Applications for New Awards; Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, 46769-46774 [2011-19686]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46769-46774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19686]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Minority Science and Engineering 
Improvement Program

AGENCY: Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Minority Science and Engineering Improvement 
Program (MSEIP) Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal 
year (FY) 2011.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.120A.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: August 3, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 2, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect long-range 
improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly 
minority institutions and to increase the flow of underrepresented 
ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and 
technological careers.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: This notice includes five 
competitive preference priorities. Competitive Preference Priorities 1 
and 2 are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and 
definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). Competitive Preference 
Priorities 3, 4, and 5 are from 34 CFR 637.31(c).
    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 either Competitive Preference 
Priority 1 or 2, or an additional five points to an application that 
meets both Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we will also award an additional five 
points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 3. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii), we give preference to an application 
that meets Competitive Preference Priority 4 and Competitive Preference 
Priority 5 over an application of comparable merit that does not meet 
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.

    Note: Applicants seeking to address these competitive priorities 
must do so in the context of meeting all other program requirements, 
including those provisions requiring a focus on science and 
engineering education in the grants funded under this program.

    Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 
78486).
    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.
    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.
    These priorities are competitive preference priorities based on 34 
CFR 637.31(c).
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we will also award an additional five 
(5) points

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to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 3. Under 
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii), we give preference to an application that 
meets Competitive Preference Priority 4 and Competitive Preference 
Priority 5 over an application of comparable merit that does not meet 
these priorities.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 3. Applications from institutions 
that have not received a MSEIP grant within five years prior to this 
competition.
    Competitive Preference Priority 4. Applications from previous 
grantees with a proven record of success.
    Competitive Preference Priority 5. Applications that contribute to 
achieving balance among funded projects with respect to--(a) geographic 
region; (b) academic discipline; and (c) project type.
    Invitational 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 invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that meets these 
invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1. Applications that focus on preparing K-12 
students to enter into postsecondary programs in science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields; or applications that develop 
articulation agreements that facilitate students entering into 
postsecondary STEM fields.
    Invitational Priority 2. Applications that focus directly on 
student learning and encourage and facilitate implementation of 
effective pedagogical approaches increase student retention and 
achievement in STEM fields.
    Invitational Priority 3. Applications that focus on mentoring 
programs designed to increase the number of underrepresented students 
who graduate with STEM undergraduate or graduate degrees.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067-1067k.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 637; (c) 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 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,035,168.
    Contingent upon the appropriation and the quality of applications, 
we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: $150,000-
$250,000. Special Project Grants: $100,000-$250,000. Cooperative 
Project Grants: $250,000-$300,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 
$200,000. Special Project Grants: $175,000. Cooperative Project Grants: 
$275,000.
    Maximum Awards: Institutional Project Grants: $250,000. Special 
Project Grants: $250,000. Cooperative Project Grants: $300,000. We will 
reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum 
award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary 
for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amounts through a 
notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 12; 
Special Project Grants: 2; Cooperative Project Grants: 1.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    Eligible Applicants: The eligibility of an applicant is dependent 
on the type of MSEIP grant. There are four types of MSEIP grants: 
Institutional projects, special projects, cooperative, and design.
    Institutional project grants are grants that support the 
implementation of a comprehensive science improvement plan, which may 
include any combination of activities for improving the preparation of 
minority students for careers in science.
    There are two types of special projects grants. There are special 
projects grants for which minority institutions are eligible. These 
special projects grants support activities that: (1) Improve quality 
training in science and engineering at minority institutions; or (2) 
enhance the minority institutions' general scientific research 
capabilities. There are also special projects grants for which all 
applicants are eligible. These special projects grants support 
activities that: (1) Provide a needed service to a group of eligible 
minority institutions; or (2) provide in-service training for project 
directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority 
institutions.
    Cooperative project grants assist groups of nonprofit accredited 
colleges and universities to work together to conduct a science 
improvement program.
    Design project grants assist minority institutions that do not have 
their own appropriate resources or personnel to plan and develop long-
range science improvement programs. We will not award design project 
grants in the FY 2011 competition.
    A. For institutional project grants, eligible applicants are 
limited to:
    (1) Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that (A) Award baccalaureate degrees; and (B) are minority 
institutions;
    (2) public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that (A) Award associate degrees; and (B) are minority institutions 
that (i) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering 
subjects; and (ii) enter into a partnership with public or private 
nonprofit institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate 
degrees in science and engineering.
    B. For special projects grants for which minority institutions are 
eligible, eligible applicants are described in paragraph A.
    C. For special projects grants for which all applicants are 
eligible, eligible applicants include those described in paragraph A, 
and
    (1) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional 
scientific societies, and institutions of higher education that award 
baccalaureate degrees that: (A) Provide a needed service to a group of 
minority institutions; or (B) provide in-service training to project 
directors, scientists, and engineers from minority institutions; or
    (2) a consortia of organizations, that provide needed services to 
one or more minority institutions, the membership of which may include 
(A) Institutions of higher education which have a curriculum in science 
or engineering; (B) institutions of higher education that have a 
graduate or professional program in science or engineering; (C) 
research laboratories of, or under contract with, the Department of 
Energy, the Department of Defense or the National Institutes of Health; 
(D) relevant offices of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; (E) quasi-governmental entities that have a significant 
scientific or engineering mission; or (F)institutions

[[Page 46771]]

of higher education that have State-sponsored centers for research in 
science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
    D. For cooperative projects grants, eligible applicants are groups 
of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities whose primary fiscal 
agent is an eligible minority institution as defined in 34 CFR 
637.4(b).

    Note: As defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b), minority institution means 
an accredited college or university whose enrollment of a single 
minority group or a combination of minority groups exceeds 50 
percent of the total enrollment.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application via the Internet at Grants.gov. If you do not have access 
to the Internet, please contact Bernadette M. Hence or Matthew Willis, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006-
8517. Telephone: (202) 219-7038 or (202) 502-7598, respectively.
    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 the program contact persons 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 competition.
    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. We have established a 
mandatory page limit for the application narrative of each type of 
MSEIP grant project as follows:
    Institutional project grants: 40 pages;
    Special projects grant application: 35 pages;
    Cooperative project grant application: 50 pages.
    You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to these 
established page limits, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and a document 
identifier may be within 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, captions, and all text in charts, 
tables, and graphs. These items may be single spaced; however, they 
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, and graphs.
     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.
     If you use some but not all of the allowable space on a 
page, it will be counted as a full page in determining compliance with 
the page limit.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the budget justification; Part IV, the 
one-page abstract, the table of contents, the MSEIP Eligibility 
Certification Form, required letter(s) of commitment, evidence of 
partnerships, or the assurances and certifications. If you include any 
attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will 
be counted as part of the program narrative (Part III) for purposes of 
the page limit requirement. You must include your complete responses to 
the selection criteria in the program narrative.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit. We 
will also reject your application if you fail to provide the MSEIP 
Eligibility Certification Form.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 3, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 2, 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 persons 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.
    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 competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) Be designated by your organization as

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an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register 
yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined 
at the following Grants.gov Web page: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the MSEIP, CFDA Number 84.120A, 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 MSEIP at 
https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.120, not 
84.120A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at 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: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) 
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 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

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     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: Dr. Bernadette Hence, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6032, 
Washington, DC 20006-8517. 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 84.120A), 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 84.120A), 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 637.32(a) through (j), and are as follows:
    (a) Identification of need for the project (Total 5 points).
    (b) Plan of operation (Total 15 points).
    (c) Quality of key personnel (Total 10 points).
    (d) Budget and cost effectiveness (Total 15 points).
    (e) Evaluation plan (Total 15 points).
    (f) Adequacy of resources (Total 5 points).
    (g) Potential institutional impact of the project (Total 10 
points).
    (h) Institutional commitment to the project (Total 10 points).
    (i) Expected Outcomes (Total 10 points).
    (j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed project (Total 
5 points).
    Applicants must address each of the selection criteria. The total 
weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; the weight of each 
criterion is noted in parentheses.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an 
award are in 34 CFR 75.217.
    Tiebreaker for Institutional, Special Project, and Cooperative 
Grants. If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the 
same total scores, applications will receive preference in the 
following order: first, applications that satisfy the requirement of 
Competitive Preference Priority 3; second, applications that satisfy 
the requirements of Competitive Preference Priority 4 in combination 
with Competitive Preference Priority 5; and third, applications that 
satisfy the requirements of Competitive Preference Priority 4.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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

[[Page 46774]]

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 in this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. 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 the effectiveness of 
the MSEIP: (1) The percentage of change in the number of full-time, 
degree-seeking minority undergraduate students at the grantee's 
institution enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or 
biological sciences, compared to the average minority enrollment in the 
same fields in the three-year period immediately prior to the beginning 
of the current grant; (2) the percentage of minority students enrolled 
at four-year minority-serving institutions in the fields of engineering 
or physical or biological sciences who graduate within six years of 
enrollment.
    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: Dr. Bernadette M. Hence, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517 
by telephone: (202) 219-7038, or by e-mail: Bernadette.Hence@ed.gov or 
Matthew Willis by telephone at (202) 502-7598 or by e-mail: 
Matthew.Willis@ed.gov, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517.
    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: 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. At this site you can view this document, 
as well as all other documents of this Department published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.

    Dated: July 29, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-19686 Filed 8-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P