Applications for New Awards; Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs, 19874-19880 [2014-08107]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19874-19880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08107]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Education Research and Special 
Education Research Grant Programs

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305A, 
84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.324A, and 84.324B.

DATES: Applications Available: June 5, 2014.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 5, 2014.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 7, 2014.

SUMMARY: The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences 
(Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2015 competitions for grants 
to support education research and special education research. The 
Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002. The Institute's purpose in awarding these grants is to provide 
national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and 
understanding (1) of developmental and school readiness outcomes for 
infants and toddlers with or at risk for disability, and (2) of 
education outcomes for all students from early childhood education 
through postsecondary and adult education.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The central purpose of the Institute's research 
grant programs is to provide interested individuals and the general 
public with reliable and valid information about education practices 
that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to 
education opportunities for all students. These interested individuals 
include parents, educators, students, researchers, and policymakers. In 
carrying out its grant programs, the Institute provides support for 
programs of research in areas of demonstrated national need.
    Competitions in This Notice: The Institute will conduct seven 
research competitions in FY 2015 through two of its National Education 
Centers:
    The Institute's National Center for Education Research (NCER) will 
hold five competitions: One competition for education research, one 
competition for education research training, one competition for 
education research and development centers, one competition for 
statistical and research methodology in education, and one competition 
for partnerships and collaborations focused on problems of practice or 
policy.
    The Institute's National Center for Special Education Research 
(NCSER) will hold two competitions: one competition for special 
education research and one competition for special education research 
training.

NCER Competitions

    The Education Research Competition. Under this competition NCER 
will consider only applications that address one of the following ten 
education research topics:
     Cognition and Student Learning.
     Early Learning Programs and Policies.
     Education Technology.
     Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching.
     English Learners.
     Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, 
Management, and Leadership.
     Mathematics and Science Education.
     Postsecondary and Adult Education.
     Reading and Writing.
     Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning.
    The Education Research Training Competition. Under this competition 
NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following 
three topics:
     Predoctoral Research Training.
     Postdoctoral Research Training.
     Methods Training for Education Researchers.
    The Education Research and Development Centers Competition. Under 
this competition NCER will consider only applications that address one 
of the following three topics:
     Knowledge Utilization.
     Standards in Schools.
     Virtual Learning.
    The Statistical and Research Methodology in Education Competition. 
Under this competition NCER will consider only applications that 
address one of the following two topics:
     Statistical and Research Methodology Grants.
     Early Career Statistical and Research Methodology Grants.
    Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or 
Policy Competition. Under this competition NCER will consider only 
applications that address one of the following three topics:
     Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education 
Research.
     Continuous Improvement in Education Research.
     Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and 
Policies.

NCSER Competitions

    The Special Education Research Competition. Under this competition 
NCSER will consider only applications that address one of the following 
eleven topics:
     Autism Spectrum Disorders.
     Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education.
     Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special 
Education.

[[Page 19875]]

     Families of Children with Disabilities.
     Mathematics and Science Education.
     Professional Development for Teachers and Related Services 
Providers.
     Reading, Writing, and Language Development.
     Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning.
     Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems.
     Technology for Special Education.
     Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students with 
Disabilities.
    The Special Education Research Training Competition. Under this 
competition NCSER will consider only applications that address the 
following topic:
     Early Career Development and Mentoring in Special 
Education Research.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 77, 80, 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment and 
suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The EDGAR regulations in 
34 CFR part 75, except for 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103, 
75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-
(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230.

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

II. Award Information

    Types of Awards: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
    Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an 
appropriation for fiscal year 2015, the Institute is inviting 
applications for these competitions now so that it may give applicants 
adequate time to prepare their applications before the competitions 
take place. The Department may announce additional topics later in 
2014. The actual award of grants will depend on the availability of 
funds. The size of the awards will depend on the scope of the projects 
proposed. The number of awards made under each competition will depend 
on the quality of the applications received for that competition, the 
availability of funds, and the following limits on awards for specific 
competitions and topics set by the Institute.
    The Institute may waive any of the following limits on awards for a 
specific competition or topic in the special case that the peer review 
process results in a tie between two or more grant applications, making 
it impossible to adhere to the limits without funding only some of the 
equally ranked applications. In that case, the Institute may make a 
larger number of awards to include all applications of the same rank.
    For the NCER's Education Research Training competition, we will 
award no more than five grants under the Predoctoral Research Training 
topic and no more than five grants under the Postdoctoral Research 
Training topic.
    For the NCER's Education Research and Development Center 
competition, we will award no more than one grant under the Knowledge 
Utilization topic, no more than one grant under the Standards in 
Schools topic, and no more than one grant under the Virtual Learning 
topic.
    For the NCER's Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems 
of Practice or Policy competition, we will award no more than five 
grants under the Continuous Improvement in Education Research topic.
    For the NCSER's Special Education Research Training Competition, we 
will award no more than five grants under the Early Career Development 
and Mentoring in Special Education Research topic.
    Depending on the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 from the list of 
unfunded applications from the FY 2015 competitions.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants that have the ability and 
capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to 
apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, nonprofit 
and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and 
institutions, such as colleges and universities.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Request for Applications and Other Information: Information 
regarding program and application requirements for the competitions 
will be contained in the NCER and NCSER Requests for Applications 
(RFAs), which will be available at the following Web site: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/.
    RFAs Available: The RFAs for all seven competitions announced in 
this notice will be available at the Web site listed above on or before 
April 30, 2014. The dates on which the application packages for these 
competitions will be available are indicated in the chart at the end of 
this notice.
    The selection criteria, requirements concerning the content of an 
application, and review procedures for the competitions are contained 
in the RFAs. The RFAs also include information on the maximum award 
available under each grant competition. Applications that include 
proposed budgets higher than the relevant maximum award will not be 
considered for an award. The Director of the Institute may change the 
maximum amount through a notice in the Federal Register.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA for 
the specific competition. The forms that must be submitted are in the 
application package for the specific competition.
    3. Submission Dates and Times Requirements: Each competition will 
have its own application package. The deadline date for transmittal of 
applications invited under this notice is indicated in the chart at the 
end of this notice and in the RFAs for the competitions.
    Application packages for grants under these competitions must be 
obtained from and submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply 
site (www.Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) 
about how to submit your application package 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 V. 1. 
Electronic Submission of Applications in 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 VIII 
of this notice and the chart at the end 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. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--

[[Page 19876]]

    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM)--the Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also, note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at SAM.gov. To further assist 
you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or 
updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip 
Sheet, which you can find at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

V. Other Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under these competitions must be submitted 
electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement 
in accordance with the instructions in this section.

1. Electronic Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under the Education Research, Education 
Research Training, Education Research and Development Centers, 
Statistical and Research Methodology in Education, the Partnerships and 
Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy competitions, 
Special Education Research, and Special Education Research Training, 
CFDA Numbers 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.324A, and 
84.324B, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site you will be 
able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email 
an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant applications for the Education 
Research, Special Education Research, Education Research Training, 
Special Education Research Training, Education Research and Development 
Centers, Statistical and Research Methodology in Education, and the 
Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or 
Policy competitions at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for each competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.305, not 84.305A).
    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 the competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424 Research & Related (R&R)) 
and the other R&R forms including, Project Performance Site Locations, 
Other Project Information, Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded), 
Research and Related Budget (Total Federal and Non-Federal), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF

[[Page 19877]]

(Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not attempt to 
attach and upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a 
file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a 
password-protected file, your application will be rejected with errors 
by Grants.gov and we will not review it.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in the relevant RFA for your application.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov three emails that constitute automatic 
notification of receipt. These emails will contain a Grants.gov 
tracking number that you can use to track your application on the 
Grants.gov Web site. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov 
only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you 
by email. This second notification indicates that the Department has 
received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award 
number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Contact Center at support@grants.gov, https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html, or 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 VIII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Ellie Pelaez, U.S. 
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW., Room 602e, 
Washington, DC 20208. FAX: (202) 219-1466.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

2. 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: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if 
any, for the competition under which you are applying.]), 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.

3. 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: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if 
any, for the competition under which you are applying.]), 550 12th 
Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 10 of the SF 424 (R&R) the CFDA number, 
including suffix letter, if any, of the

[[Page 19878]]

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.

VI. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are provided in the RFAs.
    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).
    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.

VII. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual 
three-day meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under one of the 
competitions announced in this notice, you must ensure that you have in 
place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting 
requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the 
competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 
170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its 
education research grant program, the Institute annually assesses the 
number of IES-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in 
improving student outcomes including school readiness, academic 
outcomes (reading, writing, mathematics, and science), high school 
graduation and dropout, postsecondary enrollment and completion, and in 
enhancing teacher characteristics that have been shown to have a 
positive effect on student outcomes.
    For the special education research grant program, the Institute 
annually assesses the number of Institute-supported interventions with 
evidence of efficacy in improving student outcomes in school readiness, 
academics, and behavior.
    The data for these annual measures are based on What Works 
Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews of initial findings on interventions from 
Institute research grants, such as findings that will have been 
presented as papers at a convention or working papers provided to the 
Institute by its grantees. The WWC reviews these reports and rates them 
using the WWC published standards to determine whether the evidence 
from these research grants meets evidence standards of the WWC and 
demonstrates a statistically significant positive effect in improving 
the relevant outcome.
    The Institute also annually assesses the performance of its 
research training and special education research training programs by 
measuring the number of individuals who have been or are being trained 
in IES-funded research training programs and the number of fellows 
working in the field of education after they have completed the 
training program.
    6. 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).

VIII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The contact person associated with a 
particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of 
this notice, in the relevant RFA, and in the relevant application 
package. The date on which applications will be available, the deadline 
for transmittal of applications, the estimated range of awards, and the 
project period ranges are also listed in the chart and in the RFAs that 
are posted at the following Web sites: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/ and 
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/programs.html.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.

IX. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the RFA in an accessible format (e.g., braille, 
large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the appropriate 
program contact

[[Page 19879]]

person listed in the chart at the end of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
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by the Department.

    Dated: April 7, 2014.
John Q. Easton,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.

                                                             Institute of Education Sciences
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Deadline for                                                                   For further
       CFDA No. and name         Application package       transmittal of         Estimated range of awards*         Project period        information
                                      available             applications                                                                     contact
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      National Center for Education Research (NCER)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.305A Education Research
    [ssquf] Cognition and       June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $100,000 to $1,000,000...........  Up to 5 years........  Erin Higgins,
     Student Learning.                                                                                                                   Erin.Higgins@ed.gov.
    [ssquf] Early Learning
     Programs and Policies
    [ssquf] Education
     Technology
    [ssquf] Effective Teachers
     and Effective Teaching
    [ssquf] English Learners
    [ssquf] Improving
     Education Systems:
     Policies, Organization,
     Management, and
     Leadership
    [ssquf] Mathematics and
     Science Education
    [ssquf] Postsecondary and
     Adult Education
    [ssquf] Reading and
     Writing
    [ssquf] Social and
     Behavioral Context for
     Academic Learning
84.305B Research Training
 Programs in the Education
 Sciences
    [ssquf] Predoctoral         June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $50,000 to $1,000,000............  Up to 5 years........  Meredith Larson,
     Research Training Program.                                                                                                          Meredith.Larson@ed.gov.
    [ssquf] Postdoctoral
     Research Training Program
    [ssquf] Methods Training
     for Education Researchers
84.305C Education Research and
 Development Center Program
    [ssquf] Knowledge           June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $1,000,000 to $2,000,000.........  Up to 5 years........  Rebecca McGill-
     Utilization.                                                                                                                        Wilkinson,
                                                                                                                                         Rebecca.McGill@ed.gov.
    [ssquf] Standards in
     Schools
    [ssquf] Virtual Learning..
84.305D Statistical and
 Research Methodology in
 Education
    [ssquf] Early Career......  June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $40,000 to $300,000..............  Up to 3 years........  Phill Gagne,
                                                                                                                                         Phill.Gagne@ed.gov.
    [ssquf] Regular Grant
84.305H Partnerships and
 Collaborations Focused on
 Problems of Practice or
 Policy

[[Page 19880]]

 
    [ssquf] Researcher-         June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $50,000 to $1,000,000............  Up to 5 years........  Allen Ruby,
     Practitioner Partnerships                                                                                                           Allen.Ruby@ed.g
     in Education Research.                                                                                                              ov.
    [ssquf] Continuous
     Improvement Research in
     Education
    [ssquf] Evaluation of
     State and Local Education
     Programs and Policies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.324A Special Education
 Research
    [ssquf] Autism Spectrum     June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $100,000 to $1,000,000...........  Up to 5 years........  Jacquelyn
     Disorders.                                                                                                                          Buckley,
                                                                                                                                         Jacquelyn.Buckley@ed.gov.
    [ssquf] Cognition and
     Student Learning in
     Special Education
    [ssquf] Early Intervention
     and Early Learning in
     Special Education
    [ssquf] Families of
     Children with
     Disabilities
    [ssquf] Mathematics and
     Science Education
    [ssquf] Professional
     Development for Teachers
     and Related Services
     Providers
    [ssquf] Reading, Writing,
     and Language Development
    [ssquf] Social and
     Behavioral Outcomes to
     Support Learning
    [ssquf] Special Education
     Policy, Finance, and
     Systems
    [ssquf] Technology for
     Special Education
    [ssquf] Transition
     Outcomes for Secondary
     Students with
     Disabilities
84.324B Special Education
 Research Training
    [ssquf] Early Career        June 5, 2014.........  August 7, 2014.......  $50,000 to $100,000..............  Up to 4 years........  Kristen Rhoads,
     Development and Mentoring                                                                                                           Kristen.Rhoads@
     Program in Special                                                                                                                  ed.gov.
     Education Research.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* These estimates are annual amounts.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Note: If you use a telecommunications devices for the deaf (TTD) or a test telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-
  8339.

[FR Doc. 2014-08107 Filed 4-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P