Applications for New Awards; Strengthening Institutions Program, 28529-28533 [2019-13010]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2019 / Notices
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
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 this program, the
Department has established three
performance measures that assess
progress toward our strategic goal of
ensuring that data are available to
inform education decisions by
supporting States’ development and
implementation of statewide
longitudinal data systems. The
Department measures: (1) The number
of States that link K–12 data with early
childhood data; (2) the number of States
that link K–12 data with postsecondary
data; and (3) the number of States that
link K–12 and postsecondary data with
workforce data. In addition, grantees
will be expected to report in their
annual and final performance reports on
their progress in achieving the project
objectives proposed in their grant
applications and on the status of their
development and implementation of a
statewide longitudinal data system.
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 achieving
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, the performance targets in
the grantee’s approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document
and a copy of the application package in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
request to the program 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. You may access the official
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jun 18, 2019
Jkt 247001
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the 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.
Mark Schneider,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2019–13038 Filed 6–18–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Strengthening Institutions Program
Office of Postsecondary
Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2019 for the Strengthening
Institutions Program (SIP), Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
number 84.031A. This notice relates to
the approved information collection
under OMB control number 1840–0114.
DATES:
Applications Available: June 19, 2019.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: July 19, 2019.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-201902-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nalini Lamba-Nieves, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue
SW, Room 250–34, Washington, DC
20202–4260. Telephone: (202) 453–
7953. Email:
Nalini.Lamba.Nieves@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00071
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28529
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The
Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP)
provides grants to eligible institutions of
higher education (IHEs) to help them
become self-sufficient and expand their
capacity to serve low-income students
by providing funds to improve and
strengthen the institution’s academic
quality, institutional management, and
fiscal stability.
Priorities: This notice contains two
competitive preference priorities and
one invitational priority. The
competitive preference priorities are
from the Secretary’s Final Supplemental
Priorities and Definitions for
Discretionary Grant Programs (83 FR
9096) (Supplemental Priorities), which
were published in the Federal Register
on March 2, 2018.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For
FY 2019 and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition, these priorities are
competitive preference priorities. Under
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to
an additional six points to an
application that meets these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—
Fostering Flexible and Affordable Paths
to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills (4
points).
Projects that are designed to address
providing work-based learning
experiences (such as internships,
apprenticeships, and fellowships) that
align with in-demand industry sectors
or occupations (as defined in section
3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act of 2014).
Competitive Preference Priority 2—
Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the
Development of Skills that Prepare
Students to be Informed, Thoughtful,
and Productive Individuals and Citizens
(2 points).
Projects that are designed to address
supporting instruction in personal
financial literacy, knowledge of markets
and economics, knowledge of higher
education financing and repayment
(e.g., college savings and student loans),
or other skills aimed at building
personal financial understanding and
responsibility.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2019 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, this
priority is an invitational priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not
give an application that meets this
E:\FR\FM\19JNN1.SGM
19JNN1
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
28530
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2019 / Notices
invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other
applications.
This priority is:
Invitational Priority—Spurring
Investment in Opportunity Zones.
Under this priority, an applicant may
address one or both of the following
priority areas:
(1) Propose to serve children or
students who reside, or attend
elementary or secondary schools or
institutions of higher education, in a
qualified opportunity zone as
designated by the Secretary of the
Treasury under section 1400Z–1 of the
Internal Revenue Code, as amended by
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 115–
97). In addressing this priority, an
applicant must provide the census tract
number of the qualified opportunity
zone for which it proposes to serve
children or students. A list of qualified
opportunity zones, with census tract
numbers, is available at
www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/OpportunityZones.aspx.
(2) Provide evidence in its application
that it has received or will receive
financial assistance from a qualified
opportunity fund under section 1400Z–
2 of the Internal Revenue Code, as
amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,
for a purpose directly related to its
proposed project. In addressing this
priority, an applicant must identify the
qualified opportunity fund from which
it has received or will receive financial
assistance.
Definitions: These definitions apply to
the priorities and the selection criteria
for this competition and are from
section 3(23) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
and from 34 CFR 77.1.
Demonstrates a rationale means a key
project component included in the
project’s logic model is informed by
research or evaluation findings that
suggest the project component is likely
to improve relevant outcomes.
In-demand industry sector or
occupation means—
(a) In General.— (i) An industry sector
that has a substantial current or
potential impact (including through jobs
that lead to economic self-sufficiency
and opportunities for advancement) on
the State, regional, or local economy, as
appropriate, and that contributes to the
growth or stability of other supporting
businesses, or the growth of other
industry sectors; or
(ii) An occupation that currently has
or is projected to have a number of
positions (including positions that lead
to economic self-sufficiency and
opportunities for advancement) in an
industry sector so as to have a
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jun 18, 2019
Jkt 247001
significant impact on the State, regional,
or local economy, as appropriate.
(B) Determination. The determination
of whether an industry sector or
occupation is in-demand under this
paragraph shall be made by the State
board or local board, as appropriate,
using State and regional business and
labor market projections, including the
use of labor market information.
Logic model (also referred to as theory
of action) means a framework that
identifies key project components of the
proposed project (i.e., the active
‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to
be critical to achieving the relevant
outcomes) and describes the theoretical
and operational relationships among the
key project components and relevant
outcomes.
Note: In developing logic models,
applicants may want to use resources
such as the Regional Educational
Laboratory Program’s (REL Pacific)
Education Logic Model Application,
available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/
edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp, to help
design their logic models. Other sources
include: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/
regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf,
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/
pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf, and
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/
northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.
Project component means an activity,
strategy, intervention, process, product,
practice, or policy included in a project.
Evidence may pertain to an individual
project component or to a combination
of project components (e.g., training
teachers on instructional practices for
English learners and follow-on coaching
for these teachers).
Relevant outcome means the student
outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key
project component is designed to
improve, consistent with the specific
goals of the program.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057–1059d
(title III, part A, of the Higher Education Act
of 1965, as amended (HEA)).
Note: In 2008, the HEA was amended
by the Higher Education Opportunity
Act of 2008 (HEOA), Public Law 110–
315. The HEOA made a number of
technical and substantive revisions to
SIP. Please note that the regulations for
SIP in 34 CFR part 607 have not been
updated to reflect these statutory
changes.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of
Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(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 as regulations of the
Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The
regulations for this program in 34 CFR
part 607. (e) The Supplemental
Priorities.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Five-year Individual Development
Grants and Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grants will be awarded in
FY 2019.
Estimated Available Funds:
Approximately $26,300,000 is available
for new awards in the program
competition.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in
subsequent years from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition.
Individual Development Grants:
Estimated Range of Awards:
$400,000–$450,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$425,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $450,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 31.
Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grants:
Estimated Range of Awards:
$500,000–$550,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$525,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $550,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 25.
Note: The Department is not bound by
any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: This program is
authorized by title III, part A, of the
HEA. To qualify as an eligible
institution under any title III, part A
program, an institution must—
(a) Be accredited or preaccredited by
a nationally recognized accrediting
agency or association that the Secretary
has determined to be a reliable authority
as to the quality of education or training
offered;
(b) Be legally authorized by the State
in which it is located to be a junior or
community college or to provide an
educational program for which it
awards a bachelor’s degree;
E:\FR\FM\19JNN1.SGM
19JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2019 / Notices
(c) Be designated as an ‘‘eligible
institution’’ by demonstrating that it: (1)
Has an enrollment of needy students as
described in 34 CFR 607.3; and (2) has
low average educational and general
expenditures per full-time equivalent
(FTE) undergraduate student as
described in 34 CFR 607.4.
Note: The notice announcing the FY
2019 process for designation of eligible
institutions, and inviting applications
for waiver of eligibility requirements,
was published in the Federal Register
on January 29, 2019 (84 FR 451). Only
institutions that the Department
determines are eligible, or are granted a
waiver under the process described in
that notice, may apply for a grant in this
program.
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
Relationship Between the Title III, Part
A Programs and the Developing
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI)
Program
A grantee under the HSI program,
which is authorized under title V of the
HEA, may not receive a grant under any
HEA, title III, part A program. The title
III, part A programs are: SIP; the
Tribally Controlled Colleges and
Universities program; the Alaska Native
and Native Hawaiian-Serving
Institutions program; the Asian
American and Native American Pacific
Islander-Serving Institutions program;
and the Native American-Serving
Nontribal Institutions program.
Furthermore, a current HSI program
grantee may not give up its HSI grant to
receive a grant under SIP or any title III,
Part A program as described in 34 CFR
607.2(g)(1).
An eligible HSI that is not a current
grantee under the HSI program may
apply for a FY 2019 grant under all title
III, part A programs for which it is
eligible, as well as receive consideration
for a grant under the HSI program.
However, a successful applicant may
receive only one grant as described in
34 CFR 607.2(g)(1).
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching unless the grantee uses a
portion of its grant for establishing or
improving an endowment fund. If a
grantee uses a portion of its grant for
endowment fund purposes, it must
match those grant funds with nonFederal funds (20 U.S.C. 1057(d)–(2)).
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This
program involves supplement-notsupplant funding requirements. Grant
funds must be used so that they
supplement and, to the extent practical,
increase the funds that would otherwise
be available for the activities to be
carried out under the grant and in no
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jun 18, 2019
Jkt 247001
case supplant those funds (34 CFR
607.30(b)).
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Application Submission
Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education
Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a),
we waive intergovernmental review in
order to make awards by the end of FY
2019.
3. Funding Restrictions: We specify
unallowable costs in 34 CFR 607.10(c).
We reference additional regulations
outlining funding restrictions in the
Applicable Regulations section of this
notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The
application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your
application. We recommend that you
limit the application narrative to no
more than 50 pages for Individual
Development Grants and no more than
65 pages for Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grants. If you are
addressing the invitational priority and/
or either or both competitive preference
priorities, you will have an additional
seven pages total to respond to all three
priorities. To address the invitational
priority, you will have an additional
two pages; for competitive preference
priority one, you will have three
additional pages; and for competitive
preference priority two, you will have
two additional pages. If you address all
three priorities, you should limit the
application narrative (Part III) to no
more than 57 pages for the Individual
Development Grant application and 72
pages for the Cooperative Arrangement
Development Grant application. Please
include a separate heading when
responding to the invitational priority
and one or both competitive preference
priorities. You may only use the
additional seven pages to address the
invitational or the competitive
preference priorities. The additional
seven pages are not for an extended
response to the selection criteria. If you
are not addressing the invitational
priority or the competitive preference
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28531
priorities, you should limit your
application narrative to no more than 50
pages for the Individual Development
Grant or 65 pages for the Cooperative
Arrangement Development Grant. We
also recommend that you use the
following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, excluding titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not
apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the
narrative budget justification; Part IV,
the assurances and certifications; or the
one-page abstract and the bibliography.
However, the recommended page limit
does apply to all of the application
narrative.
Note: The Budget Information-NonConstruction Programs Form (ED 524)
Sections A–C are not the same as the
narrative response to the Budget section
of the selection criteria.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this program are from 34 CFR
607.22(a) through (g), and from 34 CFR
75.210. Applicants should address each
of the following selection criteria
separately for each proposed activity.
The selection criteria are worth a total
of 100 points; the maximum score for
each criterion is noted in parentheses.
(a) Quality of the Applicant’s
Comprehensive Development Plan.
(Maximum 20 Points) The extent to
which—
(1) The strengths, weaknesses, and
significant problems of the institution’s
academic programs, institutional
management, and fiscal stability are
clearly and comprehensively analyzed
and result from a process that involved
major constituencies of the institution;
(2) The goals for the institution’s
academic programs, institutional
management, and fiscal stability are
realistic and based on comprehensive
analysis;
(3) The objectives stated in the plan
are measurable, related to institutional
goals, and, if achieved, will contribute
to the growth and self-sufficiency of the
institution; and
E:\FR\FM\19JNN1.SGM
19JNN1
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
28532
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2019 / Notices
(4) The plan clearly and
comprehensively describes the methods
and resources the institution will use to
institutionalize practice and
improvements developed under the
proposed project, including, in
particular, how operational costs for
personnel, maintenance, and upgrades
of equipment will be paid with
institutional resources.
(b) Quality of the Project Design.
(Maximum 10 Points) The Secretary
considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project. In determining the
quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
extent to which the proposed project
demonstrates a rationale (as defined in
this notice).
(c) Quality of Activity Objectives.
(Maximum 15 Points) The extent to
which the objectives for each activity
are—
(1) Realistic and defined in terms of
measurable results; and
(2) Directly related to the problems to
be solved and to the goals of the
comprehensive development plan.
(d) Quality of Implementation
Strategy. (Maximum 15 Points) The
extent to which—
(1) The implementation strategy for
each activity is comprehensive;
(2) The rationale for the
implementation strategy for each
activity is clearly described and is
supported by the results of relevant
studies or projects; and
(3) The timetable for each activity is
realistic and likely to be attained.
(e) Quality of Key Personnel.
(Maximum 8 Points) The extent to
which—
(1) The past experience and training
of key professional personnel are
directly related to the stated activity
objectives; and
(2) The time commitment of key
personnel is realistic.
(f) Quality of Project Management
Plan. (Maximum 10 Points) The extent
to which—
(1) Procedures for managing the
project are likely to ensure efficient and
effective project implementation; and
(2) The project coordinator and
activity directors have sufficient
authority to conduct the project
effectively, including access to the
president or chief executive officer.
(g) Quality of Evaluation Plan.
(Maximum 15 Points) The extent to
which—
(1) The data elements and the data
collection procedures are clearly
described and appropriate to measure
the attainment of activity objectives and
to measure the success of the project in
achieving the goals of the
comprehensive development plan; and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jun 18, 2019
Jkt 247001
(2) The data analysis procedures are
clearly described and are likely to
produce formative and summative
results on attaining activity objectives
and measuring the success of the project
on achieving the goals of the
comprehensive development plan.
(h) Budget. (Maximum 7 Points) The
extent to which the proposed costs are
necessary and reasonable in relation to
the project’s objectives and scope.
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 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 (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
A panel of three non-Federal
reviewers will review and score each
application in accordance with the
selection criteria listed in this notice
from 34 CFR 607.22(a) through (g) and
34 CFR 75.210. A rank order funding
slate will be made from this review.
Awards will be made in rank order
according to the average score received
from the peer review and from the two
competitive preference priorities.
Tie-breaker for Development Grants.
In tie-breaking situations for
development grants, in accordance with
20 U.S.C. 1057(b), we award one
additional point to an application from
an IHE that has an endowment fund of
which the current market value, per FTE
enrolled student, is less than the average
current market value of the endowment
funds, per FTE enrolled student, at
comparable type institutions that offer
similar instruction. We award one
additional point to an application from
an IHE that has expenditures for library
materials per FTE enrolled student that
are less than the average expenditure for
library materials per FTE enrolled
student at similar type institutions. We
also add one additional point to an
application from an IHE that proposes to
carry out one or more of the following
activities—
(1) Faculty development;
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(2) Funds and administrative
management;
(3) Development and improvement of
academic programs;
(4) Acquisition of equipment for use
in strengthening management and
academic programs;
(5) Joint use of facilities such as
libraries and laboratories; and
(6) Student services, including
services that will assist in the education
of special populations.
For the purpose of these funding
considerations, we use 2017–2018 data.
If a tie remains after applying the tiebreaker mechanism above, priority will
be given to applicants that have the
lowest endowment values per FTE
enrolled student.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under
this program the Department conducts a
review of the risks posed by applicants.
Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may
impose specific 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.
4. Integrity and Performance System:
If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period
may exceed the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $250,000), under 2
CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through the System for
Award Management. You may review
and comment on any information about
yourself that a Federal agency
previously entered and that is currently
in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of
your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts
from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.
Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
E:\FR\FM\19JNN1.SGM
19JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2019 / Notices
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
plus all the other Federal funds you
receive exceed $10,000,000.
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
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements:
Unless an exception applies, if you are
awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license
to the public grant deliverables created
in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds. When the deliverable
consists of modifications to pre-existing
works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that
open licensing is permitted under the
terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing
works. Additionally, a grantee or
subgrantee that is awarded competitive
grant funds must have a plan to
disseminate these public grant
deliverables. This dissemination plan
can be developed and submitted after
your application has been reviewed and
selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing
requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a multiyear award, you must
submit an annual performance report
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:06 Jun 18, 2019
Jkt 247001
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: The
Secretary has established the following
key performance measures for assessing
the effectiveness of SIP:
(a) The percentage change, over the
five-year period, of the number of fulltime degree-seeking undergraduates
enrolled at SIP institutions. Note that
this is a long-term measure that will be
used to periodically gauge performance.
(b) The percentage of first-time, fulltime degree-seeking undergraduate
students at four-year SIP institutions
who were in their first year of
postsecondary enrollment in the
previous year and are enrolled in the
current year at the same SIP institution.
(c) The percentage of first-time, fulltime degree-seeking undergraduate
students at two-year SIP institutions
who were in their first year of
postsecondary enrollment in the
previous year and are enrolled in the
current year at the same SIP institution.
(d) The percentage of first-time, fulltime degree-seeking undergraduate
students enrolled at four-year SIP
institutions graduating within six years
of enrollment.
(e) The percentage of first-time, fulltime degree-seeking undergraduate
students enrolled at two-year SIP
institutions graduating within three
years of enrollment.
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 achieving
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, the performance targets in
the grantee’s approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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).
PO 00000
Frm 00075
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28533
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document
and a copy of the application package in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
request to one of the persons 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. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations via the
Federal Digital System at
www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the 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
feature at this site, you can limit your
search to documents published by the
Department.
Dated: June 14, 2019.
Diane Auer Jones,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Delegated
to Perform the Duties of Under Secretary and
Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2019–13010 Filed 6–18–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Education Research and Special
Education Research Grant Programs
Institute of Education Sciences,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2020 for the Education
Research and Special Education
Research Grant Programs, Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
numbers 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305C,
84.305D, 84.305R, 84.324A, 84.324B,
and 84.324R. This notice relates to the
approved information collection under
OMB control number 4040–0001.
DATES: The dates when applications are
available and the deadlines for
transmittal of applications invited under
this notice are indicated in the chart at
the end of this notice and in the
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\19JNN1.SGM
19JNN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28529-28533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13010]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Strengthening Institutions Program
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the
Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) number 84.031A. This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB control number 1840-0114.
DATES:
Applications Available: June 19, 2019.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 19, 2019.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nalini Lamba-Nieves, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 250-34, Washington, DC
20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-7953. Email:
[email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP)
provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to
help them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve
low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the
institution's academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal
stability.
Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference
priorities and one invitational priority. The competitive preference
priorities are from the Secretary's Final Supplemental Priorities and
Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (83 FR 9096) (Supplemental
Priorities), which were published in the Federal Register on March 2,
2018.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional
six points to an application that meets these priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Flexible and
Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills (4 points).
Projects that are designed to address providing work-based learning
experiences (such as internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships)
that align with in-demand industry sectors or occupations (as defined
in section 3(23) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of
2014).
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Fostering Knowledge and
Promoting the Development of Skills that Prepare Students to be
Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (2
points).
Projects that are designed to address supporting instruction in
personal financial literacy, knowledge of markets and economics,
knowledge of higher education financing and repayment (e.g., college
savings and student loans), or other skills aimed at building personal
financial understanding and responsibility.
Invitational Priority: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this
[[Page 28530]]
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other
applications.
This priority is:
Invitational Priority--Spurring Investment in Opportunity Zones.
Under this priority, an applicant may address one or both of the
following priority areas:
(1) Propose to serve children or students who reside, or attend
elementary or secondary schools or institutions of higher education, in
a qualified opportunity zone as designated by the Secretary of the
Treasury under section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended
by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 115-97). In addressing this
priority, an applicant must provide the census tract number of the
qualified opportunity zone for which it proposes to serve children or
students. A list of qualified opportunity zones, with census tract
numbers, is available at www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx.
(2) Provide evidence in its application that it has received or
will receive financial assistance from a qualified opportunity fund
under section 1400Z-2 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, for a purpose directly related to its proposed
project. In addressing this priority, an applicant must identify the
qualified opportunity fund from which it has received or will receive
financial assistance.
Definitions: These definitions apply to the priorities and the
selection criteria for this competition and are from section 3(23) of
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and from 34 CFR
77.1.
Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in
the project's logic model is informed by research or evaluation
findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve
relevant outcomes.
In-demand industry sector or occupation means--
(a) In General.-- (i) An industry sector that has a substantial
current or potential impact (including through jobs that lead to
economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) on the
State, regional, or local economy, as appropriate, and that contributes
to the growth or stability of other supporting businesses, or the
growth of other industry sectors; or
(ii) An occupation that currently has or is projected to have a
number of positions (including positions that lead to economic self-
sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) in an industry sector so
as to have a significant impact on the State, regional, or local
economy, as appropriate.
(B) Determination. The determination of whether an industry sector
or occupation is in-demand under this paragraph shall be made by the
State board or local board, as appropriate, using State and regional
business and labor market projections, including the use of labor
market information.
Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use
resources such as the Regional Educational Laboratory Program's (REL
Pacific) Education Logic Model Application, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp, to help design their
logic models. Other sources include: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014025.pdf, https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2014007.pdf, and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2015057.pdf.
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1057-1059d (title III, part A, of
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)).
Note: In 2008, the HEA was amended by the Higher Education
Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA), Public Law 110-315. The HEOA made a
number of technical and substantive revisions to SIP. Please note that
the regulations for SIP in 34 CFR part 607 have not been updated to
reflect these statutory changes.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84,
86, 97, 98, and 99. (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 as regulations of the
Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in
34 CFR part 607. (e) The Supplemental Priorities.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Five-year Individual
Development Grants and Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants will
be awarded in FY 2019.
Estimated Available Funds: Approximately $26,300,000 is available
for new awards in the program competition.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Individual Development Grants:
Estimated Range of Awards: $400,000-$450,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $450,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 31.
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants:
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$550,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $525,000 per year.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $550,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 25.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: This program is authorized by title III,
part A, of the HEA. To qualify as an eligible institution under any
title III, part A program, an institution must--
(a) Be accredited or preaccredited by a nationally recognized
accrediting agency or association that the Secretary has determined to
be a reliable authority as to the quality of education or training
offered;
(b) Be legally authorized by the State in which it is located to be
a junior or community college or to provide an educational program for
which it awards a bachelor's degree;
[[Page 28531]]
(c) Be designated as an ``eligible institution'' by demonstrating
that it: (1) Has an enrollment of needy students as described in 34 CFR
607.3; and (2) has low average educational and general expenditures per
full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student as described in 34 CFR
607.4.
Note: The notice announcing the FY 2019 process for designation of
eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of
eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on
January 29, 2019 (84 FR 451). Only institutions that the Department
determines are eligible, or are granted a waiver under the process
described in that notice, may apply for a grant in this program.
Relationship Between the Title III, Part A Programs and the Developing
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program
A grantee under the HSI program, which is authorized under title V
of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, title III, part A
program. The title III, part A programs are: SIP; the Tribally
Controlled Colleges and Universities program; the Alaska Native and
Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions program; the Asian American and
Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions program; and the
Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions program. Furthermore, a
current HSI program grantee may not give up its HSI grant to receive a
grant under SIP or any title III, Part A program as described in 34 CFR
607.2(g)(1).
An eligible HSI that is not a current grantee under the HSI program
may apply for a FY 2019 grant under all title III, part A programs for
which it is eligible, as well as receive consideration for a grant
under the HSI program. However, a successful applicant may receive only
one grant as described in 34 CFR 607.2(g)(1).
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for
establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a
portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those
grant funds with non-Federal funds (20 U.S.C. 1057(d)-(2)).
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Grant funds must be used so that they
supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would
otherwise be available for the activities to be carried out under the
grant and in no case supplant those funds (34 CFR 607.30(b)).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34
CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make awards
by the end of FY 2019.
3. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR
607.10(c). We reference additional regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend
that you limit the application narrative to no more than 50 pages for
Individual Development Grants and no more than 65 pages for Cooperative
Arrangement Development Grants. If you are addressing the invitational
priority and/or either or both competitive preference priorities, you
will have an additional seven pages total to respond to all three
priorities. To address the invitational priority, you will have an
additional two pages; for competitive preference priority one, you will
have three additional pages; and for competitive preference priority
two, you will have two additional pages. If you address all three
priorities, you should limit the application narrative (Part III) to no
more than 57 pages for the Individual Development Grant application and
72 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application.
Please include a separate heading when responding to the invitational
priority and one or both competitive preference priorities. You may
only use the additional seven pages to address the invitational or the
competitive preference priorities. The additional seven pages are not
for an extended response to the selection criteria. If you are not
addressing the invitational priority or the competitive preference
priorities, you should limit your application narrative to no more than
50 pages for the Individual Development Grant or 65 pages for the
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant. We also recommend that you
use the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, excluding titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract and the bibliography. However, the recommended page limit
does apply to all of the application narrative.
Note: The Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs Form (ED
524) Sections A-C are not the same as the narrative response to the
Budget section of the selection criteria.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 607.22(a) through (g), and from 34 CFR 75.210. Applicants
should address each of the following selection criteria separately for
each proposed activity. The selection criteria are worth a total of 100
points; the maximum score for each criterion is noted in parentheses.
(a) Quality of the Applicant's Comprehensive Development Plan.
(Maximum 20 Points) The extent to which--
(1) The strengths, weaknesses, and significant problems of the
institution's academic programs, institutional management, and fiscal
stability are clearly and comprehensively analyzed and result from a
process that involved major constituencies of the institution;
(2) The goals for the institution's academic programs,
institutional management, and fiscal stability are realistic and based
on comprehensive analysis;
(3) The objectives stated in the plan are measurable, related to
institutional goals, and, if achieved, will contribute to the growth
and self-sufficiency of the institution; and
[[Page 28532]]
(4) The plan clearly and comprehensively describes the methods and
resources the institution will use to institutionalize practice and
improvements developed under the proposed project, including, in
particular, how operational costs for personnel, maintenance, and
upgrades of equipment will be paid with institutional resources.
(b) Quality of the Project Design. (Maximum 10 Points) The
Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed project
demonstrates a rationale (as defined in this notice).
(c) Quality of Activity Objectives. (Maximum 15 Points) The extent
to which the objectives for each activity are--
(1) Realistic and defined in terms of measurable results; and
(2) Directly related to the problems to be solved and to the goals
of the comprehensive development plan.
(d) Quality of Implementation Strategy. (Maximum 15 Points) The
extent to which--
(1) The implementation strategy for each activity is comprehensive;
(2) The rationale for the implementation strategy for each activity
is clearly described and is supported by the results of relevant
studies or projects; and
(3) The timetable for each activity is realistic and likely to be
attained.
(e) Quality of Key Personnel. (Maximum 8 Points) The extent to
which--
(1) The past experience and training of key professional personnel
are directly related to the stated activity objectives; and
(2) The time commitment of key personnel is realistic.
(f) Quality of Project Management Plan. (Maximum 10 Points) The
extent to which--
(1) Procedures for managing the project are likely to ensure
efficient and effective project implementation; and
(2) The project coordinator and activity directors have sufficient
authority to conduct the project effectively, including access to the
president or chief executive officer.
(g) Quality of Evaluation Plan. (Maximum 15 Points) The extent to
which--
(1) The data elements and the data collection procedures are
clearly described and appropriate to measure the attainment of activity
objectives and to measure the success of the project in achieving the
goals of the comprehensive development plan; and
(2) The data analysis procedures are clearly described and are
likely to produce formative and summative results on attaining activity
objectives and measuring the success of the project on achieving the
goals of the comprehensive development plan.
(h) Budget. (Maximum 7 Points) The extent to which the proposed
costs are necessary and reasonable in relation to the project's
objectives and scope.
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
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 (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
A panel of three non-Federal reviewers will review and score each
application in accordance with the selection criteria listed in this
notice from 34 CFR 607.22(a) through (g) and 34 CFR 75.210. A rank
order funding slate will be made from this review. Awards will be made
in rank order according to the average score received from the peer
review and from the two competitive preference priorities.
Tie-breaker for Development Grants. In tie-breaking situations for
development grants, in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1057(b), we award one
additional point to an application from an IHE that has an endowment
fund of which the current market value, per FTE enrolled student, is
less than the average current market value of the endowment funds, per
FTE enrolled student, at comparable type institutions that offer
similar instruction. We award one additional point to an application
from an IHE that has expenditures for library materials per FTE
enrolled student that are less than the average expenditure for library
materials per FTE enrolled student at similar type institutions. We
also add one additional point to an application from an IHE that
proposes to carry out one or more of the following activities--
(1) Faculty development;
(2) Funds and administrative management;
(3) Development and improvement of academic programs;
(4) Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening management
and academic programs;
(5) Joint use of facilities such as libraries and laboratories; and
(6) Student services, including services that will assist in the
education of special populations.
For the purpose of these funding considerations, we use 2017-2018
data.
If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above,
priority will be given to applicants that have the lowest endowment
values per FTE enrolled student.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under this program the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific 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.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
[[Page 28533]]
plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
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 specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear 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: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of
SIP:
(a) The percentage change, over the five-year period, of the number
of full-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled at SIP
institutions. Note that this is a long-term measure that will be used
to periodically gauge performance.
(b) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students at four-year SIP institutions who were in their
first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are
enrolled in the current year at the same SIP institution.
(c) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students at two-year SIP institutions who were in their
first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are
enrolled in the current year at the same SIP institution.
(d) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students enrolled at four-year SIP institutions
graduating within six years of enrollment.
(e) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking
undergraduate students enrolled at two-year SIP institutions graduating
within three years of enrollment.
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 achieving 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, the
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
one of the persons 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. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations via the Federal Digital System at www.govinfo.gov.
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
Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is available free at the 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 feature at
this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the
Department.
Dated: June 14, 2019.
Diane Auer Jones,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Delegated to Perform the Duties of
Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-13010 Filed 6-18-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P