Applications for New Awards; Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions and Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions, 58235-58239 [2015-24511]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 187 / Monday, September 28, 2015 / Notices
required to support an additional year of
funding will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities.
The small entities that will be affected
by this waiver and extension are the
four currently-funded LINCS RPDC
grantees and any potential applicants
for LINCS RPDC grants in FY 2015.
The Secretary further certifies that the
waiver and extension will not have a
significant economic impact on these
LINCS RPDC entities because the waiver
and extension impose minimal
compliance costs to extend projects
already in existence, and the activities
required to support the additional year
of funding will not impose additional
regulatory burdens or require
unnecessary Federal supervision.
Furthermore, the costs of carrying out
these activities could be paid for with
program funds.
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Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This final waiver and extension does
not contain any information collection
requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
The LINCS RPDC is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of
the objectives of the Executive order is
to foster an intergovernmental
partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies
on processes developed by State and
local governments for coordination and
review of proposed Federal financial
assistance. This document provides
early notification of our specific plans
and actions for this program.
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
request to the contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
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
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Specifically, through the advanced
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results more rapidly than is typically
achieved in education research.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C.
3332(c)(2)(G).
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Dated: September 22, 2015.
Johan E. Uvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the
Authority of Assistant Secretary for the Office
for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2015–24590 Filed 9–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; LowCost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Education Interventions and Low-Cost,
Short-Duration Evaluation of Special
Education Interventions
Institute of Education Sciences,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Education Interventions and LowCost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Special Education Interventions
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305L
and 84.324L.
DATES: Request for Applications
Available: September 30, 2015.
Applications Available: November 12,
2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: January 12, 2016.
SUMMARY: The Deputy Director for
Policy and Research, delegated the
duties of the Director, of the Institute of
Education Sciences (Institute)
announces the Institute’s FY 2016 grant
competition for Low-Cost, ShortDuration Evaluation of Education
Interventions and Low-Cost, ShortDuration Evaluation of Special
Education Interventions. The Deputy
Director for Policy and Research takes
this action under the Education
Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The
Institute’s purpose in awarding these
grants is to support rigorous evaluations
of education interventions that State
educational agencies (SEAs) or local
educational agencies (LEAs) believe will
produce meaningful improvements in
student outcomes within a short period
(for example, within a single semester or
academic year), that can be conducted at
low cost, and that will provide
policymakers with valid and useful
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Full Text of Announcement
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Education Interventions
and Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions grant programs is to
support rigorous evaluations of
education interventions implemented
by SEAs and LEAs that have important
implications for improving student
education outcomes. The evaluations
are low cost because they rely on
administrative records or other available
data and are completed within a twoyear period. The evaluations are
rigorous because they use randomized
controlled trials or regression
discontinuity designs that, if well
implemented, would meet What Works
Clearinghouse evidence standards
without reservations for determining the
effectiveness of interventions.
The evaluations are to be carried out
by partnerships between research
institutions and SEAs or LEAs.
Implementation of the intervention to be
evaluated is to be supported by the SEA
and/or LEA and not by the grant. The
education intervention to be evaluated
should be implemented and the key
outcomes collected within the first year
of the project, and the analysis and
dissemination should be completed by
the end of the second year of the project.
In order to meet this schedule, projects
should focus on interventions that are
expected to produce meaningful results
quickly (for example, within one
semester or school year) and that rely on
outcome measures that are readily
available to researchers.
Competitions in This Notice: The
Institute’s National Center for Education
Research (NCER) will hold one
competition for the Low-Cost, ShortDuration Evaluation of Education
Interventions Grant Program (84.305L).
The Institute’s National Center for
Special Education Research (NCSER)
will hold one competition for the LowCost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Special Education Interventions Grant
Program (84.324L).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR
part 75 are applicable, except for the
provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b),
75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 75.109(a),
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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. (b) The Office of
Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as
adopted and amended as regulations of
the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)
The Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and
amended in 2 CFR part 3474.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to institutions of higher education
only.
II. Award Information
Types of Awards: Discretionary
grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $1
million for each of the two
competitions.
Estimated Number of Awards: The
maximum number of awards made for
the Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Education Interventions
Grant Program will be four. The
maximum number of awards made for
the Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions Grant Program will be
four. These maximums will depend on
the quality of the applications received
and the availability of funds. The
Institute’s Director or Deputy Director
for Policy and Research (Delegated
Duties of the Director) may change the
maximum number of grants per
competition awarded through a notice
in the Federal Register.
Contingent on the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2017 from the list of unfunded
applications from the FY 2016
competitions.
Maximum Award: The maximum total
award is $250,000 for the entire project
period of up to 24 months. We will
reject any application that proposes a
budget of more than $250,000.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
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Project Period: Up to 24 months based
on performance.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Research
partnerships involving at least one
research institution and at least one SEA
or LEA. The partnership must choose
one principal investigator from either
the research institution or the SEA or
LEA to have overall responsibility for
the administration of the award.
Applicants that have the ability and
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capacity to conduct scientifically valid
research are eligible to apply as the
research institution partner. These
include, but are not limited to, nonprofit
and for-profit organizations and public
and private agencies and institutions,
such as colleges and universities. SEAs
and LEAs (public agencies whose
primary responsibility is the education
of students in prekindergarten, K–12,
postsecondary, and/or adult education)
are eligible to apply as the education
agency partner.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These
programs do not require cost sharing or
matching.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Requests for Applications and
Other Information: Information
regarding program and application
requirements for the two competitions
will be contained in the NCER and
NCSER Requests for Applications
(RFAs), which will be available on the
Institute’s Web site at: https://ies.ed.gov/
funding/. Separate application packages
for the two competitions will be
available on November 12, 2015.
The selection criteria, requirements
concerning the content of an
application, and review procedures for
the competitions are contained in the
RFAs.
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:
Request for Applications Available:
September 30, 2015.
Applications Available: November 12,
2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: January 12, 2016.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Applications 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 IV. 7. Other
Submission Requirements of this notice.
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
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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: These
competitions are not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System
Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and System for Award
Management: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must—
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number
and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the
Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the
Government’s primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active SAM
registration with current information
while your application is under review
by the Department and, if you are
awarded a grant, during the project
period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from
Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one to two
business days.
If you are a corporate entity, agency,
institution, or organization, you can
obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue
Service. If you are an individual, you
can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security
Administration. If you need a new TIN,
please allow two to five weeks for your
TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take
approximately seven business days, but
may take upwards of several weeks,
depending on the completeness and
accuracy of the data entered into the
SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you
think you might want to apply for
Federal financial assistance under a
program administered by the
Department, please allow sufficient time
to obtain and register your DUNS
number and TIN. We strongly
recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active,
you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the
information to be available in Grants.gov and
before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
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If you are currently registered with
SAM, you may not need to make any
changes. However, please make certain
that the TIN associated with your DUNS
number is correct. Also, note that you
will need to update your registration
annually. This may take three or more
business days.
Information about SAM is available at
www.SAM.gov. To further assist you
with obtaining and registering your
DUNS number and TIN in SAM or
updating your existing SAM account,
we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,
which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/
fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
In addition, if you are submitting your
application via Grants.gov, you must (1)
be designated by your organization as an
Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these
steps are outlined at the following
Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/
web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under these
competitions 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 LowCost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Education Interventions, CFDA number
84.305L, and Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions, CFDA number 84.324L,
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 Low-Cost, ShortDuration Evaluation of Education
Interventions competition and the Low-
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Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Special Education Interventions
competition at www.Grants.gov. You
must search for the downloadable
application packages for these
competitions by the CFDA number,
84.305L or 84.324L.
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: The Application for Federal
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
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Education Supplemental Information for
SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to
your application as files in a PDF
(Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable PDF or submit a
password-protected file, we will not
review that material.
• Your electronic application must
comply with any page-limit
requirements described in the relevant
RFA for your application.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive from
Grants.gov an automatic notification of
receipt that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number. (This notification
indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not
receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send a
second notification to you by email.
This second notification indicates that
the Department has received your
application and has assigned your
application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified 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
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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.
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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 prevents you from using the
Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to
the Department, it must be postmarked
no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the
Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks
before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your
statement to: Ellie Pelaez, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue NW., Room 600e,
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.
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
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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: 84.305L or 84.324L),
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: 84.305L or 84.324L),
550 12th Street SW., Room 7039,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202–4260.
The Application Control Center accepts
hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time,
except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal
holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper
Applications: If you mail or hand deliver
your application to the Department—
(1) You must indicate on the envelope
and—if not provided by the Department—in
Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,
including suffix letter, if any, of the
competition under which you are submitting
your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will
mail to you a notification of receipt of your
grant application. If you do not receive this
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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 each competition are
provided in the applicable RFA.
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 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose
special conditions and, in appropriate
circumstances, high-risk conditions on a
grant if the applicant or grantee is not
financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a
financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2
CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;
or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN); or we may send you an email
containing a link to access an electronic
version of your GAN. We may notify
you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
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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 two-day
meeting for project directors to be held
in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under these competitions, 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 and special education research
grant programs, the Institute annually
assesses the percentage of projects that
result in peer-reviewed publications, the
number of newly developed or modified
interventions with evidence of promise
for improving student education
outcomes, and the number of Institutesupported interventions with evidence
of efficacy in improving student
outcomes, including school readiness
outcomes for young children and
student academic outcomes and social
and behavioral competencies for schoolage students. School readiness outcomes
include pre-reading, reading, prewriting, early mathematics, early
science, and social-emotional skills that
prepare young children for school.
Student academic outcomes include
learning and achievement in core
academic content areas (reading,
writing, math, and science) and
outcomes that reflect students’
successful progression through the
education system (e.g., course and grade
completion; high school graduation;
postsecondary enrollment, progress, and
completion). Social and behavioral
competencies include social skills,
attitudes, and behaviors that may be
important to student’s academic and
post-academic success. Additional
education outcomes for students with or
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Sep 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
at risk of disability include
developmental outcomes for infants and
toddlers (birth to age three) with or at
risk for a disability pertaining to
cognitive, communicative, linguistic,
social, emotional, adaptive, functional,
or physical development; and
developmental and functional outcomes
that improve education outcomes,
transition to employment, independent
living, and postsecondary education for
students with disabilities.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among
other things: Whether a grantee has
made substantial progress in meeting
the goals and objectives of the project;
whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its
approved application and budget; and,
if the Secretary has established
performance measurement
requirements, whether the grantee has
met the performance targets in the
grantee’s approved application. 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 Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Regarding CFDA number 84.305L—Dr.
Phill Gagne at Phill.Gagne@ed.gov, or
Dr. Allen Ruby at Allen.Ruby@ed.gov.
Regarding CFDA number 84.324L—Dr.
Robert Ochsendorf at
Robert.Ochsendorf@ed.gov.
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.
VIII. 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
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register
and the Code of Federal Regulations is
available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you
can view this document, as well as all
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58239
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: www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: September 22, 2015.
Ruth Neild,
Deputy Director for Policy and Research,
Delegated Duties of the Director, Institute of
Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2015–24511 Filed 9–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP15–552–000]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice
of Application
Take notice that on September 9,
2015, Northern Natural Gas Company
(Northern) pursuant to section 7(c) of
the Natural Gas Act (NGA), the Federal
Energy and Regulatory Commission’s
(FERC) regulations under and 18 CFR
part 157 filed in Docket No. CP15–552–
000, an application for certification and
all authorizations necessary to construct
and operate new natural gas
transportation facilities in Gaines
County, Texas, as more fully set forth in
the application which is on file with the
Commission and open for public
inspection. The filing may also be
viewed on the web at https://
www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. For
assistance, contact FERC at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call
toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or TTY, (202)
502–8659.
Any questions concerning this
application may be directed to: Michael
T. Loeffler, Senior Director Certificates
and External Affairs, Northern Natural
Gas Company, P.O. Box 3330, Omaha,
Nebraska 68103–0330, Phone: (402)
398–7103, FAX: (402) 398–7592, Email:
mike.loeffler@nngco.com (402) 398–
7103, or Bret Fritch, Senior Regulatory
Analyst, at (402) 398–7140.
Specifically, Northern proposes to
construct and operate a greenfield
E:\FR\FM\28SEN1.SGM
28SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 187 (Monday, September 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58235-58239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24511]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation
of Education Interventions and Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Special Education Interventions
AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions and Low-
Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305L and
84.324L.
DATES: Request for Applications Available: September 30, 2015.
Applications Available: November 12, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2016.
SUMMARY: The Deputy Director for Policy and Research, delegated the
duties of the Director, of the Institute of Education Sciences
(Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2016 grant competition for
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions and Low-
Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions. The
Deputy Director for Policy and Research takes this action under the
Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The Institute's purpose in
awarding these grants is to support rigorous evaluations of education
interventions that State educational agencies (SEAs) or local
educational agencies (LEAs) believe will produce meaningful
improvements in student outcomes within a short period (for example,
within a single semester or academic year), that can be conducted at
low cost, and that will provide policymakers with valid and useful
results more rapidly than is typically achieved in education research.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Education Interventions and Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education Interventions grant programs is to
support rigorous evaluations of education interventions implemented by
SEAs and LEAs that have important implications for improving student
education outcomes. The evaluations are low cost because they rely on
administrative records or other available data and are completed within
a two-year period. The evaluations are rigorous because they use
randomized controlled trials or regression discontinuity designs that,
if well implemented, would meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence
standards without reservations for determining the effectiveness of
interventions.
The evaluations are to be carried out by partnerships between
research institutions and SEAs or LEAs. Implementation of the
intervention to be evaluated is to be supported by the SEA and/or LEA
and not by the grant. The education intervention to be evaluated should
be implemented and the key outcomes collected within the first year of
the project, and the analysis and dissemination should be completed by
the end of the second year of the project. In order to meet this
schedule, projects should focus on interventions that are expected to
produce meaningful results quickly (for example, within one semester or
school year) and that rely on outcome measures that are readily
available to researchers.
Competitions in This Notice: The Institute's National Center for
Education Research (NCER) will hold one competition for the Low-Cost,
Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions Grant Program
(84.305L).
The Institute's National Center for Special Education Research
(NCSER) will hold one competition for the Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education Interventions Grant Program (84.324L).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
and 99. In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are applicable,
except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103,
75.105, 75.109(a),
[[Page 58236]]
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. (b) The Office of Management and Budget
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR
part 3474.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions
of higher education only.
II. Award Information
Types of Awards: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $1 million for each of the two
competitions.
Estimated Number of Awards: The maximum number of awards made for
the Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions
Grant Program will be four. The maximum number of awards made for the
Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions
Grant Program will be four. These maximums will depend on the quality
of the applications received and the availability of funds. The
Institute's Director or Deputy Director for Policy and Research
(Delegated Duties of the Director) may change the maximum number of
grants per competition awarded through a notice in the Federal
Register.
Contingent on the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 from the list of
unfunded applications from the FY 2016 competitions.
Maximum Award: The maximum total award is $250,000 for the entire
project period of up to 24 months. We will reject any application that
proposes a budget of more than $250,000.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months based on performance.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Research partnerships involving at least
one research institution and at least one SEA or LEA. The partnership
must choose one principal investigator from either the research
institution or the SEA or LEA to have overall responsibility for the
administration of the award. Applicants that have the ability and
capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to apply
as the research institution partner. These include, but are not limited
to, nonprofit and for-profit organizations and public and private
agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities. SEAs and
LEAs (public agencies whose primary responsibility is the education of
students in prekindergarten, K-12, postsecondary, and/or adult
education) are eligible to apply as the education agency partner.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Requests for Applications and Other Information: Information
regarding program and application requirements for the two competitions
will be contained in the NCER and NCSER Requests for Applications
(RFAs), which will be available on the Institute's Web site at: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/. Separate application packages for the two
competitions will be available on November 12, 2015.
The selection criteria, requirements concerning the content of an
application, and review procedures for the competitions are contained
in the RFAs.
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:
Request for Applications Available: September 30, 2015.
Applications Available: November 12, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2016.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Applications 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 IV. 7. Other
Submission Requirements of this notice.
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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: These competitions are not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the
Government's primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one to two business days.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department,
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
[[Page 58237]]
If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with
your DUNS number is correct. Also, note that you will need to update
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
these competitions 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 Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation
of Education Interventions, CFDA number 84.305L, and Low-Cost, Short-
Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions, CFDA number
84.324L, 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 Low-Cost,
Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions competition and
the Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the
downloadable application packages for these competitions by the CFDA
number, 84.305L or 84.324L.
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: The
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document)
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only,
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not
review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in the relevant RFA for your application.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your
[[Page 58238]]
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
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Ellie Pelaez, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW., Room 600e,
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.
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: 84.305L or 84.324L), 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: 84.305L or 84.324L), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for each competition
are provided in the applicable RFA.
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 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk
conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially
stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or
other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or
is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other
[[Page 58239]]
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
two-day meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under these
competitions, 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 and special education research grant programs, the
Institute annually assesses the percentage of projects that result in
peer-reviewed publications, the number of newly developed or modified
interventions with evidence of promise for improving student education
outcomes, and the number of Institute-supported interventions with
evidence of efficacy in improving student outcomes, including school
readiness outcomes for young children and student academic outcomes and
social and behavioral competencies for school-age students. School
readiness outcomes include pre-reading, reading, pre-writing, early
mathematics, early science, and social-emotional skills that prepare
young children for school. Student academic outcomes include learning
and achievement in core academic content areas (reading, writing, math,
and science) and outcomes that reflect students' successful progression
through the education system (e.g., course and grade completion; high
school graduation; postsecondary enrollment, progress, and completion).
Social and behavioral competencies include social skills, attitudes,
and behaviors that may be important to student's academic and post-
academic success. Additional education outcomes for students with or at
risk of disability include developmental outcomes for infants and
toddlers (birth to age three) with or at risk for a disability
pertaining to cognitive, communicative, linguistic, social, emotional,
adaptive, functional, or physical development; and developmental and
functional outcomes that improve education outcomes, transition to
employment, independent living, and postsecondary education for
students with disabilities.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in meeting the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether
the grantee has met the performance targets in the grantee's approved
application. 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 Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Regarding CFDA number 84.305L--Dr.
Phill Gagne at Phill.Gagne@ed.gov, or Dr. Allen Ruby at
Allen.Ruby@ed.gov. Regarding CFDA number 84.324L--Dr. Robert Ochsendorf
at Robert.Ochsendorf@ed.gov.
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.
VIII. 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 person listed under For Further Information Contact in
section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: September 22, 2015.
Ruth Neild,
Deputy Director for Policy and Research, Delegated Duties of the
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2015-24511 Filed 9-25-15; 8:45 am]
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