80 FR 17415 - Applications for New Awards; Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 62 (April 1, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17415-17420]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07484]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Minority Science and Engineering 
Improvement Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:

Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP)

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.120A.

DATES: Applications Available: April 1, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 30, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect long-range 
improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly 
minority institutions and to increase the flow of underrepresented 
ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and 
technological careers.
    Priorities: This notice contains one competitive preference 
priority and one invitational priority. The competitive preference 
priority is from the Department's notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425).
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional two points to an 
application that meets this priority.
    The competitive preference priority is:
    Competitive Preference Priority--Promoting Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education (2 additional points).
    Priority: Projects that are designed to improve Student Achievement 
(as defined in this notice) or other related outcomes by identifying 
and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 
improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion 
of a degree in a STEM field.

    Note: Applicants must indicate in the one-page abstract and on 
the MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form in the application package 
whether they intend to address the competitive preference priority.


    Note: Through the competitive preference priority, the 
Department encourages applicants to implement strategies to improve 
student outcomes, such as increasing the number of students, 
including High-need Students (as defined in this notice), who 
persist and graduate in a STEM field. For example, an institution 
could implement pedagogies of engagement, such as problem-based 
learning, or provide Authentic STEM experiences (as defined in this 
notice), for students in science and engineering programs. 
Applicants addressing this priority should demonstrate how their 
proposal will improve STEM education and student outcomes.

    Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants 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 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    The invitational priority is:
    Invitational Priority--Improving STEM Education in the First Two 
Years of College.
    Priority: Projects designed to improve retention and other student 
outcomes in the first two years of college through strategies 
including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:
    (a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting 
agencies for changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation 
requirements that are necessary to improve the first two years of STEM 
coursework.
    (b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help 
students academically deficient in STEM reach college level 
proficiency.

    Note: Through the invitational priority, the Department 
encourages applicants to address systemic barriers that result in 
high failure and dropout rates during the introductory years of 
science and engineering programs. Applicants addressing this 
priority should demonstrate how their proposal will improve STEM 
education in the first two years of college.

    Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 
73425), and apply to the priorities in this notice:
    Authentic STEM experiences means laboratory, research-based, or 
experiential learning opportunities in a STEM (science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics) subject in informal or formal settings.
    High-minority school means a school as that term is defined by a 
local educational agency (LEA), which must define the term in a manner 
consistent with its State's Teacher Equity Plan, as required by section 
1111(b)(8)(C) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA). The applicant must provide the definition(s) of high-
minority schools used in its application.
    High-need students means students who are at risk of educational 
failure or

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otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as students 
who are living in poverty, who attend High-minority schools, who are 
far below grade level, who have left school before receiving a regular 
high school diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma 
on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who have been 
incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are English learners.
    Regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma 
that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with 
the State's academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not 
include a General Education Development (GED) credential, certificate 
of attendance, or any alternative award.
    Student achievement means--
    For grades and subjects in which assessments are required under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA): (1) A student's score on such assessments; and, as 
appropriate (2) other measures of student learning, such as those 
described in the subsequent paragraph, provided that they are rigorous 
and comparable across schools within a local educational agency (LEA).
    For grades and subjects in which assessments are not required under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA: (1) Alternative measures of student 
learning and performance, such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-
course tests, and objective performance-based assessments; (2) student 
learning objectives; (3) student performance on English language 
proficiency assessments; and (4) other measures of student achievement 
that are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067-1067k.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment and 
suspension regulations as adopted in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards as adopted in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations 
for this program in 34 CFR part 646. (e) The notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 
73425).

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,800,918.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: $150,000-
$250,000. Special Project Grants: $100,000-$250,000. Cooperative 
Project Grants: $250,000-$300,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 
$200,000. Special Project Grants: $175,000. Cooperative Project Grants: 
$275,000.
    Maximum Awards: Institutional Project Grants: $250,000. Special 
Project Grants: $250,000. Cooperative Project Grants: $300,000. We will 
reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum 
award amount listed for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 10; 
Special Project Grants: 1; Cooperative Project Grants: 1.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The eligibility of an applicant is 
dependent on the type of MSEIP grant the applicant seeks. There are 
four types of MSEIP grants:
    Institutional project, special project, cooperative project, and 
design project.
    Institutional project grants are grants that support the 
implementation of a comprehensive science improvement plan, which may 
include any combination of activities for improving the preparation of 
minority students for careers in science.
    There are two types of special project grants. First, there are 
special project grants for which only minority institutions are 
eligible. These special project grants support activities that: (1) 
Improve quality training in science and engineering at minority 
institutions; or (2) enhance the minority institutions' general 
scientific research capabilities. There also are special project grants 
for which all applicants are eligible. These special project grants 
support activities that: (1) Provide a needed service to a group of 
eligible minority institutions; or (2) provide in-service training for 
project directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority 
institutions.
    Cooperative project grants assist groups of nonprofit accredited 
colleges and universities to work together to conduct a science 
improvement program.
    Design project grants assist minority institutions that do not have 
their own appropriate resources or personnel to plan and develop long-
range science improvement programs. We will not award design project 
grants in the FY 2015 competition.
    (a) For institutional project grants, eligible applicants are 
limited to:
    (1) Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that (i) Award baccalaureate degrees; and (ii) are minority 
institutions;
    (2) Public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education 
that (i) award associate degrees; and (ii) are minority institutions 
that (A) have a curriculum that includes science or engineering 
subjects; and (B) enter into a partnership with public or private 
nonprofit institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate 
degrees in science and engineering.
    (b) For special project grants for which only minority institutions 
are eligible, eligible applicants are described in paragraph (a).
    (c) For special project grants for which all applicants are 
eligible, eligible applicants include those described in paragraph (a), 
and
    (1) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional 
scientific societies, and institutions of higher education that award 
baccalaureate degrees that: (i) Provide a needed service to a group of 
minority institutions; or (ii) provide in-service training to project 
directors, scientists, and engineers from minority institutions; or
    (2) A consortium of organizations that provide needed services to 
one or more minority institutions, the membership of which may include 
(i) institutions of higher education which have a curriculum in science 
or engineering; (ii) institutions of higher education that have a 
graduate or professional program in science or engineering; (iii) 
research laboratories of, or under contract with, the Department of 
Energy, the Department of Defense or the National Institutes of Health; 
(iv) relevant offices of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and 
Technology;

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(v) quasi-governmental entities that have a significant scientific or 
engineering mission; or (vi) institutions of higher education that have 
State-sponsored centers for research in science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics.
    (d) For cooperative project grants, eligible applicants are groups 
of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities whose primary fiscal 
agent is an eligible minority institution as defined in 34 CFR 
637.4(b).

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application via the Internet at Grants.gov. If you do not have access 
to the Internet, please contact Dr. Stacey Slijepcevic, U.S. Department 
of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: 
(202) 219-7124 or Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S. Department of Education, 
1990 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 219-
7038.
    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.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer disc) by contacting the program contact persons listed in 
this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established a 
mandatory page limit for the application narrative of each type of 
MSEIP grant project application as follows:
    Institutional project grant: 40 pages;
    Special project grant: 35 pages;
    Cooperative project grant: 50 pages.
    You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to these 
established page limits, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and a document 
identifier may be within the 1'' margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, captions, and all text in charts, 
tables, and graphs. These items may be single spaced; however, they 
will count toward the page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no 
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10 
point font in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    If you use some but not all of the allowable space on a page, it 
will be counted as a full page in determining compliance with the page 
limit.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the budget justification; Part III, the 
one-page abstract, the table of contents, the MSEIP Eligibility 
Certification Form, required letter(s) of commitment, evidence of 
partnerships; and Part IV, the assurances and certifications. If you 
include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these 
items will be counted as part of the program narrative (Part III) for 
purposes of the page limit requirement. You must include your complete 
responses to the selection criteria in the program narrative.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit, or if 
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 
We will also reject your application if you fail to provide the MSEIP 
Eligibility Certification Form.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 1, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 30, 2015.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to E.O. 12372 
and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under E.O. 12372 is in the 
application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one-to-two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and

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accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, 
if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance 
under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient 
time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly 
recommend that you register early.

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

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the MSEIP, CFDA Number 84.120A, must 
be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 
site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download 
a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload 
and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the MSEIP at 
www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.120, not 
84.120A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material. Additional, detailed information on how to attach 
files is in the application instructions.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on

[[Page 17419]]

the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and 
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will 
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem 
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you 
after a determination is made on whether your application will be 
accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;
    and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Dr. Stacey Slijepcevic, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6014, Washington, 
DC 20006-8517. Fax: (202) 502-7861 or Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6152. Fax: (202) 502-
7861.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.120A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.120A), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--

    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification 
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this 
notification within 15 business days from the application deadline 
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application 
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 637.32(a) through (j). Applicants should address each of 
the selection criteria. The total weight of the selection criteria is 
100 points; the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses. 
Please see the application package for a detailed explanation of these 
criteria. The selection criteria are as follows:
    (a) Identification of need for the project (Total 5 points).
    (b) Plan of operation (Total 20 points).
    (c) Quality of key personnel (Total 5 points).
    (d) Budget and cost effectiveness (Total 10 points).
    (e) Evaluation plan (Total 15 points).
    (f) Adequacy of resources (Total 5 points).
    (g) Potential institutional impact of the project (Total 15 
points).
    (h) Institutional commitment to the project (Total 5 points).
    (i) Expected outcomes (Total 10 points).
    (j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed project (Total 
10 points).
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

[[Page 17420]]

    Tiebreaker for Institutional, Special Project, and Cooperative 
Grants. If there are insufficient funds for all applications with the 
same total scores, applications will receive preference in the 
following manner. The Secretary gives priority to applicants which have 
not previously received funding from the program and to previous 
grantees with a proven record of success, as well as to applications 
that contribute to achieving balance among funded projects with respect 
to: (1) Geographic region; (2) Academic discipline; and (3) Project 
type.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 
conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially 
stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or 
other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or 
is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the MSEIP: (1) The percentage of change in the number of full-time, 
degree-seeking minority undergraduate students at the grantee's 
institution enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or 
biological sciences, compared to the average minority enrollment in the 
same fields in the three-year period immediately prior to the beginning 
of the current grant; (2) the percentage of minority students enrolled 
at four-year minority-serving institutions in the fields of engineering 
or physical or biological sciences who graduate within six years of 
enrollment. Please see the application package for details of data 
collection and reporting requirements for these measures.
    5. 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 grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is 
operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved 
application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws 
that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving 
Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Stacey Slijepcevic, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6014, Washington, DC 
20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 219-7124, or by email: 
[email protected] or Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6152. Telephone: (202) 219-7038 or 
by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact persons listed under For Further Information 
Contact in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    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.
    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary, to perform 
the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.

    Dated: March 27, 2015.
Jamienne S. Studley,
Deputy Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-07484 Filed 3-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P