Applications for New Awards; Transformative Research in the Education Sciences and Using Longitudinal Data To Support State Education Policymaking Grant Programs, 36785-36789 [2024-09666]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 87 (Friday, May 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36785-36789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09666]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Transformative Research in the 
Education Sciences and Using Longitudinal Data To Support State 
Education Policymaking Grant Programs

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the 
Education Research Grant Programs, Assistance Listing Numbers (ALNs) 
84.305S and 84.305T. 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 Requests for 
Applications (RFAs) that are posted at the following website: https://ies.ed.gov/funding.

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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The contact person associated with a 
particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of 
this notice, as well as in the relevant RFA and application package.
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: In awarding research grants, the Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES) intends to provide national leadership in 
expanding knowledge and understanding of (1) education outcomes for all 
learners from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult 
education, and (2) employment and wage outcomes when relevant (such as 
for those engaged in career and technical, postsecondary, or adult 
education). The IES research grant programs are designed to provide 
interested individuals and the general public with reliable and valid 
information about education practices that support learning and improve 
academic achievement and access to education opportunities for all 
learners. These interested individuals include parents, educators, 
learners, researchers, and policymakers. In carrying out its grant 
programs, IES provides support for programs of research in areas of 
demonstrated national need.
    Competitions in This Notice:
    The IES National Center for Education Research (NCER) is announcing 
two competitions--one competition in each of the following areas: using 
longitudinal data to support State education policymaking and 
transformative research in the education sciences.
    Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Education Policymaking 
(ALN 84.305S). Under this competition, NCER will only consider 
applications that address State agencies' use of their State's 
education longitudinal data systems to identify and reduce opportunity 
and achievement gaps for learners from prekindergarten through adult 
education.
    Transformative Research in the Education Sciences (ALN 84.305T). 
Through this program, IES seeks to support innovative research that has 
the potential to make dramatic advances towards solving seemingly 
intractable problems and challenges in the education field and/or to 
accelerate the pace of conducting education research to facilitate 
major breakthroughs. For the FY 2025 competition, the Transformative 
Research in the Education Sciences grant program will focus on 
accelerating learning and reducing persistent education inequities by 
leveraging evidence-based principles from the learning sciences, 
coupled with advanced technology to create high-reward, scalable 
technology solutions.
    Multiple Submissions: You may submit applications to more than one 
of the FY 2025 research grant programs offered through the Department, 
including those offered through IES as well as those offered through 
other offices and programs within the Department. You may submit 
multiple applications to each IES grant program announced here as long 
as they address different key issues, programs, or policies. However, 
you may submit a given application only once for the IES FY 2025 grant 
competitions, meaning you may not submit the same application or 
similar applications to multiple grant programs within IES, to multiple 
topics within a grant competition, or multiple times within the same 
topic. If you submit multiple similar applications, IES will determine 
whether and which applications will be accepted for review and/or will 
be eligible for funding.
    In addition, if you submit the same or similar application to IES 
and to another funding entity within or external to the Department and 
receive funding for the non-IES application prior to IES scientific 
peer review of applications,

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you must withdraw the same or similar application submitted to IES, or 
IES may otherwise determine you are ineligible to receive an award. If 
reviews are happening concurrently, IES staff will consult with the 
other potential funder to determine the degree of overlap and which 
entity will provide funding if both applications are being considered 
for funding.
    Exemption from Proposed Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the 
Education Sciences Reform Act, 20 U.S.C. 9581, IES is not subject to 
section 437(d) of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d), and is therefore not required to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on matters relating to grants.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    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), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-
(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, 75.230, 75.250(a), and 75.708. (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.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.
    Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not 
apply to these competitions.

II. Award Information

    Types of Awards: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
    Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an 
appropriation for FY 2025, IES is inviting applications for these 
competitions now so that applicants can have adequate time to prepare 
their applications. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on 
final congressional action. IES may announce additional competitions 
later in 2024.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart at the end of this notice. The 
size of the awards will depend on the scope of the projects proposed.
    Estimated Number of Awards: In previous years, IES has awarded 3 to 
7 grants under each of these competitions. The number of awards made 
under each competition will depend on the quality of the applications 
received for that competition and the availability of funds.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: See chart at the end of this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: For the Using Longitudinal Data to Support 
State Education Policymaking (ALN 84.305S) grant program, eligible 
applications must include the eligible State agency or State 
postsecondary system responsible for the education issue, program, or 
policy to be examined. Eligible State agencies include the State 
educational agency (SEA) responsible for the State's K-12 sector as 
well as other State agencies responsible for other specific education 
sectors such as prekindergarten, career and technical education, 
postsecondary education, and adult education. In addition, a State 
postsecondary system may serve as the eligible State agency. Eligible 
State agencies may apply alone, or in conjunction with research 
organizations such as universities and research firms, and/or with 
other appropriate organizations (such as other State agencies or local 
educational agencies).
    For the Transformative Research in the Education Sciences (ALN 
84.305T) grant program, eligible applicants are organizations that have 
the demonstrated ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research and 
development. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, 
institutions of higher education and non-profit, for-profit, public, or 
private entities. Eligible applications must include research, product 
development, and education agency partners. The research partner must 
be an organization that has the ability and capacity to conduct 
rigorous research and development. The product development partner must 
be an organization that has experience developing and scaling products. 
Eligible education agency partners include:
    [cir] State education agencies such as departments, boards, and 
commissions that oversee early learning, elementary, secondary, 
postsecondary, and/or adult education. The term ``State education 
agencies'' includes U.S. Territories' education agencies and Tribal 
educational agencies.
    [cir] Local educational agencies, which are primarily public school 
districts and may also include county or city agencies that have 
primary responsibility for prekindergarten or adult education. 
Individual schools, including those that are recognized as a local 
educational agency, or groups of schools that do not form a school 
district are not eligible to apply as the education agency partner.
    [cir] Intermediate districts (sometimes called service districts) 
that provide services to multiple districts but do not have decision-
making authority over implementing programs and policies cannot serve 
as the agency partner.
    [cir] Community college districts.
    [cir] State and city postsecondary systems. The postsecondary 
system must apply as the agency partner. Individual postsecondary 
institutions may not apply as the agency partner.
    [cir] In places where State or local educational agencies do not 
oversee adult education, the adult education providers, defined as 
``eligible providers'' (e.g., community-based organizations, 
institutions of higher education, public or non-profit agencies, 
libraries) under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act (WIOA: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ128/pdf/PLAW-113publ128.pdf), can serve as the agency partner.
    Applications that include non-public organizations that oversee or 
administer schools (e.g., certain charter or education management 
organizations) must also include, as an agency partner, the State or 
local educational agency with oversight of the schools these non-public 
organizations manage.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: The Using Longitudinal Data to 
Support State Education Policymaking (ALN 84.305S) grant program does 
not require cost sharing or matching.
    The Transformative Research in the Education Sciences (ALN 84.305T) 
grant program requires cost sharing or matching. For this program, by 
the beginning of Year 2, each grant recipient must secure matching 
funds in an amount equal to 10 percent of the total funds provided 
under the grant in the form of cash or in-kind contributions through a 
cost-sharing agreement. Specifically, continuation funding in Years 2 
and 3 will be contingent upon the establishment of a cost sharing 
agreement and the inclusion of a revised budget and budget narrative 
that includes cost sharing funds in the first-year annual report. The 
cost sharing partner must be an organization that has

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experience developing and scaling technology products.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: Both programs described in this 
notice use an unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information 
regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, 
please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under 
these competitions may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: nonprofit and for-profit organizations and public and private 
agencies and institutions of higher education. The grantee may award 
subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.

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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application.
    2. Other Information: Information regarding program and application 
requirements for the competitions will be contained in the currently 
available IES Application Submission Guide and in the NCER Request for 
Applications (RFA)s, which will be available on or before May 6, 2024, 
on the IES website at: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/. The application 
packages for these competitions will also be available on or before May 
6, 2024.
    3. 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.
    4. Submission Dates and Times: The deadline date for transmittal of 
applications for each competition is indicated in the chart at the end 
of this notice and in the RFAs for the competitions.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    5. Intergovernmental Review: These competitions are not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    6. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: For all of its grant competitions, IES uses 
selection criteria based on a peer review process that has been 
approved by the National Board for Education Sciences. The Peer Review 
Procedures for Grant Applications can be found on the IES website at 
https://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/peer_review/application_review.asp.
    For the 84.305S competition, peer reviewers will evaluate the 
significance of the application, the quality of the research plan, the 
applicability and availability of the data to be analyzed, and the 
quality of the plans to disseminate and use the findings in State 
decision-making. These criteria are described in greater detail in the 
RFA.
    For the 84.305T competition, peer reviewers will evaluate the 
significance of the transformative solution, research approach, 
deliverables and metrics plan, personnel, resources, and dissemination.
    For all IES competitions, applications must include budgets no 
higher than the relevant maximum award as set out in the relevant RFA. 
IES will not make an award exceeding the maximum award amount as set 
out in the relevant RFA.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
IES 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, compliance with the 
IES policy regarding public access to research, and compliance with 
grant conditions. IES 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, IES 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 (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under these competitions, the 
Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 
CFR 200.208, IES may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, 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 
these competitions to receive an award that over the course of the 
project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold 
(currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(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 plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
    5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and 
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal 
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and 
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting 
applications in accordance with:
    (a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering 
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of 
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
    (b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video 
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR 
200.216);
    (c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to 
maximize use of goods, products, and materials

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produced in the United States (2 CFR 200.322); and
    (d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest 
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program 
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

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. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual 
meeting of up to three days for project directors to be held in 
Washington, DC.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under one of the 
competitions announced in this notice, you must ensure that you have in 
place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting 
requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the 
competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 
170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by 
IES. 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 IES under 34 CFR 
75.118. IES may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 
CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to 
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its 
education research grant programs, IES annually assesses the percentage 
of projects that result in peer-reviewed publications and the number of 
IES-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in improving 
learner education outcomes. 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 academic content 
areas, such as reading, writing, math, science, and social studies as 
well as outcomes that reflect students' successful progression through 
the education system, such as attendance; course and grade completion; 
high school graduation; and postsecondary enrollment, progress, and 
completion. Social and behavioral competencies include social and 
emotional skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are important to 
academic and post-academic success. Employment and earnings outcomes 
include hours of employment, job stability, and wages and benefits, and 
may be measured in addition to student academic outcomes.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, IES 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; whether a grantee 
is in compliance with the IES policy regarding public access to 
research; and if IES has established performance measurement 
requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in 
achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved 
application.
    In making a continuation award, IES 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: On request to the relevant program contact 
person listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, as well as in the 
relevant RFA and application package, individuals with disabilities can 
obtain this document and a copy of the RFA in an accessible format. The 
Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that 
may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, 
an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other 
accessible format.
    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 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.

Matthew Soldner,
Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences.

                                                             Institute of Education Sciences
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                                                                  Deadline for
            ALN and name               Application package       transmittal of        Estimated range of       Project period          For further
                                            available             applications              awards *                                information contact
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84.305S Using Longitudinal Data to   May 6, 2024...........  August 15, 2024.......  $100,000 to $333,333.  Up to 3 years........  [email protected].
 Support State Education
 Policymaking.
84.305T Transformative Research in   May 6, 2024...........  September 12, 2024....  $300,0000 to           Up to 3 years........  [email protected].
 the Education Sciences.                                                              $1,250,000.
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[FR Doc. 2024-09666 Filed 5-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P