Applications for New Awards; Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program, 18202-18208 [2011-7803]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18202-18208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7803]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Asian American and Native American 
Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving 
Institutions (AANAPISI) Program.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards using fiscal year (FY) 
2010 funds.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.382B.
    DATES:
    Applications Available: April 1, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 15, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The AANAPISI program authorized under section 
371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) provides 
grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to enable 
them to improve their academic quality, increase their self 
sufficiency, and strengthen their capacity to make a substantial 
contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation. At the 
time of application, IHEs applying for funds under the AANAPISI program 
must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 
percent Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander.

    Note 1: The AANAPISI program in this notice is authorized under 
section 371 of part F of title III of the HEA, which provides 
$5,000,000 annually through fiscal year 2019 for grants under the 
AANAPISI program to eligible institutions for activities specified 
under section 311(c) of the HEA. Section 311 of the HEA applies to 
the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), which is authorized 
under part A of title III of the HEA. Like the AANAPISI program 
authorized under section 371 of the HEA (section 371 AANAPISI 
program), the SIP provides grants to enable institutions to improve 
their academic quality, increase their self sufficiency, and 
strengthen their capacity to make a substantial contribution to the 
higher education resources of the Nation.
    Although the section 371 AANAPISI program is not part of the 
SIP, section 371(a)(6), (b)(2)(D)(iii), and (c)(2) of the HEA 
provide that the activities and eligibility provisions under SIP 
apply to the section 371 AANAPISI program. In light of the overlap 
of the statutory provisions in the section 371 AANAPISI program and 
the SIP, the Secretary has determined that it is appropriate to use 
regulatory requirements relating to the enrollment of needy 
students, expenditures, and tie-breaking factors that are based on 
the SIP regulations (see 34 CFR part 607) for use for the first 
grant competition in the section 371 AANAPISI program. To this end, 
the Secretary has decided to base the requirements for this 
competition on the following SIP regulations: enrollment of needy 
students provisions in 34 CFR 607.3 and the low education and 
general expenditures provisions in 34 CFR 607.4 as part of the 
eligibility criteria, and the tie-breaker provisions in 34 CFR 
607.23(b).


    Note 2: The eligibility criteria for this competition, including 
the enrollment of needy students and expenditure provisions, are set 
forth in section III. 1. Eligible Applicants of this notice. The 
tie-breaker provisions are set forth in section V. 3. Tie-breaker 
for Grants of this notice.

    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed program requirements. Section 
437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, 
allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. The Health Care and Education 
Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152) (Reconciliation Act) provided 
new authority to implement the section 371 AANAPISI program. This is 
the first grant competition for the program since the enactment of the 
Reconciliation Act; therefore, this competition qualifies for the 
exemption.
    Under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, in order to ensure timely grant 
awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the 
following requirements for this competition: the enrollment of needy 
students provision based on 34 CFR 607.3 and the low education and 
general expenditures provision based on 34 CFR 607.4 as part of the 
eligibility criteria, and the tie-breaker provisions based on 34 CFR 
607.23(b).
    Priorities: This notice includes two competitive preference 
priorities that are from the notice of final supplemental priorities 
and definitions for discretionary grant programs,

[[Page 18203]]

published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486) 
(Supplemental NFP).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional two 
and one-half points to an application that meets one of the priorities, 
or an additional five points to an application that meets both of these 
priorities.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Increasing Postsecondary Success

    Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
    Increasing the number and proportion of high-need students (as 
defined in this notice) who persist in and complete college or other 
postsecondary education and training.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Enabling More Data-Based Decision-
Making

    Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use 
high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant 
outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this 
notice), in the following priority area:
    Improving postsecondary student outcomes relating to enrollment, 
persistence, and completion and leading to career success.
    Definitions: The following definitions apply to this competition. 
These definitions are from the sources indicated in parentheses 
following the definition.
    Asian American means a person having origins in any of the original 
peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent 
(including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, 
Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam). 
(See section 371(c)(1) of the HEA; the Office of Management and 
Budget's Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal 
Data on Race and Ethnicity as published on October 30, 1997 (62 FR 
58789)).
    Native American Pacific Islander means any descendant of the 
aboriginal people of any island in the Pacific Ocean that is a 
territory or possession of the United States. (See section 371(c)(7) of 
the HEA.)
    High-need children and high-need students means children and 
students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students 
who are living in poverty, who are English learners, who are far below 
grade level or who are not on track to becoming college- or career-
ready by graduation, who have left school or college before receiving, 
respectively, a regular high school diploma or a college degree or 
certificate, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, 
who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting 
teenagers, who have been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, or who 
have disabilities. (See Supplemental NFP.)
    Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its 
implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State, and local requirements 
regarding privacy. (See Supplemental NFP.)
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C 1067q(b)(2)(D)(iii); Section 2103 of 
the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-
152).
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,922,298.

    Note:  Funds appropriated for this program for FY 2010 remain 
available for obligation in FY 2011 pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 
1067q(b)(1)(B).

    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$400,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 13.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An IHE is eligible to receive funds if it 
qualifies as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
Serving Institution (AANAPISI). To be an eligible AANAPISI, an IHE 
must--
    (a) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 
312(d) of the HEA (section 312(b)(1)(A) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 
1058(b)(1)(A));
    (b) Have, except as provided in section 392(b) of the HEA, the 
average educational and general expenditures of which are low, per 
full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with 
the average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate 
student of institutions that offer similar instruction (section 
312(b)(1)(B) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1058(b)(1)(B));

    Note: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low 
average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate 
student, an IHE must be designated as an ``eligible institution'' in 
accordance with 34 CFR 607.3 through 607.5 and the notice inviting 
applications for designation as an eligible institution for the 
fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.

    (c)(1) Be legally authorized to provide, and provides within the 
State, an educational program for which such institution awards a 
bachelor's degree;
    (2) Be a junior or community college; or
    (3) Be the College of the Marshall Islands, the College of 
Micronesia/Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau Community College 
(section 312(b)(1)(C) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1058(b)(1)(C));
    (d) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association determined by the Secretary to be reliable authority as to 
the quality of training offered or be, according to such an agency or 
association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation (section 
312(b)(1)(D) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1058(b)(1)(D));
    (e) Meet such other requirements as the Secretary may prescribe 
(section 312(b)(1)(E) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1058(b)(1)(E));
    (f) At the time of application, has an enrollment of undergraduate 
students that is at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American 
Pacific Islander students (as those terms are defined in this notice).

    Note: To satisfy paragraph (f) of the eligibility criteria, an 
applicant, at the time it applies, must certify its total 
undergraduate enrollment and must certify that 10 percent of its 
undergraduate enrollment is Asian American or Native American 
Pacific Islander. To make this certification, the applicant must 
submit a completed assurance form, signed by an authorized official, 
along

[[Page 18204]]

with the application. (This assurance form is included in the 
application materials for this competition.)


    Note: For purposes of establishing eligibility for this 
competition, the Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as 
Eligible Institutions for FY 2010 was published in the Federal 
Register on December 7, 2009 (74 FR 64059), and the deadline for 
application was January 6, 2010. The Notice Inviting Applications 
for Designation as Eligible Institutions for FY 2010 was reopened on 
August 13, 2010 (75 FR 49484), and the deadline for applications was 
September 13, 2010. Only institutions that submitted the required 
application and received designation through one of these processes 
are eligible to submit applications for this competition.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: There are no cost sharing or matching 
requirements for this program.
    3. Other: Limit on Number of Grants. A grantee under the Asian 
American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions 
(AANAPISI), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI), 
Hispanic Serving Institutions-STEM and Articulation (HSI-STEM), and 
Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) programs authorized by section 
371 of the HEA may apply for a grant using FY 2010 funds under any of 
these programs for which it is eligible. However, a successful 
applicant may receive only one grant under section 371.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet using the following address: 
https://Grants.gov. If you do not have access to the Internet, please 
contact Pearson Owens or Darlene Collins, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street, NW., room 6043, Washington, DC 20006-8513. You may 
contact these individuals at the following e-mail addresses or 
telephone numbers:
    Pearson.Owens@ed.gov (202) 502-7804;
    Darlene.Collins@ed.gov (202) 502-7576.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting either of the program contacts 
listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the 
application narrative (Part III) to no more than 50 pages, using the 
following standards. For purposes of determining compliance with the 
page limit, each page on which there are words will be counted as one 
full page.
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an 
identifier may be outside of the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative may be single 
spaced and will count toward the page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point 
font in charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for 
Federal Assistance (SF 424--cover sheet); the Supplemental Information 
for SF 424 Form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the 
budget section, Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), 
including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page program abstract, the resumes, the 
bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does 
apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III). If you 
include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested in the 
program narrative (Part III of the application), these items will be 
counted as part of the program narrative for purposes of the page limit 
requirement. You must include your complete response to the selection 
criteria in the program narrative.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 1, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 15, 2011.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference the regulations outlining 
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this 
notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you

[[Page 18205]]

can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social 
Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks 
for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the 
AANAPISI program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the AANAPISI program, CFDA number 
84.382B must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site at https://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you 
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the AANAPISI 
program at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.382, 
not 84.382B).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at https://www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file 
type other than a PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a

[[Page 18206]]

determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;
    and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Pearson Owens or Darlene 
Collins, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6043, 
Washington, DC 20006-8513. Fax: (202) 502-7861.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.382B), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note:  The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a 
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with 
your local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.382B), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 in EDGAR. The total weight of the selection criteria 
is 100 points; the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses.
    a. Need for project. (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary considers 
the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    1. The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the 
activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (10 points)
    2. The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (5 
points)
    3. The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
    b. Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers:
    1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(10 points)
    2. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (5 points)
    c. Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers:
    1. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (10 points)
    2. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice. (5 points)
    d. Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant

[[Page 18207]]

encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
    In addition, the Secretary considers:
    1. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator. (5 points)
    2. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel. (5 points)
    e. Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 points) The Secretary 
considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In 
determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers:
    1. The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project. (3 points)
    2. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. 
(2 points)
    f. Quality of the management plan. (Maximum 20 points) The 
Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers:
    1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of 
the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (10 points)
    2. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    3. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project. (5 points)
    g. Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 15 points) The 
Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of 
the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the 
Secretary considers:
    1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (5 points)
    2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of 
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended 
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative 
data to the extent possible. (5 points)
    3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
    2. Review and Selection Process: For five-year grants, awards will 
be made in rank order according to the average score received from a 
panel of three readers.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 
timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable 
quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Tie-breaker for Grants. To resolve ties in the reader scores of 
applications for grants, the Department will award one additional point 
to an application from an IHE that has an endowment fund for which the 
current market value, per FTE enrolled student, is less than the 
average current market value of the endowment funds, per FTE enrolled 
student at comparable institutions that offer similar instruction. In 
addition, to resolve ties in the reader scores of applications for 
grants, the Department will award one additional point to an 
application from an IHE that has expenditures for library materials per 
FTE enrolled student that are less than the average expenditures for 
library materials per FTE enrolled student at comparable institutions 
that offer similar instruction. We also will add one additional point 
to an application from an IHE that proposes to carry out one or more of 
the following activities--
    1. Faculty development;
    2. Funds and administrative management;
    3. Development and improvement of academic programs;
    4. Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening management and 
academic programs;
    5. Joint use of facilities; and
    6. Student services.
    For the purpose of these funding considerations, we will use the 
most recent complete data available (e.g., for FY 2010, we will use 
2008-2009 data).
    If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above, 
priority will be given to applicants that have the lowest endowment 
values per FTE enrolled student.
    4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary in 34 
CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 607.31. The Secretary may also require more 
frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific 
requirements on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing

[[Page 18208]]

the effectiveness of the AANAPISI program:
    a. The percentage change, over a five-year period, of the number of 
full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates enrolling at AANAPISIs. Note 
that this is a long-term measure, which will be used to periodically 
gauge performance;
    b. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students at four-year AANAPISIs who were in their first 
year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled 
in the current year at the same AANAPISI;
    c. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students at two-year AANAPISIs who were in their first 
year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled 
in the current year at the same AANAPISI;
    d. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at four-year AANAPISIs who graduate 
within six years of enrollment; and
    e. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at two-year AANAPISIs who graduate 
within three years of enrollment.
    In addition, the Department has developed the following efficiency 
measure for the AANAPISI program.
    Efficiency measure: Federal cost per undergraduate degree at 
AANAPISIs.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pearson Owens or Darlene Collins, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6043, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. You may contact these individuals at the following e-mail 
addresses or telephone numbers:
    Pearson.Owens@ed.gov (202) 502-7804;
    Darlene.Collins@ed.gov (202) 502-7576.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To 
use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
this site.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys.


    Dated: March 29, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-7803 Filed 3-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P