
Education Plan, the Career Blueprint
will take a longer-range view of career
planning and will be a template tool for
designing and building a personal career
pathway plan. In addition to identifying
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the first steps to attain an initial career
goal, it will also include next steps and
additional career goals along the
individual’s proposed career ladder or
lattice. Individuals will be given tools to
proactively manage their career through
repeated engagement of career decision
making and transition processes
throughout their lives. The STEM
Mentors and Coaches in this Initiative
will be trained to assist participants
with creating their Career Blueprint.
The Career Blueprint format will
prompt the individual to plan for both
work experiences and post-secondary
education. For example, the Career
Blueprint will suggest a range of options
to consider, including work readiness
credentials, pre-apprenticeships,
internships, nontraditional
apprenticeships, and on-the-job
training. Post-secondary education at
the community college level or above
will be intertwined with the work
experience components, rather than
being considered a separate track.
Lifelong learning, both formally and onthe-job, will be emphasized as an
integral part of career planning.
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5. Technical Assistance
Through the STEM Initiative,
participating One Stop Career Centers
and WIBs may receive ongoing intensive
technical assistance (TA), at group
meetings and individually, given by a
cadre of STEM experts from a variety of
organizations and Federal agencies. The
STEM Initiative will also include the
creation of a peer-to-peer learning
community to give teams opportunities
to share challenges and best practices.
Technical assistance topics may
include: Talent development of STEM
Coaches, creation of nontraditional
STEM apprenticeship programs, models
of STEM career pathways, leveraging
regional STEM resources, and best
practices of STEM employer
engagement. The STEM WIRED resource
team, located in ETA, has documented
many of the STEM resources and
activities across agencies, foundations,
associations, and the private sector and
this document will serve as a resource
for grantees.
At the end of the STEM Initiative, it
is ETA’s expectation that grantees will
document best practices and lessons
learned to disseminate widely to the
workforce investment system to
encourage and facilitate replication. In
addition, grantees may serve as valuable
resources for educational materials,
ideas, contacts, and mentoring for the
workforce system.
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C. Use of Funds/Allowable Activities
STEM Initiative grants will be funded
by H–1B fees as authorized under Sec.
414(c) of the American Competitiveness
and Workforce Improvement Act of
1998 (Pub. L. 105–277, title IV) as
amended by Public Law 108–447
(codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916a). These
funds are focused on the development
of the workforce and may be used to
provide job training and related
activities to workers to assist them in
gaining the skills and competencies
needed to obtain and upgrade career
ladder employment in STEM related
industry sectors and occupations
projected to experience significant
growth or significant demand for
workers. Whether the focus is on an
industry sector or an occupational area,
training investments using grant funds
should focus on workforce education in
high-skill occupations requiring
significant science, technology,
engineering, and/or mathematics skills.
Funds available under this Solicitation
may only be used for projects that
provide training in the occupations and
industries for which employers use H–
1B visas that generate these funds and
the related activities limited to those
necessary to support training in such
occupations and industries. Please see
the attached list of STEM-related
occupations and industries that have
been identified as those for which
employers use H–1B visas to employ
foreign workers. Activities funded
under this Solicitation must be focused
on developing skills and competencies
related to the fields identified in the
Attachment.
Funds may also be used to enhance
the provision of job training services
and information as authorized in 29
U.S.C. 2916(a)(2)(B). Therefore,
allowable activities under this Initiative
may include:
• STEM education and training;
• Hiring of STEM Coaches;
• Purchase of STEM-related
assessments for the One Stop Career
Centers;
• Educational preparation of
participants for NSF scholarships and
other funding opportunities;
• Coordination and support of STEM
work-based learning opportunities for
participants such as on-the-job training
(OJT) and apprenticeships;
• Career guidance;
• STEM Employer Services such as
job listings and matches, assessments,
and interviewing and prescreening;
• Job preparation and placement
activities;
• Recruitment and outreach materials
and activities to multiple educational
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pathway programs, faith and
community-based organizations and
other entities;
• Development and implementation
of Career Blueprints;
• Summer academic enrichment
activities;
• Development of new formats and
innovative learning approaches to
STEM courses and activities that
increase accessibility to occupational
training for participants;
• Assessment of skill levels,
aptitudes, abilities, and supportive
service needs of individuals;
• Support for participants’ STEM
school preparation and critical
transition points such as high school to
college, between 2- and 4-year college,
and from undergraduate study to the
workplace;
• Travel and related expenses to
STEM trainings;
• On-site or virtual capacity-related
infrastructure expenses that support
STEM activities in the One Stop Career
Centers;
• Establishment and expansion of
partnerships and collaborations in order
to build the STEM capacity of the
region;
• Support for visiting faculty and
industry practitioners to the One Stop
Career Centers and partnering
organizations to provide STEM
disciplinary and topical seminars;
• STEM asset analysis and mapping;
• Documentation and dissemination
of STEM resources, knowledge, and
lessons learned through the grant;
• Limited STEM incumbent worker
training that directly contributes to
career progression in a STEM career;
• Limited STEM course and
curriculum development, revision, and
enhancement to partnering alternative
secondary schools and higher education
institutions;
• Limited enhancement of STEM
equipment available for educational
opportunities for participants to
partnering alternative secondary schools
and higher education institutions; and
• Other activities directly in support
of the development of the skills
necessary for careers in STEM fields.
Please note that the intention of the
STEM Initiative is not to utilize grant
funds to develop curriculum, provide
incumbent worker training, and/or
purchase equipment; therefore, the term
‘‘limited’’ means that no more than 10
percent of grant funds may be used for
such purposes, without further
justification and approval from the
Grant Officer. ETA encourages these
types of activities and will expect that
the applicant will leverage other
resources to enhance the project
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capacity. The scope and size of the
project will vary based on the number
of individuals to be served through the
STEM Centers of Excellence as well as
the availability of other leveraged
resources for participants and
employers.
Proposed projects must clearly outline
how the activities and resources will
result in the achievement of the overall
objectives of the Initiative. At a
minimum, applications must:
• Coordinate and strategically align
regional STEM workforce preparation,
education and training, and
employment activities, strategies, and
resources (new and existing), that will
result in significant and sustainable
impacts;
• Increase accessibility and broaden
participation of STEM education and
training opportunities for disadvantaged
youth and dislocated workers;
• Increase numbers of workers placed
in STEM employment;
• Increase access for STEM employers
to job candidates with sought after skills
and background;
• Establish, expand, and enhance
strategic partnerships with the
workforce system and regional STEM
employers, the continuum of education
including the K–12 system, adult
education, higher education institutions
including community colleges and
multiple educational pathway programs,
faith and community-based
organizations, industrial and national
laboratories, and STEM professional
associations to build the region’s STEM
expertise, financial, and operational
capacities;
• Increase retention of STEM
students/participants and employees
through STEM Mentors;
• Test and model the concepts of
Career Blueprints, STEM Coaches,
STEM Mentors, and STEM Centers of
Excellence; and
• Disseminate results of the STEM
workforce system model.
II. Award Information
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A. Award Amount
ETA intends to fund approximately
5–7 grants ranging from $1.5 million to
$2 million through this competition.
However, this does not preclude ETA
from funding grants at either a lower or
higher amount, or funding a smaller or
larger number of projects, based on the
type and the number of quality
submissions. Applicants are encouraged
to submit budgets for quality projects at
whatever funding level is appropriate to
their project. Nevertheless, applicants
should recognize that the funds
available through this solicitation are
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designed to complement additional
leveraged resources rather than be the
sole source of funds for the proposal.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance will
be up to 36 months from the date of
execution of the grant documents. This
performance period shall include all
necessary implementation and start-up
activities, participant follow-up for
performance outcomes, and grant closeout activities. A timeline clearly
detailing the required grant activities
and their expected completion dates
must be included in the Phase II
proposal grant application. ETA may
elect to exercise its option to award nocost extensions to grants for an
additional period, based on the success
of the program and other relevant
factors, if the grantee applies for, and
provides a significant justification for,
such an extension.
III. Eligibility Information and Other
Grant Specifications
A. Eligible Applicants
An individual workforce investment
board (WIB), representing a regional
consortium of WIBs, is the eligible
applicant. A WIB must submit an
application on behalf of a specific,
defined multi-county economic region
comprised of various workforce
investment areas that make up the
consortium and demonstrate
responsibility for administering the
project. The application must
demonstrate that the consortium of
WIBs representing the region serve in
partnership with this applicant, and
should do so by submitting a letter of
commitment in Phase I from each of the
WIBs in the partnership. If the defined
region is a rural area or a portion of a
state whereby only one WIB exists, this
exception must be explained in the
Technical Proposal in Phase I. The grant
application form (SF 424) should
contain the information of the WIB that
is serving as the grant recipient and
must be signed by a duly authorized
official.
Joint applications for regions that
cross state lines will be accepted.
Applications for multi-state regions
must be from an individual WIB that
will have responsibility for
administering the project. The
application must also demonstrate that
the consortium of WIBs representing the
multi-state region serve in partnership
with this applicant, and should do so by
submitting a letter of commitment in
Phase I from each of the WIBs in the
partnership.
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Regional economies are typically
defined as geographically contiguous
areas. However, a proposal that
persuasively makes an innovative case
for a non-contiguous regional economy
will be considered.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing, matching, or cost
participation is not required for
eligibility; however, applicants are
strongly encouraged to leverage
resources from key entities in the
strategic partnership in order to
maximize the impact of the project in
the region. Applicants should describe
what resources, new and existing, may
support the goals of the project and how
they support STEM workers and
employers. While the failure to offer
leveraged resources as a part of an
application will not preclude
consideration of the application, it will
place the applicant at a competitive
disadvantage since one of the evaluation
criteria in Phase II evaluates the quality
of the leveraged resources. The
identification of existing or planned
STEM initiatives within the region that
can be aligned and integrated with the
applicant’s proposed activities are also
considered to be leveraged resources.
C. Other Grant Specifications
1. Required Partnerships. To be
considered for funding, the applicant
must demonstrate that the project will
be implemented by a strategic
partnership that includes at a minimum:
(1) The publicly funded workforce
investment system, which will be
represented by a regional consortium of
WIBs; (2) the continuum of education,
which may include high schools and/or
multiple educational pathway programs
(alternative education), community
colleges and universities; and (3) STEM
employers and industry-related
organizations such as associations.
ETA also encourages a broader
partnership that may include major
national laboratories and centers,
private foundations, organizations that
receive Federal STEM funding, and
professional organizations that may
align relevant financial and operational
resources to support the goals of the
Initiative. In addition, partnerships with
faith-based and community
organizations that provide recruitment
and retention support to entry-level
workers are also encouraged.
2. Regional STEM Analysis and Asset
Mapping for Phase II Competition. In
Phase II of the competition, applicants
that show evidence of a regional STEM
analysis, asset mapping, or inventory of
STEM-related activities that support the
goals of this Initiative will receive five
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bonus points. Applicants that do not
show sufficient evidence will receive
zero bonus points. Partial bonus points
will not be awarded. To receive the
bonus points, applicants need to
document their analysis or inventory,
which may include WIA funding,
leveraged use of any of the multiple
Federal agencies’ STEM-related
activities that are being implemented at
the local and regional levels, statebased, foundation, and/or association
initiatives. In addition, applicants must
clearly describe the linkages of how
these activities are going to expand,
enhance, and/or be integrated into the
proposed grant activities.
Please note that these bonus points
will not be available in Phase I of the
competition although articulating a
clear understanding of the context of
STEM in the applicant’s regional
economy will be a part of the evaluation
criteria in both phases of the
competition.
3. Veterans Priority. The Jobs for
Veterans Act (Pub. L. 107–288) provides
priority of service to veterans and
spouses of certain veterans for the
receipt of employment, training, and
placement services in any job training
program directly funded, in whole or in
part, by the Department of Labor. In
circumstances where a STEM Initiative
grant recipient must choose between
two equally qualified candidates for
training, one of whom is a veteran, the
Jobs for Veterans Act requires that
STEM Initiative grant recipients give the
veteran priority of service by admitting
him or her into the program. Please note
that, to obtain priority of service, a
veteran must meet the program’s
eligibility requirements. ETA Training
and Employment Guidance Letter
(TEGL) No. 5–03 (September 16, 2003),
provides general guidance on the scope
of the Job for Veterans Act and its effect
on current employment and training
programs. TEGL No. 5–03, along with
additional guidance, is available at the
‘‘Jobs for Veterans Priority of Service’’
Web site: https://www.doleta.gov/
programs/vets.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
A. Address To Request Application
Package
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This solicitation contains all of the
information and Web links to forms
needed to apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application
Submission
The competition will be implemented
in two phases; a preliminary phase
(Phase I) and the full proposal phase
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(Phase II). The proposal must consist of
two (2) separate and distinct parts, Parts
I and II, for both phases of the
competition. Applications that fail to
adhere to the instructions in this section
will be considered non-responsive and
may not be given further consideration.
Applicants who wish to apply do not
need to submit a Letter of Intent. The
completed application package is all
that is required.
1. Phase I—Preliminary Proposal. In
Phase I of the competition, Part I of the
proposal is the Cost Proposal and must
include the following three items:
• The Standard Form (SF) 424,
‘‘Application for Federal Assistance’’
(available at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
forms.cfm). The SF 424 must clearly
identify the applicant and be signed by
an individual with authority to enter
into a grant agreement. Upon
confirmation of an award, the
individual signing the SF 424 on behalf
of the applicant will be considered the
Authorized Representative of the
applicant.
• All applicants for Federal grant and
funding opportunities are required to
have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number provided by
Dun and Bradstreet. See Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Notice
of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402
(June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply
their DUNS number on the SF 424. The
DUNS number is a nine-digit
identification number that uniquely
identifies business entities. Obtaining a
DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number,
access this Web site, https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com, or call 1–
866–705–5711.
• The SF 424A Budget Information
Form (available at https://
www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm. In
preparing the Budget Information Form,
the applicant must provide a brief
narrative explanation to support the
request. The budget narrative should be
no more than 2 pages and should
include: (1) The total amount leveraged
from Federal sources; (2) the total
amount leveraged from non-Federal
sources; (3) the partners contributing the
resources; and (4) the projected
activities to be implemented utilizing
these resources.
Please note that applicants that fail to
provide a SF 424, SF 424A, and a
budget narrative will be removed from
consideration prior to the technical
review process. If the proposal calls for
integrating WIA or other Federal funds
or includes other leveraged resources,
these funds should not be listed on the
SF 424 or SF 424A Budget Information
Form, but should be described in the
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budget narrative. The amount of Federal
funding requested for the entire period
of performance (up to 36 months)
should be shown together on the SF 424
and SF 424A Budget Information Form.
Applicants are also encouraged, but not
required, to submit OMB Survey N.
1890–0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal
Opportunity for Applicants, which can
be found at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
forms.cfm.
Part II of the application is the
Technical Proposal, which demonstrates
the applicant’s capabilities to plan and
implement the activities of the STEM
Initiative in accordance with the
provisions of this solicitation.
For Phase I of the competition, the
Technical Proposal will be limited to six
(6) double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 inch
× 11 inch pages with 12 point text font
and one-inch margins, which includes a
project summary and description.
Applicants should number the Phase I
Proposal beginning with page number
one. Any pages over the 6-page limit
will not be reviewed. Except for the
discussion of any leveraged resources to
address the evaluation criteria, no cost
data or reference to prices should be
included in the Phase I Proposal. This
six-page Phase I Technical Proposal
should consist of the following:
• Project Summary (1 page). The
Summary is a critical proposal element
that must make the essence of the
project clear to the reviewer. It must
succinctly identify: (1) Applicant name;
(2) key strategies and project design
including a description of the alignment
of resources and activities and strategic
impact (3) strategic partnerships, and (4)
requested funding level. This is limited
to one page.
• Project Description (5 pages). The
narrative provides an overview of the
Project Description and is limited in
length to five pages. The Project
Description should explain the
proposed general project activities and
strategic partnerships and should
include the identification of the region,
the specific need for the Federal
investment such as the STEM
employers’ roles in and impact on the
regional economy, roles of each partner,
project design and activities including
the STEM Centers for Excellence
capacity building activities, STEM fields
targeted, education and training
activities, and project outcomes and
impact. The evaluation criteria are
described in further detail in section
V(A).
2. Phase II—Full Proposal. In Phase II
of the competition, Part I of the proposal
is the Cost Proposal and must include
the following three items:
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• The Standard Form (SF) 424,
‘‘Application for Federal Assistance’’
(available at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
forms.cfm). The SF 424 must clearly
identify the applicant and be signed by
an individual with authority to enter
into a grant agreement. Upon
confirmation of an award, the
individual signing the SF 424 on behalf
of the applicant will be considered the
Authorized Representative of the
applicant.
• All applicants for Federal grant and
funding opportunities are required to
have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number provided by
Dun and Bradstreet. See Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Notice
of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402
(June 27, 2003). Applicants must supply
their DUNS number on the SF 424. The
DUNS number is a nine-digit
identification number that uniquely
identifies business entities. Obtaining a
DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number,
access this Web site, https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com, or call 1–
866–705–5711.
• The SF 424A Budget Information
Form (available at https://
www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm. In
preparing the Budget Information Form,
the applicant must provide a concise
narrative explanation to support the
request. The budget narrative should
include: (1) The total amount leveraged
from Federal sources; (2) the total
amount leveraged from non-Federal
sources; (3) the partners contributing the
resources; (4) the projected activities,
broken out by the source of the
leveraged resource (Federal or nonFederal) to be implemented utilizing
these resources; (5) the amount of grant
funds to be spent on direct training, and
(6) cost per participant.
Please note that applicants that fail to
provide a SF 424, SF 424A, and a
budget narrative will be removed from
consideration prior to the technical
review process. If the proposal calls for
integrating WIA or other Federal funds
or includes other leveraged resources,
these funds should not be listed on the
SF 424 or SF 424A Budget Information
Form, but should be described in the
budget narrative and in Part II of the
proposal. The amount of Federal
funding requested for the entire period
of performance (up to 36 months)
should be shown together on the SF 424
and SF 424A Budget Information Form.
Applicants are also encouraged, but not
required, to submit OMB Survey N.
1890–0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal
Opportunity for Applicants, which can
be found at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
forms.cfm.
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Part II of the Phase II application is
the full Technical Proposal that is
limited to twenty (20) double-spaced,
single-sided, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages
with 12 point text font and one-inch
margins. Applicants should number the
Phase II Proposal beginning with page
number one. Any pages over the 20-page
limit will not be reviewed. In addition,
in attachments, which may not exceed
ten (10) pages, the applicant may
provide resumes, a list of staff positions
to be funded by the grant, statistical
information, general letters of support,
and other related material. Please note
that applicants should not send letters
of commitment or support separately to
ETA because letters are tracked through
a different system and will not be
attached to the application for review.
Additionally, the applicant must
reference grant partners by
organizational name in the text of the
Phase II Proposal. Except for the
discussion of any leveraged resources to
address the evaluation criteria, no cost
data or reference to prices should be
included in the Phase II Proposal. In
addition, the following information is
required:
• A table of contents listing the
application sections;
• A one to two-page timeline
outlining project activities and an
anticipated schedule for deliverables;
• A one to two-page abstract
summarizing the proposed project and
applicant profile information including:
applicant name, project title, industry
focus, partnership members, proposed
education and training and STEM
Centers of Excellence capacity building
activities, funding level requested, the
amount of leveraged resources, the
target group(s), and a project description
as described in the evaluation criteria in
Section V(A) of this solicitation. The
abstract should also clearly note how
the consortium of WIBs and the region
will be defined in the application and
the points of access of delivery, i.e., the
STEM Centers of Excellence, virtual or
site-based for the region.
• A one to three-page summary of
outcomes listing all projected STEM
training, employment, and capacity
building outcomes that includes the
following:
• Training Outcomes. List the
projected numbers for all training
activities, including but not limited to:
total enrollment in training program;
increase in enrollment attributed to
grant (number of additional students);
the number of individuals trained in
STEM occupations using grant dollars;
the number of individuals trained as a
result of leveraging of resources (e.g.
training is paid through sources other
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than the grant or tuition, including
Workforce Investment Act training
resources such as customized training,
ITAs, or pilot CAAs); entered
employment; employment retention;
average earnings; entered employment
in industry related to training; number
receiving promotions and/or wage gains;
number participating in STEM workbased learning opportunities; number
receiving credentials; and for youth,
literacy and/or numeracy gains.
• Capacity Building Outcomes. For
STEM Centers of Excellence, include:
all products to be developed during the
grant period; a list of capacity building
products (including, but not limited to,
curriculum and course materials,
competency models and career ladders,
career guidance and outreach materials,
Career Blueprints, assessment, reports
and databases, and program
management and implementation tools
to enhance infrastructure); the projected
date the product will be completed; and
the estimated number of individuals
impacted or affected during the grant
period.
• Impact Outcomes. Include
information on how the project will:
broaden participation of disadvantaged
youth and dislocated workers in STEM
fields; institutionalize new and different
partnerships and resources developed
under the grant; increase articulation
agreements between multiple
educational pathway programs (i.e.
Alternative Education) and two-year
colleges, or provide pathways from twoyear colleges to four-year colleges or
university programs; increase
participation of STEM employers with
the workforce system to address current
and future needs in the region; improve
alignment and coordination of regional
STEM workforce preparation,
education, and training activities; and
advance workforce system knowledge of
and activities in STEM education and
training.
Please note that the abstract, summary
of outcomes, table of contents, and
timeline are not included in the Phase
II Proposal page limitation, but have
their own page limitations, listed above.
Applications that do not provide Part II
of the Phase II application may be
removed from consideration prior to the
technical review process.
Applications may be submitted
electronically on www.grants.gov or in
hardcopy via U.S. mail, professional
overnight delivery service, or hand
delivery. These processes are described
in further detail in Part IV(C).
Applicants submitting proposals in
hardcopy must submit an original
signed application (including the SF
424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version,
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free of bindings, staples, or protruding
tabs to ease in the reproduction of the
proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting
proposals in hardcopy are also
requested, though not required, to
provide an electronic copy of the
proposal on CD–ROM.
C. Submission Date, Times, and
Addresses
The closing date for receipt of Phase
I applications under this solicitation is
March 11, 2008. Applicants receiving
notice of recommendation to participate
in Phase II of the competition will also
receive information on the closing date
for receipt of Phase II applications. For
both phases of the competition,
applications must be received at the
address below or successfully submitted
through grants.gov no later than 4 p.m.
(Eastern Time). Applications sent by email, telegram, or facsimile (fax) will
not be accepted. Applications that do
not meet the conditions set forth in this
notice will not be honored. No
exceptions to the mailing and delivery
requirements set forth in this notice will
be granted.
ETA will host a Virtual Prospective
Applicant Conference for this grant
competition on January 25, 2008 at 2
p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Registration for
the Prospective Applicant Conference
will be available at: https://
www.workforce3one.org/public/
webinars/details.cfm?id=266.
Mailed applications must be
addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Marsha Daniels,
Reference SGA/DFA PY 07–03, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N–
4716, Washington, DC 20210.
Applicants are advised that mail
delivery in the Washington area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination
procedures. Hand delivered proposals
will be received at the above address.
Applicants may apply online through
Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov). Any
application received after the deadline
will not be accepted. It is strongly
recommended that before the applicant
begins to write the proposal, applicants
immediately review the grants.gov
website to include all frequently asked
questions, and initiate and complete the
‘‘Get Started’’ steps to register at
https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
These steps may take several days to
complete and should be factored into
the plans for electronic application
submission in order to avoid facing
unexpected delays that could result in
the rejection of the application. To
ensure that the application is submitted
on time, it is recommended that it is
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submitted multiple days before the due
date in order to address any technical
difficulties that may be encountered. It
is the sole responsibility of the
applicant to ensure timely submission.
If submitted electronically through
https://www.grants.gov, applicants must
save the application file as a .doc, .xls
or .pdf file.
Late Applications. Any application
received after the exact date and time
specified for receipt at the office
designated in this notice will not be
considered, unless it is received before
awards are made, was properly
addressed, and: (a) Was sent by U.S.
Postal Service registered or certified
mail not later than the fifth calendar day
before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g., an application
required to be received by the 20th of
the month must be post marked by the
15th of that month) or (b) was sent by
professional overnight delivery service
or submitted on Grants.gov to the
addressee not later than one working
day prior to the date specified for
receipt of applications. It is highly
recommended that online submissions
be completed one working day prior to
the date specified for receipt of
applications to ensure that the applicant
still has the option to submit by
professional overnight delivery service
in the event of any electronic
submission problems. ‘‘Post marked’’
means a printed, stamped, or otherwise
placed impression (exclusive of a
postage meter machine impression) that
is readily identifiable, without further
action, as having been supplied or
affixed on the date of mailing by an
employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
Therefore, applicants should request the
postal clerk to place a legible hand
cancellation ‘‘bull’s eye’’ postmark on
both the receipt and the package.
Failure to adhere to the above
instructions will be a basis for a
determination of nonresponsiveness.
Evidence of timely submission by a
professional overnight delivery service
must be demonstrated by equally
reliable evidence created by the delivery
service provider indicating the time and
place of receipt.
D. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not
subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
E. Funding Restrictions
Determinations of allowable costs will
be made in accordance with the
applicable Federal cost principles.
Disallowed costs are those charges to a
grant that the grantor agency or its
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representative determines not to be
allowed in accordance with the
applicable Federal Cost Principles or
other conditions contained in the grant.
Successful or unsuccessful applicants
will not be entitled to reimbursement of
pre-award costs.
Limitations on Cost Per Participant.
Because the costs of training may vary
considerably depending on the skills
and competencies required in different
occupations in different industries,
flexibility will be provided on cost perparticipant. However, applications for
funding will be reviewed to determine
if the cost of the training is appropriate
and will produce the outcomes
identified. Applicants should
demonstrate that the proposed cost per
participant is aligned with existing price
structures for similar training in the
local area or other areas with similar
characteristics. When calculating cost
per participant, applicants must
distinguish between non-training and
training costs utilizing grant funds.
Indirect Costs. As specified in OMB
Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs
are those that have been incurred for
common or joint objectives and cannot
be readily identified with a particular
cost objective. In order to utilize grant
funds for indirect costs incurred, the
applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost
Rate Agreement with its Federal
Cognizant Agency either before or
shortly after the grant award.
Administrative Costs. Under the
STEM Initiative, an entity that receives
a grant to carry out a project or program
may not use more than 10 percent of the
amount of the grant to pay
administrative costs associated with the
program or project. Administrative costs
could be both direct and indirect costs
and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220.
Administrative costs do not need to be
identified separately from program costs
on the SF 424A Budget Information
Form. They should be discussed in the
budget narrative and tracked through
the grantee’s accounting system. To
claim any administrative costs that are
also indirect costs, the applicant must
obtain an indirect cost rate agreement
from its Federal cognizant agency as
specified above.
Use of Funds for Supportive Services.
Use of grant funds for supportive
services, such as transportation and
childcare, is not an allowable cost under
this Solicitation for Grant Applications,
including funds provided through
stipends for such purposes.
Salary and Bonus Limitations. In
compliance with Public Law 109–234
and Public Law 110–5, none of the
funds appropriated in Public Law 109–
149, Public Law 110–5, or prior Acts
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under the heading ‘‘Employment and
Training’’ that are available for
expenditure on or after June 15, 2006,
shall be used by a recipient or subrecipient of such funds to pay the salary
and bonuses of an individual, either as
direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in
excess of Executive Level II, except as
provided for under section 101 of Public
Law 109–149. This limitation shall not
apply to vendors providing goods and
services as defined in OMB Circular A–
133. See Training and Employment
Guidance Letter number 5–06 for further
clarification: https://wdr.doleta.gov/
directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
Legal Rules Pertaining to Inherently
Religious Activities by Organizations
that Receive Federal Financial
Assistance. The government is generally
prohibited from providing direct
financial assistance for inherently
religious activities (please see 29 CFR
part 2, subpart D). These grants may not
be used for religious instruction,
worship, prayer, proselytizing or other
inherently religious activities except as
provided in those regulations. Neutral,
non-religious criteria that neither favors
nor disfavors religion will be employed
in the selection of grant recipients and
must be employed by grantees in the
selection of sub-recipients.
ETA Intellectual Property Rights.
Applicants should note that grantees
must agree to provide USDOL/ETA a
paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable
license to reproduce, publish, or
otherwise use for Federal purposes all
products developed or for which
ownership was purchased under an
award, including but not limited to
curricula, training models, technical
assistance products, and any related
materials, and to authorize them to do
so. Such uses include, but are not
limited to, the right to modify and
distribute such products worldwide by
any means, electronically or otherwise.
F. Withdrawal of Applications
Applications may be withdrawn by
written notice at any time before an
award is made. Applications may be
withdrawn in person by the applicant or
by an authorized representative thereof,
if the representative’s identity is made
known and the representative signs a
receipt for the proposal.
V. Application Review Information
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A. Evaluation Criteria
This section identifies and describes
the criteria that will be used to evaluate
the proposals in Phase I and Phase II of
this competition. Distinct criteria and
point values have been developed for
each phase of the application process.
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knowledge of and activities in STEM
education and training?
• How do the proposed activities
Criterion
Points
increase accessibility and broaden
1. Statement of Need/Context ......
25 STEM education and training
2. Partnerships/Project Design .....
35 opportunities for disadvantaged youth
3. Outcomes and Impact ..............
40 and dislocated workers?
• Do the proposed project activities
Total Points: ..........................
100
result in increased numbers in STEM
employment and increased participation
1. Statement of Need/Context (25
of STEM employers in the region?
points)
PHASE I RATING CRITERIA
Applicants must articulate a clear and
specific need for the Federal
investment, identify the region in which
the grant activities will take place and
demonstrate knowledge of regional
economic, business, education, and
workforce development dynamics that
contribute to talent development
strategies in STEM-related industries in
the region.
2. Partnerships/Project Design (35
points)
The applicant must identify proposed
general project activities and strategic
partnerships (new and existing),
including the targeted STEM fields and
the targeted populations to be served,
and also include a preliminary
description of how all activities,
strategies, and resources will be
coordinated and integrated by the
consortium of WIBs through the STEM
Centers of Excellence. In addition,
proposals will be evaluated on the
following:
• Has the applicant clearly articulated
how the coordinated and strategically
aligned regional STEM workforce
preparation, education and training and
employment activities, strategies and
resources (new and existing) will result
in significant and sustainable impacts
and carry out the purposes of this
solicitation?
• Has the applicant described clearly
how the established, expanded, and
enhanced strategic partnerships will
build the region’s STEM expertise, as
well as the financial and operational
capacities for the proposed project?
• Has the applicant described the
recruitment and outreach efforts for
targeted populations such as
disadvantaged youth and dislocated
workers?
3. Outcomes and Impact (40 points)
Applicants need to demonstrate a
results-oriented approach to the STEM
Initiative project by describing the
proposed outcome measures relevant to
measuring success and the long term
impact of the project. In addition,
proposals will be evaluated on the
following:
• Has the applicant fully articulated
how the proposed activities will result
in the advancement of workforce system
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PHASE II PROPOSAL RATING CRITERIA
Criterion
Points
1. Statement of Need/Context ......
2. Strategic Partnerships ..............
3. Project Design and Implementation .........................................
4. Outcomes and Impact ..............
5. Program Management, Organizational Capacity, and Budget ..
6. Bonus: Regional STEM Analysis and Asset Mapping ............
10
20
Total Points Possible .....
105
25
30
15
5
1. Statement of Need/Context (10
points)
Under this criterion, applicants must
fully articulate a clear and specific need
for the federal investment and identify
the region in which grant activities will
take place. As part of the statement of
need, applicants must demonstrate
knowledge of regional economic,
business, education, and workforce
development dynamics that contribute
to talent development strategies in
STEM-related industries. In addition,
applicants must:
• Describe the role of STEM
employers in the local and regional
economy and the impact of these
employers on the regional economy;
• Demonstrate strong STEM
employment opportunities in the local
or regional labor market and the skills
and competencies needed for these jobs;
• Identify STEM-related industries
that are growing and expanding in the
local and regional economy; and
• Describe efforts undertaken to date
to coordinate and align resources for
STEM activities and demonstrate why
resources are needed to continue or
begin those efforts.
2. Strategic Partnerships (20 points)
The applicant must demonstrate that
the strategic partnership is a strong team
of, at a minimum, the workforce system,
the continuum of education, and STEM
business and industry. Applicants must:
• Identify all partners and explain the
meaningful and committed role that
each partner will play in the project;
• Describe how new and existing
partnerships will be engaged to
coordinate STEM activities in the One
Stop Career Centers;
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• Elaborate on how leveraged
resources and partnerships will achieve
more significant impacts;
• Demonstrate existing coordination
of partnerships or capacity to quickly
establish these links;
• Demonstrate how established,
expanded, or enhanced strategic
partnerships with the workforce system
and regional STEM employers, higher
education institutions including
community colleges, multiple
educational pathway programs, faith
and community-based organizations,
industrial and national laboratories, and
STEM professional associations build
the region’s STEM expertise, financial,
and operational capacities; and
• Describe new or established
articulation agreements between
multiple educational pathway programs
(i.e. Alternative Education) and twoyear colleges, or providing pathways
from two-year colleges to four-year
colleges or university programs to
enhance and expand the project.
Points for this criterion will be
awarded based on several factors:
• The completeness of the
partnership, based on project design (5
points);
• The degree of meaningful
engagement of partners in project
activities (5 points);
• The extent to which the applicant
integrates partners’ strengths and assets
into project design and implementation
(5 points); and
• The extent to which strategic
partnerships expand the region’s STEMrelated capacities (5 points).
3. Project Design and Implementation
(25 points)
The applicant must fully describe
how the proposed project would be
operationalized and how all activities,
strategies, and resources will be
coordinated by the consortium of WIBs
through the STEM Centers of Excellence
to support the STEM careers of
participants while assisting STEM
employers in remaining competitive in
the regional economy. Elements in this
section should address:
• The primary grant activities and
how they will be designed and
implemented in the STEM Centers of
Excellence in order to achieve the
initiative’s key features, goals and
objectives;
• Timeline for the proposed activities
with measurable milestones;
• Capacity of One Stop Career Centers
and WIB consortium to provide services
and align resources;
• STEM fields targeted for project;
• Number of individuals and
employers served and type of activities;
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• Number of new partnerships
created or existing partnerships
expanded;
• The proposed innovative training
and education activities and strategies
targeting skills demanded by regional
STEM employers;
• Development and implementation
of a Career Blueprint and how it will
support participants’ long-term STEM
career growth along a defined career
pathway;
• Strategies for effective recruitment,
mentoring, retention, and educational
and training completion of participants,
particularly the recruitment of
disadvantaged youth and dislocated
workers, including the role and
responsibilities of STEM Coaches and
Mentors;
• How the program will effectively
identify and recruit STEM Mentors;
• How the project will identify and
address the knowledge, skills, and
competencies needed by the STEM
workforce for the evolving, converging,
and emerging industries;
• How this project will complement,
enhance, or link to existing STEM
efforts in the region;
• The integration of the proposed
activities of the grant into broader
regional economic development
strategies; and
• Sustainability strategies and
methods after DOL funding ends.
Points for this criterion will be
awarded based on several factors:
• The completeness of the project
description, and evidence that proposed
activities will achieve the objectives of
this solicitation, as described in Part
I(C), including clear strategies for
implementation and operalization (10
points);
• Evidence that the proposed
activities test and model the concepts of
Career Blueprint, STEM Coach, STEM
Mentors, and STEM Centers of
Excellence (5 points);
• Demonstrated capacity of One Stop
Career Centers and WIB consortium to
provide services and align resources (5
points);
• Evidence that the proposed
activities clearly link to STEM efforts in
the region (2 points); and
• The existence of a clear
sustainability plan that will continue to
support activities of the STEM Centers
of Excellence beyond DOL funding (3
points).
4. Outcomes and Impact (30 points)
Applicants need to demonstrate a
results-oriented approach to managing
and operating the STEM Initiative
project by fully describing the proposed
outcome measures relevant to
measuring success or impact of the
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2539
project. Scoring on this criterion will be
based on:
• A full and accurate description of
project outcomes that includes baseline
numbers for tracking progress,
benchmarks of outcome goals, and the
method(s) of evaluating impact (10
points). This description must include:
• Training and education outcomes
including the adult common measures:
job placement, retention, and average
earnings;
• Identification of types of credentials
that participants will earn as a result of
the training and/or education;
• Identification of types of STEM
work-based learning opportunities for
participants;
• STEM Centers of Excellence
capacity building outcomes such as
competency models, career guidance
materials, and Career Blueprint
templates;
• The extent to which the project will
broaden participation of disadvantaged
youth and dislocated workers in STEM
careers through new or more effective
approaches, strategies, or models; and
• The increase in new and/or
different partnerships to align STEM
resources and activities.
• The extent to which outcomes are
measurable, realistic, and consistent
with the objectives of the project (10
points);
• Evidence that the proposed
activities will contribute to the
knowledge base on increasing the
diverse and full participation of the
STEM pipeline (5 points); and
• Demonstration of regional impact
with regards to alignment of STEM
resources, expertise, and programs (5
points).
5. Program Management,
Organizational Capacity, and Budget
(15 points)
To satisfy this criterion, applicants
must describe their proposed project
management structure including, where
appropriate, the identification of a
proposed project manager, discussion of
the proposed staffing pattern, and the
qualifications and experience of key
staff members. Applicants should also
show evidence of the use of data
systems to track outcomes in a timely
and accurate manner. The applicant
should include a description of
organizational capacity and the
organization’s track record in projects
similar to that described in the proposal
and/or related activities of the primary
partners.
Scoring under this criterion will be
based on the extent to which applicants
provide evidence of the following:
• The time commitment of the
proposed staff is sufficient to ensure
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proper direction, management, and
timely completion of the project;
• The roles and contribution of staff,
consultants, and collaborative
organizations are clearly defined and
linked to specific objects and tasks;
• The background, experience, and
other qualifications of the staff are
sufficient to carry out their designated
roles;
• The applicant organization has
significant capacity to accomplish the
goals and outcomes of the project,
including the ability to collect and
manage data in a way that allows
consistent, accurate, and expedient
reporting; and
• The budget is sufficient to meet
project goals.
6. Bonus: Regional STEM Analysis
and Asset Mapping (5 bonus points)
Applicants that provide evidence of
regional STEM analysis or inventory
and linkages to the proposed project
will receive five bonus points. Partial
bonus points will not be awarded.
Applicants must fully describe efforts
undertaken to date to coordinate and
align resources for STEM activities and
demonstrate why resources are needed
to continue or begin those efforts. The
applicant must also provide evidence of
any such efforts, including regional
STEM analysis, asset mapping, or
inventory of STEM-related activities
that would support the goals of this
Initiative.
VI. Award Administration Information
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A. Review and Selection Process
Applications for STEM Initiative
grants will be accepted after the
publication of this announcement until
the closing date for the Phase I and
Phase II proposal submissions of the
competition, respectively. In both
phases, a technical review panel will
make a careful evaluation of
applications against the criteria set forth
in section V(A) of this solicitation.
These criteria are based on the policy
goals, priorities, and emphases set forth
in this solicitation. Up to 100 points
may be awarded for a Phase I
application, and up to 105 points may
be awarded for a Phase II application,
based on the required information
described in section V(A) of this
solicitation.
Phase I proposals provide an
opportunity to assess the responsiveness
of the project to the solicitation
guidelines and the potential to compete
successfully in the Phase II proposal
review process. In Phase I, the ranked
scores will serve as the primary basis for
selection of applicants that will be
recommended for participation in the
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Phase II proposal competition, in
conjunction with other factors such as
urban, rural, and geographic balance;
industry balance; and which proposals
are most advantageous to the
Government. All applicants are required
to submit Phase I proposals and after
completion of the Phase I proposal
review, applicants that are selected will
receive a notice of recommendation to
participate in the Phase II proposal
competition as well as written
comments on the Phase I proposal and
other technical assistance. Please note
that the applicant’s notification of
recommendation for submission of a
Phase II proposal does not imply or
confer approval of commitments,
obligations, or awards on behalf of ETA
or authorize the expenditure of funds.
In Phase II of the competition, a
technical review panel will make
careful evaluation of full proposal
applications against the criteria set forth
in section V(A) of this solicitation. The
ranked scores will again serve as the
primary basis for selection of
applications for funding though other
factors (such as urban, rural, and
geographic balance; industry balance;
the availability of funds, and which
proposals are most advantageous to the
Government) will also be considered.
Applicants that only submit full
proposals for Phase I will not be
reviewed.
In both the Phase I and Phase II
proposal reviews, proposals that are
timely and responsive to the
requirements of this solicitation will be
rated against the criteria listed above for
each phase by an independent panel
comprised of representatives from DOL,
other Federal agencies, STEM
professionals and other peers. The panel
results are advisory in nature and not
binding on the Grant Officer in both
phases of the competition, who may
consider any information that comes to
his attention. DOL may elect to award
the grant(s) with or without prior
discussions with the applicants. Should
a grant be awarded without discussions,
the award will be based on the
applicant’s signature on the SF 424,
which constitutes a binding offer.
B. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted
on the ETA Homepage (https://
www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected
for award will be contacted directly
before the grant’s execution. Applicants
not selected for award will be notified
by mail.
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C. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
1. Administrative Program
Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all
applicable Federal laws, regulations,
and the applicable OMB Circulars. The
grant(s) awarded under this solicitation
will be subject to the following
administrative standards and
provisions, if applicable:
a. Workforce Investment Act—20
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part
667. (General Fiscal and Administrative
Rules).
b. Non-Profit Organizations—OMB
Circulars A–122 (Cost Principles) and
29 CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
c. Educational Institutions—OMB
Circulars A–21 (Cost Principles) and 29
CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
d. State and Local Governments—
OMB Circulars A–87 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 97 (Administrative
Requirements).
e. Profit Making Commercial Firms—
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)—
48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29
CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
f. All entities must comply with 29
CFR parts 93 and 98, and, where
applicable, 29 CFR parts 96 and 99.
g. The following administrative
standards and provisions may also be
applicable:
i. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D—Equal
Treatment in Department of Labor
Programs for Religious Organizations,
Protection of Religious Liberty of
Department of Labor Social Service
Providers and Beneficiaries;
ii. 29 CFR part 30—Equal
Employment Opportunity in
Apprenticeship and Training;
iii. 29 CFR part 31—
Nondiscrimination in Federally
Assisted Programs of the Department of
Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964;
iv. 29 CFR part 32—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Handicap in Programs and Activities
Receiving or Benefiting from Federal
Financial Assistance;
v. 29 CFR part 33—Enforcement of
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Handicap in Programs or Activities
Conducted by the Department of Labor;
vi. 29 CFR part 35—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age
in Programs or Activities Receiving
Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor;
vii. 29 CFR part 36—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex
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in Education Programs or Activities
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance;
vii. 29 CFR part 37—Implementation
of the Nondiscrimination and Equal
Opportunity Provisions of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
In accordance with section 18 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104–65) (2 U.S.C. 1611) non-profit
entities incorporated under Internal
Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4)
that engage in lobbying activities are not
eligible to receive Federal funds and
grants.
Note: Except as specifically provided in
this Notice, DOL/ETA’s acceptance of a
proposal and an award of Federal funds to
sponsor any program(s) does not provide a
waiver of any grant requirements and/or
procedures. For example, OMB Circulars
require that an entity’s procurement
procedures must ensure that all procurement
transactions are conducted, as much as
practical, to provide open and free
competition. If a proposal identifies a
specific entity to provide services, the DOL/
ETA’s award does not provide the
justification or basis to sole source the
procurement, i.e., avoid competition, unless
the activity is regarded as the primary work
of an official partner to the application.
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D. Special Program Requirements
Evaluation. DOL may require that the
STEM Initiative grantees participate in
an evaluation of overall performance of
the STEM Initiative. To measure the
impact, ETA may arrange for or conduct
an independent evaluation of the
outcomes and benefits of the projects.
Grantees must agree to make records on
participants, employers and funding
available, and to provide access to
program operating personnel and
participants, as specified by the
evaluator(s) under the direction of ETA,
including after the expiration date of the
grant.
E. Reporting
The grantee is required to provide the
reports and documents listed below:
Quarterly Financial Reports. A
Quarterly Financial Status Report is
required until such time as all funds
have been expended or the grant period
has expired. Quarterly reports are due
45 days after the end of each calendar
year quarter. Grantees must use ETA’s
On-Line Electronic Reporting System.
Quarterly Progress Reports. The
grantee must submit a quarterly progress
report to the designated Federal Project
Officer within 45 days after the end of
each calendar year quarter. Two copies
are to be submitted providing a detailed
account of activities undertaken during
that quarter. DOL may require
additional data elements to be collected
and reported on either a regular basis or
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special request basis. Grantees must
agree to meet DOL reporting
requirements. The quarterly progress
report should be in narrative form and
should include:
• General Grant Information,
including a summary of grant activities
and a status update on leveraged
resources and strategic partner
activities;
• A Grant Timeline that includes the
progress of grant activities, the key
deliverables for each quarter, and the
products available each quarter;
• Grant Outcomes will include but
are not limited to: Enrollment, number
completed training, number of
certificates awarded, ETA’s Common
Measures, including entered
employment, employment retention,
and average earnings; number entered
into employment related to training; and
number receiving wage gains and
promotions;
• Highlights of Promising Approaches
and Success Stories; and
• Description of Technical Assistance
Needs.
Final Report. A draft final report must
be submitted no later than 60 days prior
to the expiration date of the grant. This
report must summarize project
activities, employment outcomes, and
related results of the education and
training of the STEM Initiative, and
should thoroughly document capacity
building and training approaches. The
final report should also include copies
of all deliverables, e.g. competency
models, Career Blueprints, and career
guidance materials. After responding to
DOL questions and comments on the
draft report, three copies of the final
report must be submitted no later than
the grant expiration date.
VII. Agency Contacts
For further information regarding this
solicitation, please contact Marsha
Daniels, Grants Management Specialist,
Division of Federal Assistance, at (202)
693–3504 (Please note this is not a tollfree number). Applicants should fax all
technical questions to (202) 693–2879
and must specifically address the fax to
the attention of Marsha Daniels and
should include SGA/DFA PY 07–03, a
contact name, fax and phone number,
and email address. This announcement
is being made available on the ETA Web
site at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
sga.cfm, at https://www.grants.gov, as
well as the Federal Register.
VIII. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No.
1205–0458. Expires September 30, 2009.
According to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
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required to respond to a collection of
information unless such collection
displays a valid OMB control number.
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
average 20 hours per response,
including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding the burden
estimated or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to
the U.S. Department of Labor, the OMB
Desk Officer for ETA, Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
Washington, DC 20503. PLEASE DO
NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED
APPLICATION TO THE OMB. SEND IT
TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS
SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.
This information is being collected for
the purpose of awarding a grant. The
information collected through this
‘‘Solicitation for Grant Applications’’
will be used by the Department of Labor
to ensure that grants are awarded to the
applicant best suited to perform the
functions of the grant. Submission of
this information is required in order for
the applicant to be considered for award
of this grant. Unless otherwise
specifically noted in this
announcement, information submitted
in the respondent’s application is not
considered to be confidential.
Resources for the Applicant
DOL maintains a number of webbased resources that may be of
assistance to applicants.
• The Web site for the Employment
and Training Administration (https://
www.doleta.gov), including information
on Workforce Innovation in Regional
Economic Development (WIRED) at
www.doleta.gov/wired.
• ‘‘The STEM Workforce Challenge:
The Role of the Public Workforce
System in a National Solution for a
Competitive Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Workforce,’’ paper, Department of
Labor, April 2007, available at https://
www.doleta.gov/youth_services/.
• The Workforce 3 One Web site
(https://www.workforce3one.org), is a
valuable resource for information about
demand-driven projects of the
workforce investment system,
educators, employers, and economic
development representatives
• America’s Service Locator (https://
www.servicelocator.org) provides a
directory of the nation’s One-Stop
Career Centers.
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
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2542
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 10 / Tuesday, January 15, 2008 / Notices
• Career Voyages (https://
www.careervoyages.gov), a Web site
targeted at youth, parents, counselors,
and career changers that provides
information about career opportunities
in high-growth/high-demand industries.
• For more information on the work
that ETA has undertaken on multiple
education pathways, please go to: https://
www.doleta.gov/youth%5Fservices/
Alternative.cfm.
• Applicants are encouraged to
review ‘‘Help With Solicitation for
Grant Applications’’ (https://
www.dol.gov/cfbci/sgabrochure.htm).
• For a basic understanding of the
grants process and basic responsibilities
of receiving Federal grant support,
please see ‘‘Guidance for Faith-Based
and Community Organizations on
Partnering with the Federal
Government’’ (https://
www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/
guidance/).
Additional resources that may be
beneficial for applicants are listed
below:
• The U.S. Department of Education’s
Office of Vocational and Adult
Education maintains a list of high
school reform models that work,
available here: https://www.ed.gov/
about/offices/list/ovae/pi/hs/
reform.html.
• ‘‘Building a Portfolio of High
Schools: A Strategic Investment
Toolkit,’’ paper, Jobs for the Future,
February 2006, available at https://
www.jff.org/Documents/
StrategicToolkit.pdf.
• ‘‘Strengthening Transitions by
Encouraging Career Pathways: A Look at
State Policies and Practices,’’ paper,
Community College Research Center,
January 2006, available at https://
ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
Publication.asp?UID=380.
• ‘‘Career Pathways: Aligning Public
Resources to Support Individual and
Regional Economic Advancement in the
Knowledge Economy,’’ paper,
Workforce Strategy Center, August 2006,
available at https://
www.workforcestrategy.org/
publications/
WSC_pathways8.17.06.pdf.
• ‘‘What Your Community Can Do to
End Its Drop-Out Crisis: Learnings from
Research and Practice,’’ paper, Center
for Social Organization of Schools,
Johns Hopkins University, May 2007,
available at https://web.jhu.edu/CSOS/
images/Final_dropout_Balfanz.pdf.
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17:48 Jan 14, 2008
Jkt 214001
Industry Sectors:
• Offices of Physicians.
• Offices of Dentists.
• Offices of Other Health
Practitioners.
• Medical and Diagnostic
Laboratories.
• Nursing and Residential Care
Facilities.
• Home Health Care Services.
Information Technology
Energy
• Computer Systems Design and
Related Services.
• Software Development/Software
Publishers.
• Data Processing Services.
• Information Services.
Telecommunications.
Scientific Research and Development
Services (including biotechnology).
Scientific and Technical Consulting
(including biotechnology).
Architecture, Engineering, Surveying.
Specialized Design Services.
Construction/Skilled Trades.
• Electric Power Generation,
Transmission, and Distribution.
• Oil & Gas Extraction, Refining, and
Production.
• Mining and Support Activities for
Mining.
• Pipeline Transportation.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 3rd day of
January, 2008.
Eric D. Luetkenhaus,
Employment and Training Administration,
Grant Officer.
Attachment: H–1B Industry Sectors and
Occupations
Finance, Insurance and Real Estate and
Administrative Support Services
• Accounting, Tax Preparation,
Bookkeeping & Payroll Services.
• Financial Investment.
• Securities & Commodity Brokerage/
Contracts.
• Business Support Services.
• Insurance Carriers, Agencies,
Brokerages, and Insurance and
Employee Benefit Funds.
• Credit Intermediation.
Advanced Manufacturing
• Semiconductor and Other
Electronic Component Manufacturing.
• Computer, Electronic Product, and
Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing.
• Pharmaceutical and Medicine
Manufacturing.
• Communications Equipment
Manufacturing.
• Navigational, Measuring,
Electromedical, and Control Instruments
Manufacturing.
• Industrial Machinery
Manufacturing.
• Aerospace Manufacturing.
• Chemical and Petrochemical
Manufacturing.
• Motor Vehicle and Parts
Manufacturing.
• Medical Equipment and Supplies
Manufacturing.
• Metalworking Manufacturing.
• Food Manufacturing.
• Other Miscellaneous
Manufacturing.
Automotive Repair/Maintenance
Health Care
Frm 00102
•
•
•
•
Air Transportation.
Freight and Truck Transportation.
Water Transportation.
Transportation Support.
Cross-Cutting Occupations
Computer Related Occupations
• Systems Analysis and
Programming.
• Data Communications and
Networks.
• Computer Systems Technical
Support.
• Computer Systems User Support.
Engineering and Related Technical
Occupations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aeronautical.
Electrical.
Civil.
Ceramic.
Mechanical.
Chemical.
Mining and Petroleum.
Metallurgy and Metallurgical.
Industrial.
Agricultural.
Marine.
Nuclear.
Drafters.
Surveying/Cartographic.
Architectural.
Occupations in Mathematics and
Physical Sciences
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mathematics.
Astronomy.
Chemistry.
Physics.
Geology.
Meteorology.
Occupations in Life Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences.
• Biological Sciences.
Occupations in Medicine and Health
• General Medical and Surgical
Hospitals and Other Hospitals.
PO 00000
Transportation
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Physicians/Surgeons.
• Osteopaths.
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dentists.
Veterinarians.
Pharmacists.
Registered Nurses.
Therapists.
Dieticians.
Medical and Dental Technology.
Other Health Care Practitioners.
Occupations in Financial and
Administrative Fields
• Accountants/Auditors.
• Bookkeepers/Payroll Services.
• Budget and Management Systems
Analysis.
• Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate
Management.
• Purchasing Managers.
• Agents/Appraisers.
Technology Related Occupations
• Process Technicians.
• Mechanics/Mechanical Engineering
Technicians.
[FR Doc. E8–473 Filed 1–14–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
[TA–W–62,396]
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Atreum-Brighton, A Subsidiary of
Magna International Decoma
International Division Including OnSite Leased Workers From Qualified
Staffing, Aerotek and On-Site Workers
From Hubbard Supply Company
Brighton, MI; Amended Certification
Regarding Eligibility To Apply for
Worker Adjustment Assistance and
Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance
In accordance with Section 223 of the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2273), and
Section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974 (26
U.S.C. 2813), as amended, the
Department of Labor issued a
Certification of Eligibility to Apply for
Worker Adjustment Assistance and
Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance on November 14, 2007,
applicable to workers of AtreumBrighton, a subsidiary of Magna
International, Decoma International
Division, including on-site leased
workers from Qualified Staffing and
Aerotek, Brighton, Michigan. The notice
was published in the Federal Register
on December 10, 2007 (72 FR 69710).
At the request of a petitioner, the
Department reviewed the certification
for workers of the subject firm. The
workers are engaged in the production
of door panels and various other
injection molded parts for the
automobile industry.
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17:48 Jan 14, 2008
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New information shows that workers
of Hubbard Supply Company were
employed on-site at the Brighton,
Michigan location of Atreum-Brighton, a
subsidiary of Magna International,
Decoma International Division. The
Department has determined that these
workers were sufficiently under the
control of the subject firm and should be
considered part of the affected worker
group.
Based on these findings, the
Department is amending this
certification to include workers of
Hubbard Supply Company working onsite at the Brighton, Michigan location
of the subject firm.
The intent of the Department’s
certification is to include all workers at
Atreum-Brighton, a subsidiary of Magna
International, Decoma International
Division, Brighton, Michigan who were
adversely-impacted by a shift in
production of door panels and various
other injection molded parts for
automobile industry to Mexico and
Canada.
The amended notice applicable to
TA–W–62,396 is hereby issued as
follows:
2543
[TA–W–62,449]
former workers of the subject firm to
apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance
(TAA). The denial notice was signed on
November 16, 2007 and published in
the Federal Register on December 10,
2007 (72 FR 69711).
Pursuant to 29 CFR 90.18(c)
reconsideration may be granted under
the following circumstances:
(1) If it appears on the basis of facts
not previously considered that the
determination complained of was
erroneous;
(2) If it appears that the determination
complained of was based on a mistake
in the determination of facts not
previously considered; or
(3) If in the opinion of the Certifying
Officer, a misinterpretation of facts or of
the law justified reconsideration of the
decision.
The TAA petition, which was filed on
behalf of workers at Newburgh
Hardwood Co., Inc., Newburgh, Indiana
engaged in the hardwood veneer
consulting services, was denied based
on the findings that the firm did not
employ a worker group during the one
year prior to the petition filing date, as
required by Section 222 of the Trade Act
of 1974. A worker group means three or
more workers in a firm or appropriate
subdivision. The subject firm did not
meet this threshold level. The
investigation also revealed that the
subject firm does not produce an article
within the meaning of Section 222(a)(2)
of the Act.
In the request for reconsideration the
petitioner indicates a number of reasons
as to why he should be eligible for TAA.
When assessing eligibility for TAA,
the Department makes its
determinations based on the
requirements as outlined in Section 222
of the Trade Act. In particular, the
Department defines an eligible worker
‘‘group’’ as ‘‘three or more workers in a
firm or an appropriate subdivision
thereof.’’ As subject firm’s total worker
number was one in the relevant period,
the worker does not meet the group
eligibility requirements for trade
adjustment assistance.
Newburgh Hardwood Co., Inc.
Conclusion
Newburgh, IN; Notice of Negative
Determination Regarding Application
for Reconsideration
After review of the application and
investigative findings, I conclude that
there has been no error or
misinterpretation of the law or of the
facts which would justify
reconsideration of the Department of
Labor’s prior decision. Accordingly, the
application is denied.
All workers of Atreum-Brighton, a
subsidiary of Magna International, Decoma
International Division, including on-site
leased workers from Qualified Staffing and
Aerotek, and on-site workers from Hubbard
Supply Company, Brighton, Michigan, who
became totally or partially separated from
employment on or after October 30, 2006,
through November 14, 2009, are eligible to
apply for adjustment assistance under
Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are
also eligible to apply for alternative trade
adjustment assistance under Section 246 of
the Trade Act of 1974.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 8th day of
January 2008.
Linda G. Poole,
Certifying Officer, Division of Trade
Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. E8–592 Filed 1–14–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
By application dated December 2,
2007, a petitioner requested
administrative reconsideration of the
Department’s negative determination
regarding eligibility for workers and
PO 00000
Frm 00103
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\15JAN1.SGM
15JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2529-2543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-473]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant
Applications (SGA) for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities in the Workforce System Initiative
Announcement Type: New. Notice of Solicitation for Grant
Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 07-03.
Catalog of Federal Assistance Number: 17.268
Key Dates: This competition will be implemented in two phases, a
preliminary proposal phase (Phase I) and a full proposal phase (Phase
II), with a closing date for each phase for receipt of applications.
For Phase I of the competition, preliminary proposals must be received
at the address below no later than 4 p.m. (ET) on March 11, 2008. All
applicants are required to submit Phase I proposals. A virtual
Prospective Applicant Conference will be held for this grant
competition on January 25, 2008 at 2 p.m. (ET). Additional information
and links to registration for this Virtual Prospective Applicant
Conference can be found at https://www.workforce3one.org/public/
webinars/details.cfm?id=266.
After completion of review of Phase I proposals, selected
applicants will receive a notice of recommendation to participate in
Phase II of the competition and in this notification, further
information regarding the Phase II submission deadline will also be
provided. Applicants may only participate in the Phase II competition
after receiving notice of recommendation. Please note that applicants
that only submit full proposals will not be reviewed.
SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S.
Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately
$10 million in grant funds for the Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities in the Workforce System Initiative
(STEM Initiative). These grants will be awarded through a two-phased
competitive process to primarily expand and align current and new STEM
workforce education and training strategies, activities, and resources
in One Stop Career Centers to promote, attract, and prepare
disadvantaged youth and dislocated workers for STEM careers, while
simultaneously enhancing the competitive position of local and regional
employers.
Grants will be awarded to a select number of individual workforce
investment boards (WIBs), representing a regional consortium of WIBs. A
WIB must submit an application on behalf of a specific, defined multi-
county economic region comprised of various workforce investment areas
that make up the consortium. Joint applications for regions that cross
state lines will be accepted. Applications for multi-state regions must
be from an individual WIB that will have responsibility for
administering the project. This solicitation contains an exception if
the defined region is a rural area or a portion of a state whereby only
one WIB exists.
In awarding STEM Initiative grants, every effort will be made to
fairly distribute grants across rural and urban areas and across the
different geographic regions of the United States. It is anticipated
that the number of awards will range from five to seven, with the
average award ranging from $1.5 million to $2 million.
This solicitation provides background information and describes the
application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible
entities must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and
details how grantees will be selected.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Marsha Daniels, Reference SGA/DFA PY 07-03, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4716, Washington, DC 20210.
Telefacsimile (FAX) applications will not be accepted. Information
about applying online can be found in Part IV(C) of this document.
Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be
delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand delivered
proposals will be received at the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This solicitation consists of eight parts:
Part I is the funding opportunity description that
includes background information, the overview and details of the STEM
Initiative including the five key features, project scope and allowable
activities, and an outline of objectives and goals.
Part II describes the size and nature of the anticipated
awards.
Part III describes eligibility information and other grant
specifications.
Part IV provides information on the application and
submission process for the preliminary (Phase I) and full proposal
(Phase II) submissions.
Part V describes the criteria against which applications
will be reviewed and evaluated, and explains the proposal review
process for Phase I and II.
Part VI provides award administration information.
Part VII contains DOL agency contact information.
Part VIII lists additional resources of interest to
applicants.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Background
There is broad consensus that the long-term key to continued U.S.
competitiveness and growth in an increasingly global economic
environment is the adequate supply of qualified Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workers capable of translating
knowledge and skills into new processes, products, and services.
[[Page 2530]]
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), scientific
innovation has produced roughly half of all U.S. economic growth in the
last fifty years and the STEM fields, including those who work in them,
are critical engines to that innovation and growth. According to one
recent estimate, while only five percent of the U.S. workforce is
employed in STEM fields, the STEM workforce accounts for more than
fifty percent of the nation's sustained growth (Babco 2004).
The engine of growth is increasingly precarious in today's global
economy and American pre-eminence in STEM will not be secured or
extended without addressing the education and workforce pipeline
challenges that have become a growing national concern. The National
Academy of Sciences study, Rising Above the Gathering Storm (2006),
argues that, absent a serious and rapid response, the U.S. will lose
quality jobs to other nations; lowering our standard of living,
reducing tax revenues, and weakening the domestic market for goods and
services. Once this cycle accelerates, it will be difficult to regain
lost preeminence in technology-driven innovation and its economic
benefits.
The STEM education and workforce challenges are multi-faceted and
five major trends have been identified that will dramatically impact
the STEM pipeline of the future: (1) An increasing number of high
school graduates with insufficient academic grounding in STEM to
successfully enter post-secondary education geared to STEM careers; (2)
waning enrollment in technical studies, including two- and four-year
college level, graduate, and post-graduate science and engineering
programs; (3) impending retirement of a large portion of the existing
STEM workforce; (4) declining immigration of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics professionals in STEM fields; and (5)
difficulty attracting and retaining a cadre of highly qualified STEM
teaching professionals.
However, the STEM workforce pipeline challenge is not just about
the supply and quality of the baccalaureate and advance degree earners.
A large percentage of the workforce in industries and occupations that
rely on STEM knowledge and skills are technicians, including others who
enter and advance in their field through sub-baccalaureate degrees and
certificates or through workplace training. Competitiveness in STEM
fields requires a focus on the skills and the supply of those involved
in STEM fields from the most complex research and development
leadership positions to production, repair, marketing, sales, and other
jobs that require competencies built upon math, science, engineering,
and technology knowledge. Creating interest and preparing more
Americans to be productive in STEM-related jobs will require attention
to segments of the workforce that are often overlooked in STEM
discussions: incumbent workers who need skills upgrading, dislocated
workers who are trying to find new jobs in industries with a future,
and individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM
fields.
The seriousness of this STEM-related challenge has penetrated
public and opinion-makers' consciousness; and government, industry,
academia, and foundations have begun to respond in an unprecedented
way. In October 2005, the Government Accountability Office inventoried
the Federal programs that were designed to increase the numbers of
students and graduates in STEM fields or to improve the quality of
education in those areas. From this inventory, it is reported that 13
Federal agencies spent a total of $2.8 billion for 207 programs that
were designed to increase the number of students and graduates or to
improve educational programs in STEM fields. Six Federal agencies spent
the bulk of the reported funding for STEM education: National
Institutes of Health (NIH), followed by NSF, National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA), Department of Education, Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and the Health Resources and Services
Administration.
In his 2006 State of the Union address, the President proposed the
American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) to strengthen education,
promote research and development, and encourage entrepreneurship.
Specifically, ACI proposes to create and expand on a number of programs
targeted at improving K-12 math and science education, increasing
professional development for teachers, attracting new teachers to the
classroom, developing research-based curricula, and providing access to
flexible resources for worker training. In addition to the proposed
efforts under ACI, the Deficit Reduction Act was signed into law and
established the Academic Competitiveness Council, a cabinet-level group
tasked with coordinating and evaluating the Federal role in math and
science education, in an effort to align government policies and
programs to better address STEM education.
In addition to this Federal effort, industry associations,
businesses, state governments, foundations, and other organizations
have launched a variety of programs and competitions that target K-12,
undergraduate, and graduate students in STEM fields. For example,
industry associations that include: the Society of Manufacturing
Engineers, the American Chemical Society, the American Physical
Society, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the National
Science and Technology Education Partnership have invested in STEM
education initiatives that involve curricular improvements, career-
focused Web sites, mentoring programs, and scholarships; while
corporate foundations including Raytheon, Bayer, and General Electric
have created their own outreach programs. Despite these efforts, much
remains to be done within government and across diverse public and
private sectors to ensure that U.S. education, workforce, and economic
systems rise to the STEM challenge.
ETA will invest $14 billion in a national public workforce
development system to increase the skills and education of the current
and emerging workforce, and is committed to becoming an important
contributor to a robust national strategy for tackling the STEM
workforce pipeline challenge. To that end, ETA recently launched a STEM
action agenda which includes three focus areas: (1) Building the
gateway to STEM careers; (2) enhancing the capacity of talent
development institutions to produce more and better-skilled STEM
workers; and (3) catalyzing and supporting innovation,
entrepreneurship, and economic growth that can expand STEM employment
opportunities.
In addition, ETA launched the Workforce Investment in Regional
Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative in 2006, which focuses on the
role of talent development in driving regional economic
competitiveness, increased job growth, and new opportunities for
American workers. Thirty-six of the 39 WIRED regions are targeting
STEM-related industries for economic growth in their regions.
ETA believes that responding to the STEM challenge will require a
concerted and multi-faceted partnership approach; the public workforce
investment system is uniquely positioned in many communities to be an
important partner in these efforts because of its universal access to
human capital, its strong partnerships, and its support of high growth
industries, many of which require a highly skilled and educated STEM
workforce. The STEM Initiative creates a way for the public workforce
system to help develop and broaden the talent pool of the current and
future STEM workforce in regions throughout the country, and to act as
a catalyst in these important efforts.
[[Page 2531]]
B. STEM Initiative Description
The STEM Initiative will make resources and technical assistance
available to a select number of consortiums of WIBs representing
regional economies across the country. These resources will : (1) Help
to develop and enhance the STEM capabilities of the regions by aligning
and expanding current workforce education and training strategies,
activities, and resources in the One Stop Career Centers; (2) promote,
attract, and prepare a broader range of workforce system participants
for STEM careers; and (3) simultaneously enhance the competitive
position of local and regional STEM employers.
The linchpin to a coordinated and strategic regional STEM approach
will be the strategic partnerships that will be developed, enhanced,
and expanded under this Initiative. For this solicitation, ETA requires
at a minimum, partnerships to include the workforce investment system,
the continuum of education, and STEM employers. However, stronger
connections between the workforce system and educational institutions,
e.g. multiple educational pathway programs, adult education, community
colleges, and four year colleges and universities, including other
Federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, employer associations, faith
and community-based organizations, and STEM professional societies,
will also be essential in leveraging assets and filling gaps where
expertise, financial, and operational resources are missing.
The objectives of the STEM Initiative will be reached through five
key features:
1. STEM One Stop Workforce Centers of Excellence;
2. STEM Coaches;
3. STEM Mentors;
4. Career Blueprints; and
5. Technical Assistance.
It is ETA's expectation that all applications will reflect and
clearly articulate the operationalization of these key features of the
STEM Initiative described below, and which are reflected in the
evaluation criteria in Part V.
1. STEM One Stop Workforce Centers of Excellence
STEM One Stop Workforce Centers of Excellence (STEM Centers of
Excellence), either virtual or site-based, will be established in One
Stop Career Centers by a regional WIB consortium under this Initiative
to achieve a number of goals: (1) Expand the capacity of the One Stop
Career Centers to train and prepare individuals, with special emphasis
on disadvantaged youth and dislocated workers, along the STEM career
ladder/lattice with multiple entry and exit points; (2) leverage and
align STEM education and training resources from a variety of funding
sources and entities, so that individuals have expanded education and
training options, and are served in a more coordinated and effective
fashion; (3) understand the workforce needs of STEM employers and meet
those needs with a variety of services, including placing skilled and
prepared workers into STEM jobs; (4) support the establishment and
strengthening of partnerships to ensure optimal STEM expertise and
resources are available in the One Stop Career Centers; and (5) provide
a replicable demonstration model as a resource for other One Stop
Career Centers.
Five to seven STEM Centers of Excellence will be expected to build
upon the current infrastructure and capabilities of the One Stop
system. Grant funds used to develop the STEM Centers of Excellence must
be used to also enhance and expand a variety of participant and
employer services with a sole focus on STEM fields. The goal of this
SGA is to develop strategies that support more workers to obtain post-
secondary education and training leading to employment in STEM fields.
NSF defines the following as STEM fields:
i. Biological Sciences (with the exception of medicine and other
clinical fields);
ii. Physical Sciences, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and
materials science;
iii. Mathematical Sciences;
iv. Computer and Information Science;
v. Engineering; and
vi. Technology areas associated with the preceding fields--for
example, biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology,
nanotechnology, and information technology (with the exception of
health, veterinary, or medical technicians).
The STEM resources and activities available through the STEM
Centers of Excellence will provide individuals engaged in a STEM career
pathway and STEM employers with a customized set of services that are
driven by regional employer demand. The STEM Initiative will give
special emphasis to disadvantaged youth in multiple educational pathway
programs (i.e. alternative education) and dislocated workers, although
other individuals with STEM aptitudes and/or interests may also be
served in the STEM Centers of Excellence. While One Stop Career Centers
have not traditionally targeted disadvantaged youth populations, it is
the expectation of this solicitation that applicants will consider how
to better address the needs of this integral STEM pipeline within the
STEM Centers of Excellence.
Career Guidance. Under this Initiative, STEM Centers of Excellence
will provide and coordinate career awareness and guidance activities
that clarify the range of opportunity along the STEM career ladder/
lattice and debunk myths around the inaccessibility of STEM careers due
to the perceived academic requirements. The enormous variety of STEM
occupations will require career guidance information on alternative
career pathways/career lattice models and non-academic training routes.
Some of these career awareness, guidance activities, and products under
the STEM Initiative may be provided by connecting with existing
projects and/or funding that may have already developed valuable STEM
career guidance materials, such as those from the High Growth Job
Training Initiative, Community-Based Job Training Grants grantees,
Career Voyages Web site (https://www.careervoyages.gov/), professional
associations, and other government agencies.
To indicate the range of opportunities for individuals, the
following is an example of a career ladder in advanced manufacturing:
Entry level (laborer, packer, machine operator);
Mid-level or two-year degree or tech prep (engineering
technician, electronic technician, instrument maker, laboratory
technician, mechanical technician); and
Professional level (chemist, physicist, scientist,
mechanical engineer, biochemical engineer).
Training and Educational Opportunities. The major focus of the STEM
Initiative is to allow participants to have access to a variety of
educational, training, and retraining opportunities through numerous
funding mechanisms and entities, with the goal of receiving a post-
secondary degree or an industry-recognized license, certificate, or
credential that will lead to job placement in a STEM occupation. These
education and training opportunities may range from a short-term
training program leading to a certificate, to an associate's or
bachelor's degree course of study, to work-based learning opportunities
such as pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, internships, and on-
the-job training.
[[Page 2532]]
ETA expects that the regional WIB consortium will coordinate
through the STEM Centers of Excellence the integration of funding and
activities available through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
(WIA), and its partners with current STEM activities funded through
other sources such as: NSF, Departments of Education, Energy and
Defense, NASA, and EPA to enhance and expand workforce system
participants' STEM education and training opportunities and
experiences.
Applicants may pilot Career Advancement Accounts (CAAs) as part of
this Initiative, which are self-managed accounts that enable current
and future workers to gain skills needed to succeed in 21st century
jobs. In addition, applicants are encouraged to create STEM-related
registered apprenticeship programs and ETA will provide technical
assistance, if needed.
Other Participant Services. Participant services provided in the
STEM Centers of Excellence through a STEM Coach (described below) may
include, but are not limited to:
Intake/recruitment;
Assessment of STEM interest and aptitude, including
identification of skill gaps inhibiting employment opportunities,
certifications, specific credentials, security clearances, technical
skills, and business/soft skills;
Development of a Career Blueprint (described below) based
on the assessment;
Job search and placement support provided by STEM Coaches
and partnering employers; and
STEM Mentors (described below).
An important part of each project will be the industry's
identification of skills and competencies required in the STEM
workforce region, which will require a strong partnership between
regional STEM employers and training and education providers including
the K-12 (primarily high schools and career and educational high
schools), adult education, community and technical colleges, four year
colleges and universities, and other training entities. This
partnership will ensure that all participant activities in the STEM
Centers of Excellence will be aligned with industry-driven STEM
workforce education and training strategies including competency
models, curricula, and new learning methodologies and technology-based
learning. Please note that there is a large body of work completed on
industry competencies and skills from a variety of sources, so in order
to avoid duplication of efforts, ETA will work with grantees to connect
them to resources to support this work.
Employer Services. STEM employers may receive a variety of
customized services that may include, but not be limited to:
Recruiting and screening qualified STEM workers;
Job listings;
Limited incumbent worker training and linkage to other
training resources (see definition of limited in Part I(C), Project
Scope and Allowable Activities);
Customized labor market information; and
Job retention services such as mentoring and other
services.
In addition to receiving these services, it is ETA's expectation
that regional STEM employers will be actively engaged in the project
and should participate fully in grant activities including: (1) Helping
to define the STEM Centers of Excellence strategy and approach; (2)
identifying needed skills and competencies; (3) designing training
approaches and curricula; (4) implementing project activities; (5)
contributing financial support; and (6) where appropriate, hiring
qualified STEM education and training graduates.
2. STEM Coaches
STEM Coaches, who may be site-based or virtual, will serve a
critical function in the STEM Centers of Excellence, forging ties to
STEM employers and linking program participants to STEM employment,
education, and training opportunities. Each proposal must include
funding of at least one STEM Coach, and these individuals will be
required to have a diverse and unique set of skills that will be
valuable to both the worker and the employer.
To be successful at cultivating productive relationships with STEM
enterprises in the regional economy and assisting workers in
preparation and employment in STEM occupations, the STEM Coach must
have:
Experience as a recruiter of STEM professionals or as a
STEM educator, and an understanding of STEM employment, including
understanding of STEM workforce needs, hiring processes, and applicable
job market requirements for enterprises in their assigned regions; and
Understanding of skills and competencies in STEM.
Key services for employers and participants provided by the STEM
Coaches were addressed in the previous section (B.1) STEM One Stop
Workforce Centers of Excellence.
3. STEM Mentors
Many people currently in STEM careers had access to professionals
who were in similar fields and could provide advice and support to help
them succeed. Youth graduating from multiple educational pathway
programs and dislocated workers may lack that social capital. However,
in this Initiative, STEM Mentors will serve in this critical function
to remove obstacles to achievement and support participants along the
STEM career ladder/lattice.
STEM Mentors, who may be virtual or site-based, will clarify and
identify career development opportunities for STEM job seekers that
support both the individual and employer objectives. The STEM Mentor
may be someone who is currently employed by industry, enrolled in a
STEM academic program, or a STEM retiree who is interested in
supporting youth and dislocated workers. The Mentor will offer ongoing
support to the newly placed employee in the content areas of STEM, and
also will encourage the character qualities required in the workplace
(e.g. motivation, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability/flexibility,
and dependability/reliability). In addition, Mentors may be asked to
support participants in education and training, if needed.
The STEM Mentor will be required to fulfill the following
functions:
a. Participate in self-paced/long distance/or classroom-based
orientation for mentor program;
b. Engage in a 6-month or 1 year commitment with
prot[eacute]g[eacute];
c. Meet regularly with the STEM candidate/student; and
d. Communicate with STEM candidate/student on an as-needed basis.
STEM Coaches will recruit STEM Mentors and connect them to the
appropriate prot[eacute]g[eacute]. Applicants will need to articulate
recruitment and outreach strategies for STEM Mentors and describe the
mentoring activities that will be available to STEM candidates/
students.
4. Career Blueprint
Participants in this Initiative will develop and test the concept
of a ``Career Blueprint,'' which is an intentional career development
framework and map synchronized with the skills and competencies needed
to advance along a STEM career pathway for all individuals at all ages
and stages of their lives. While somewhat similar in concept to an
Individual Development Plan or Individual Education Plan, the Career
Blueprint will take a longer-range view of career planning and will be
a template tool for designing and building a personal career pathway
plan. In addition to identifying
[[Page 2533]]
the first steps to attain an initial career goal, it will also include
next steps and additional career goals along the individual's proposed
career ladder or lattice. Individuals will be given tools to
proactively manage their career through repeated engagement of career
decision making and transition processes throughout their lives. The
STEM Mentors and Coaches in this Initiative will be trained to assist
participants with creating their Career Blueprint.
The Career Blueprint format will prompt the individual to plan for
both work experiences and post-secondary education. For example, the
Career Blueprint will suggest a range of options to consider, including
work readiness credentials, pre-apprenticeships, internships,
nontraditional apprenticeships, and on-the-job training. Post-secondary
education at the community college level or above will be intertwined
with the work experience components, rather than being considered a
separate track. Lifelong learning, both formally and on-the-job, will
be emphasized as an integral part of career planning.
5. Technical Assistance
Through the STEM Initiative, participating One Stop Career Centers
and WIBs may receive ongoing intensive technical assistance (TA), at
group meetings and individually, given by a cadre of STEM experts from
a variety of organizations and Federal agencies. The STEM Initiative
will also include the creation of a peer-to-peer learning community to
give teams opportunities to share challenges and best practices.
Technical assistance topics may include: Talent development of STEM
Coaches, creation of nontraditional STEM apprenticeship programs,
models of STEM career pathways, leveraging regional STEM resources, and
best practices of STEM employer engagement. The STEM WIRED resource
team, located in ETA, has documented many of the STEM resources and
activities across agencies, foundations, associations, and the private
sector and this document will serve as a resource for grantees.
At the end of the STEM Initiative, it is ETA's expectation that
grantees will document best practices and lessons learned to
disseminate widely to the workforce investment system to encourage and
facilitate replication. In addition, grantees may serve as valuable
resources for educational materials, ideas, contacts, and mentoring for
the workforce system.
C. Use of Funds/Allowable Activities
STEM Initiative grants will be funded by H-1B fees as authorized
under Sec. 414(c) of the American Competitiveness and Workforce
Improvement Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277, title IV) as amended by
Public Law 108-447 (codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916a). These funds are
focused on the development of the workforce and may be used to provide
job training and related activities to workers to assist them in
gaining the skills and competencies needed to obtain and upgrade career
ladder employment in STEM related industry sectors and occupations
projected to experience significant growth or significant demand for
workers. Whether the focus is on an industry sector or an occupational
area, training investments using grant funds should focus on workforce
education in high-skill occupations requiring significant science,
technology, engineering, and/or mathematics skills. Funds available
under this Solicitation may only be used for projects that provide
training in the occupations and industries for which employers use H-1B
visas that generate these funds and the related activities limited to
those necessary to support training in such occupations and industries.
Please see the attached list of STEM-related occupations and industries
that have been identified as those for which employers use H-1B visas
to employ foreign workers. Activities funded under this Solicitation
must be focused on developing skills and competencies related to the
fields identified in the Attachment.
Funds may also be used to enhance the provision of job training
services and information as authorized in 29 U.S.C. 2916(a)(2)(B).
Therefore, allowable activities under this Initiative may include:
STEM education and training;
Hiring of STEM Coaches;
Purchase of STEM-related assessments for the One Stop
Career Centers;
Educational preparation of participants for NSF
scholarships and other funding opportunities;
Coordination and support of STEM work-based learning
opportunities for participants such as on-the-job training (OJT) and
apprenticeships;
Career guidance;
STEM Employer Services such as job listings and matches,
assessments, and interviewing and prescreening;
Job preparation and placement activities;
Recruitment and outreach materials and activities to
multiple educational pathway programs, faith and community-based
organizations and other entities;
Development and implementation of Career Blueprints;
Summer academic enrichment activities;
Development of new formats and innovative learning
approaches to STEM courses and activities that increase accessibility
to occupational training for participants;
Assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, and
supportive service needs of individuals;
Support for participants' STEM school preparation and
critical transition points such as high school to college, between 2-
and 4-year college, and from undergraduate study to the workplace;
Travel and related expenses to STEM trainings;
On-site or virtual capacity-related infrastructure
expenses that support STEM activities in the One Stop Career Centers;
Establishment and expansion of partnerships and
collaborations in order to build the STEM capacity of the region;
Support for visiting faculty and industry practitioners to
the One Stop Career Centers and partnering organizations to provide
STEM disciplinary and topical seminars;
STEM asset analysis and mapping;
Documentation and dissemination of STEM resources,
knowledge, and lessons learned through the grant;
Limited STEM incumbent worker training that directly
contributes to career progression in a STEM career;
Limited STEM course and curriculum development, revision,
and enhancement to partnering alternative secondary schools and higher
education institutions;
Limited enhancement of STEM equipment available for
educational opportunities for participants to partnering alternative
secondary schools and higher education institutions; and
Other activities directly in support of the development of
the skills necessary for careers in STEM fields.
Please note that the intention of the STEM Initiative is not to
utilize grant funds to develop curriculum, provide incumbent worker
training, and/or purchase equipment; therefore, the term ``limited''
means that no more than 10 percent of grant funds may be used for such
purposes, without further justification and approval from the Grant
Officer. ETA encourages these types of activities and will expect that
the applicant will leverage other resources to enhance the project
[[Page 2534]]
capacity. The scope and size of the project will vary based on the
number of individuals to be served through the STEM Centers of
Excellence as well as the availability of other leveraged resources for
participants and employers.
Proposed projects must clearly outline how the activities and
resources will result in the achievement of the overall objectives of
the Initiative. At a minimum, applications must:
Coordinate and strategically align regional STEM workforce
preparation, education and training, and employment activities,
strategies, and resources (new and existing), that will result in
significant and sustainable impacts;
Increase accessibility and broaden participation of STEM
education and training opportunities for disadvantaged youth and
dislocated workers;
Increase numbers of workers placed in STEM employment;
Increase access for STEM employers to job candidates with
sought after skills and background;
Establish, expand, and enhance strategic partnerships with
the workforce system and regional STEM employers, the continuum of
education including the K-12 system, adult education, higher education
institutions including community colleges and multiple educational
pathway programs, faith and community-based organizations, industrial
and national laboratories, and STEM professional associations to build
the region's STEM expertise, financial, and operational capacities;
Increase retention of STEM students/participants and
employees through STEM Mentors;
Test and model the concepts of Career Blueprints, STEM
Coaches, STEM Mentors, and STEM Centers of Excellence; and
Disseminate results of the STEM workforce system model.
II. Award Information
A. Award Amount
ETA intends to fund approximately 5-7 grants ranging from $1.5
million to $2 million through this competition. However, this does not
preclude ETA from funding grants at either a lower or higher amount, or
funding a smaller or larger number of projects, based on the type and
the number of quality submissions. Applicants are encouraged to submit
budgets for quality projects at whatever funding level is appropriate
to their project. Nevertheless, applicants should recognize that the
funds available through this solicitation are designed to complement
additional leveraged resources rather than be the sole source of funds
for the proposal.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance will be up to 36 months from the
date of execution of the grant documents. This performance period shall
include all necessary implementation and start-up activities,
participant follow-up for performance outcomes, and grant close-out
activities. A timeline clearly detailing the required grant activities
and their expected completion dates must be included in the Phase II
proposal grant application. ETA may elect to exercise its option to
award no-cost extensions to grants for an additional period, based on
the success of the program and other relevant factors, if the grantee
applies for, and provides a significant justification for, such an
extension.
III. Eligibility Information and Other Grant Specifications
A. Eligible Applicants
An individual workforce investment board (WIB), representing a
regional consortium of WIBs, is the eligible applicant. A WIB must
submit an application on behalf of a specific, defined multi-county
economic region comprised of various workforce investment areas that
make up the consortium and demonstrate responsibility for administering
the project. The application must demonstrate that the consortium of
WIBs representing the region serve in partnership with this applicant,
and should do so by submitting a letter of commitment in Phase I from
each of the WIBs in the partnership. If the defined region is a rural
area or a portion of a state whereby only one WIB exists, this
exception must be explained in the Technical Proposal in Phase I. The
grant application form (SF 424) should contain the information of the
WIB that is serving as the grant recipient and must be signed by a duly
authorized official.
Joint applications for regions that cross state lines will be
accepted. Applications for multi-state regions must be from an
individual WIB that will have responsibility for administering the
project. The application must also demonstrate that the consortium of
WIBs representing the multi-state region serve in partnership with this
applicant, and should do so by submitting a letter of commitment in
Phase I from each of the WIBs in the partnership.
Regional economies are typically defined as geographically
contiguous areas. However, a proposal that persuasively makes an
innovative case for a non-contiguous regional economy will be
considered.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for
eligibility; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to leverage
resources from key entities in the strategic partnership in order to
maximize the impact of the project in the region. Applicants should
describe what resources, new and existing, may support the goals of the
project and how they support STEM workers and employers. While the
failure to offer leveraged resources as a part of an application will
not preclude consideration of the application, it will place the
applicant at a competitive disadvantage since one of the evaluation
criteria in Phase II evaluates the quality of the leveraged resources.
The identification of existing or planned STEM initiatives within the
region that can be aligned and integrated with the applicant's proposed
activities are also considered to be leveraged resources.
C. Other Grant Specifications
1. Required Partnerships. To be considered for funding, the
applicant must demonstrate that the project will be implemented by a
strategic partnership that includes at a minimum: (1) The publicly
funded workforce investment system, which will be represented by a
regional consortium of WIBs; (2) the continuum of education, which may
include high schools and/or multiple educational pathway programs
(alternative education), community colleges and universities; and (3)
STEM employers and industry-related organizations such as associations.
ETA also encourages a broader partnership that may include major
national laboratories and centers, private foundations, organizations
that receive Federal STEM funding, and professional organizations that
may align relevant financial and operational resources to support the
goals of the Initiative. In addition, partnerships with faith-based and
community organizations that provide recruitment and retention support
to entry-level workers are also encouraged.
2. Regional STEM Analysis and Asset Mapping for Phase II
Competition. In Phase II of the competition, applicants that show
evidence of a regional STEM analysis, asset mapping, or inventory of
STEM-related activities that support the goals of this Initiative will
receive five
[[Page 2535]]
bonus points. Applicants that do not show sufficient evidence will
receive zero bonus points. Partial bonus points will not be awarded. To
receive the bonus points, applicants need to document their analysis or
inventory, which may include WIA funding, leveraged use of any of the
multiple Federal agencies' STEM-related activities that are being
implemented at the local and regional levels, state-based, foundation,
and/or association initiatives. In addition, applicants must clearly
describe the linkages of how these activities are going to expand,
enhance, and/or be integrated into the proposed grant activities.
Please note that these bonus points will not be available in Phase
I of the competition although articulating a clear understanding of the
context of STEM in the applicant's regional economy will be a part of
the evaluation criteria in both phases of the competition.
3. Veterans Priority. The Jobs for Veterans Act (Pub. L. 107-288)
provides priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain
veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement
services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in
part, by the Department of Labor. In circumstances where a STEM
Initiative grant recipient must choose between two equally qualified
candidates for training, one of whom is a veteran, the Jobs for
Veterans Act requires that STEM Initiative grant recipients give the
veteran priority of service by admitting him or her into the program.
Please note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran must meet
the program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training and Employment
Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03 (September 16, 2003), provides general
guidance on the scope of the Job for Veterans Act and its effect on
current employment and training programs. TEGL No. 5-03, along with
additional guidance, is available at the ``Jobs for Veterans Priority
of Service'' Web site: https://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address To Request Application Package
This solicitation contains all of the information and Web links to
forms needed to apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The competition will be implemented in two phases; a preliminary
phase (Phase I) and the full proposal phase (Phase II). The proposal
must consist of two (2) separate and distinct parts, Parts I and II,
for both phases of the competition. Applications that fail to adhere to
the instructions in this section will be considered non-responsive and
may not be given further consideration. Applicants who wish to apply do
not need to submit a Letter of Intent. The completed application
package is all that is required.
1. Phase I--Preliminary Proposal. In Phase I of the competition,
Part I of the proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the
following three items:
The Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance'' (available at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm). The SF
424 must clearly identify the applicant and be signed by an individual
with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an
award, the individual signing the SF 424 on behalf of the applicant
will be considered the Authorized Representative of the applicant.
All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities
are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
provided by Dun and Bradstreet. See Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003).
Applicants must supply their DUNS number on the SF 424. The DUNS number
is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business
entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To
obtain a DUNS number, access this Web site, https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com, or call 1-866-705-5711.
The SF 424A Budget Information Form (available at https://
www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm. In preparing the Budget Information Form,
the applicant must provide a brief narrative explanation to support the
request. The budget narrative should be no more than 2 pages and should
include: (1) The total amount leveraged from Federal sources; (2) the
total amount leveraged from non-Federal sources; (3) the partners
contributing the resources; and (4) the projected activities to be
implemented utilizing these resources.
Please note that applicants that fail to provide a SF 424, SF 424A,
and a budget narrative will be removed from consideration prior to the
technical review process. If the proposal calls for integrating WIA or
other Federal funds or includes other leveraged resources, these funds
should not be listed on the SF 424 or SF 424A Budget Information Form,
but should be described in the budget narrative. The amount of Federal
funding requested for the entire period of performance (up to 36
months) should be shown together on the SF 424 and SF 424A Budget
Information Form. Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to
submit OMB Survey N. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity
for Applicants, which can be found at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/
forms.cfm.
Part II of the application is the Technical Proposal, which
demonstrates the applicant's capabilities to plan and implement the
activities of the STEM Initiative in accordance with the provisions of
this solicitation.
For Phase I of the competition, the Technical Proposal will be
limited to six (6) double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 inch x 11 inch
pages with 12 point text font and one-inch margins, which includes a
project summary and description. Applicants should number the Phase I
Proposal beginning with page number one. Any pages over the 6-page
limit will not be reviewed. Except for the discussion of any leveraged
resources to address the evaluation criteria, no cost data or reference
to prices should be included in the Phase I Proposal. This six-page
Phase I Technical Proposal should consist of the following:
Project Summary (1 page). The Summary is a critical
proposal element that must make the essence of the project clear to the
reviewer. It must succinctly identify: (1) Applicant name; (2) key
strategies and project design including a description of the alignment
of resources and activities and strategic impact (3) strategic
partnerships, and (4) requested funding level. This is limited to one
page.
Project Description (5 pages). The narrative provides an
overview of the Project Description and is limited in length to five
pages. The Project Description should explain the proposed general
project activities and strategic partnerships and should include the
identification of the region, the specific need for the Federal
investment such as the STEM employers' roles in and impact on the
regional economy, roles of each partner, project design and activities
including the STEM Centers for Excellence capacity building activities,
STEM fields targeted, education and training activities, and project
outcomes and impact. The evaluation criteria are described in further
detail in section V(A).
2. Phase II--Full Proposal. In Phase II of the competition, Part I
of the proposal is the Cost Proposal and must include the following
three items:
[[Page 2536]]
The Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance'' (available at https://www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm). The SF
424 must clearly identify the applicant and be signed by an individual
with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an
award, the individual signing the SF 424 on behalf of the applicant
will be considered the Authorized Representative of the applicant.
All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities
are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
provided by Dun and Bradstreet. See Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003).
Applicants must supply their DUNS number on the SF 424. The DUNS number
is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business
entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no charge. To
obtain a DUNS number, access this Web site, https://
www.dunandbradstreet.com, or call 1-866-705-5711.
The SF 424A Budget Information Form (available at https://
www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm. In preparing the Budget Information Form,
the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to support
the request. The budget narrative should include: (1) The total amount
leveraged from Federal sources; (2) the total amount leveraged from
non-Federal sources; (3) the partners contributing the resources; (4)
the projected activities, broken out by the source of the leveraged
resource (Federal or non-Federal) to be implemented utilizing these
resources; (5) the amount of grant funds to be spent on direct
training, and (6) cost per participant.
Please note that applicants that fail to provide a SF 424, SF 424A,
and a budget narrative will be removed from consideration prior to the
technical review process. If the proposal calls for integrating WIA or
other Federal funds or includes other leveraged resources, these funds
should not be listed on the SF 424 or SF 424A Budget Information Form,
but should be described in the budget narrative and in Part II of the
proposal. The amount of Federal funding requested for the entire period
of performance (up to 36 months) should be shown together on the SF 424
and SF 424A Budget Information Form. Applicants are also encouraged,
but not required, to submit OMB Survey N. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring
Equal Opportunity for Applicants, which can be found at https://
www.doleta.gov/sga/forms.cfm.
Part II of the Phase II application is the full Technical Proposal
that is limited to twenty (20) double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 inch x
11 inch pages with 12 point text font and one-inch margins. Applicants
should number the Phase II Proposal beginning with page number one. Any
pages over the 20-page limit will not be reviewed. In addition, in
attachments, which may not exceed ten (10) pages, the applicant may
provide resumes, a list of staff positions to be funded by the grant,
statistical information, general letters of support, and other related
material. Please note that applicants should not send letters of
commitment or support separately to ETA because letters are tracked
through a different system and will not be attached to the application
for review. Additionally, the applicant must reference grant partners
by organizational name in the text of the Phase II Proposal. Except for
the discussion of any leveraged resources to address the evaluation
criteria, no cost data or reference to prices should be included in the
Phase II Proposal. In addition, the following information is required:
A table of contents listing the application sections;
A one to two-page timeline outlining project activities
and an anticipated schedule for deliverables;
A one to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed
project and applicant profile information including: applicant name,
project title, industry focus, partnership members, proposed education
and training and STEM Centers of Excellence capacity building
activities, funding level requested, the amount of leveraged resources,
the target group(s), and a project description as described in the
evaluation criteria in Section V(A) of this solicitation. The abstract
should also clearly note how the consortium of WIBs and the region will
be defined in the application and the points of access of delivery,
i.e., the STEM Centers of Excellence, virtual or site-based for the
region.
A one to three-page summary of outcomes listing all
projected STEM training, employment, and capacity building outcomes
that includes the following:
Training Outcomes. List the projected numbers for all
training activities, including but not limited to: total enrollment in
training program; increase in enrollment attributed to grant (number of
additional students); the number of individuals trained in STEM
occupations using grant dollars; the number of individuals trained as a
result of leveraging of resources (e.g. training is paid through
sources other than the grant or tuition, including Workforce Investment
Act training resources such as customized training, ITAs, or pilot
CAAs); entered employment; employment retention; average earnings;
entered employment in industry related to training; number receiving
promotions and/or wage gains; number participating in STEM work-based
learning opportunities; number receiving credentials; and for youth,
literacy and/or numeracy gains.
Capacity Building Outcomes. For STEM Centers of
Excellence, include: all products to be developed during the grant
period; a list of capacity building products (including, but not
limited to, curriculum and course materials, competency models and
career ladders, career guidance and outreach materials, Career
Blueprints, assessment, reports and databases, and program management
and implementation tools to enhance infrastructure); the projected date
the product will be completed; and the estimated number of individuals
impacted or affected during the grant period.
Impact Outcomes. Include information on how the project
will: broaden participation of disadvantaged youth and dislocated
workers in STEM fields; institutionalize new and different partnerships
and resources developed under the grant; increase articulation
agreements between multiple educational pathway programs (i.e.
Alternative Education) and two-year colleges, or provide pathways from
two-year colleges to four-year colleges or university programs;
increase participation of STEM employers with the workforce system to
address current and future needs in the region; improve alignment and
coordination of regional STEM workforce preparation, education, and
training activities; and advance workforce system knowledge of and
activities in STEM education and training.
Please note that the abstract, summary of outcomes, table of
contents, and timeline are not included in the Phase II Proposal page
limitation, but have their own page limitations, listed above.
Applications that do not provide Part II of the Phase II application
may be removed from consideration prior to the technical review
process.
Applications may be submitted electronically on www.grants.gov or
in hardcopy via U.S. mail, professional overnight delivery service, or
hand delivery. These processes are described in further detail in Part
IV(C). Applicants submitting proposals in hardcopy must submit an
original signed application (including the SF 424) and one (1) ``copy-
ready'' version,
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free of bindings, staples, or protruding tabs to ease in the
reproduction of the proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting proposals in
hardcopy are also requested, though not required, to provide an
electronic copy of the proposal on CD-ROM.
C. Submission Date, Times, and Addresses
The closing date for receipt of Phase I applications under this
solicitation is March 11, 2008. Applicants receiving notice of
recommendation to participate in Phase II of the competition will also
receive information on the closing date for receipt of Phase II
applications. For both phases of the competition, applications must be
received at the address below or successfully submitted through
grants.gov no later than 4 p.m. (Eastern Time). Applications sent by e-
mail, telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted. Applications
that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be
honored. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set
forth in this notice will be granted.
ETA will host a Virtual Prospective Applicant Conference for this
grant competition on January 25, 2008 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
Registration for the Prospective Applicant Conference will be available
at: https://www.workforce3one.org/public/webinars/details.cfm?id=266.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: Marsha Daniels, Reference SGA/DFA PY 07-03, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants
are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be delayed
due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand delivered proposals will
be received at the above address.
Applicants may apply online through Grants.gov (https://
www.grants.gov). Any application received after the deadline will not
be accepted. It is strongly recommended that before the applicant
begins to write the proposal, applicants immediately review the
grants.gov website to include all frequently asked questions, and
initiate and complete the ``Get Started'' steps to register at https://
www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps may take several days to
complete and should be factored into the plans for electronic
application submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that
could result in the rejection of the application. To ensure that the
application is submitted on time, it is recommended that it is
submitted multiple days before the due date in order to address any
technical difficulties that may be encountered. It is the sole
responsibility of the applicant to ensure timely submission. If
submitted electronically through https://www.grants.gov, applicants must
save the application file as a .doc, .xls or .pdf file.
Late Applications. Any application received after the exact date
and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice
will not be considered, unless it is received before awards are made,
was properly addressed, and: (a) Was sent by U.S. Postal Service
registered or certified mail not later than the fifth calendar day
before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an
application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be
post marked by the 15th of that month) or (b) was sent by professional
overnight delivery service or submitted on Grants.gov to the addressee
not later than one working day prior to the date specified for receipt
of applications. It is highly recommended that online submissions be
completed one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of
applications to ensure that the applicant still has the option to
submit by professional overnight delivery service in the event of any
electronic submission problems. ``Post marked'' means a printed,
stamped, or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter
machine impression) that is readily identifiable, without further
action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an
employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, applicants should
request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's
eye'' postmark on both the receipt and the package. Failure to adhere
to the above instructions will be a basis for a determination of
nonresponsiveness. Evidence of timely submission by a professional
overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally reliable
evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time
and place of receipt.
D. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO)
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
E. Funding Restrictions
Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with
the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those
charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative
determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal
Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Successful
or unsuccessful applicants will not be entitled to reimbursement of
pre-award costs.
Limitations on Cost Per Participant. Because the costs of training
may vary considerably depending on the skills and competencies required
in different occupations in different industries, flexibility will be
provided on cost per-participant. However, applications for funding
will be reviewed to determine if the cost of the training is
appropriate and will produce the outcomes identified. Applicants should
demonstrate that the proposed cost per participant is aligned with
existing price structures for similar training in the local area or
other areas with similar characteristics. When calculating cost per
participant, applicants must distinguish between non-training and
training costs utilizing grant funds.
Indirect Costs. As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles,
indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint
objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular cost
objective. In order to utilize grant funds for indirect costs incurred,
the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with its
Federal Cognizant Agency either before or shortly after the grant
award.
Administrative Costs. Under the STEM Initiative, an entity that
receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use more
than 10 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs
associated with the program or project. Administrative costs could be
both direct and indirect costs and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220.
Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from
program costs on the SF 424A Budget Information Form. They should be
discussed in the budget narrative and tracked through the grantee's
accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also
indirect