81_FR_11575 81 FR 11532 - Applications for New Awards; Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Program

81 FR 11532 - Applications for New Awards; Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 43 (March 4, 2016)

Page Range11532-11539
FR Document2016-04868

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11532-11539]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04868]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM 
and Articulation Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

    Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Program
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031C.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 4, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 3, 2016.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 5, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation Program supports eligible Hispanic-Serving institutions 
(as defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1101a)) (HSIs) in developing and carrying out 
activities described in section 503(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101b(b)) 
to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining 
degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math 
(STEM).
    Background: Given the growth in the Hispanic population, taking 
steps to increase the number of Hispanic students with STEM credentials 
is critical to the future workforce and economy of the United States. 
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics \1\ project that jobs in 
occupations related to STEM will grow to more than nine million between 
2012 and 2022. This represents an increase of about one million jobs 
over 2012 employment levels. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau 
reports that Latinos accounted for just 6.5 percent of the STEM 
workforce in 2011, even though they made up about 17 percent of the 
U.S. population. The number of Hispanic students graduating with a 
postsecondary degree has increased in recent years; however, these 
students continue to be significantly underrepresented in the total 
number of students earning STEM credentials. In 2013 Hispanic students 
accounted for nine percent of students earning STEM degrees and 
certificates, with the majority of such Hispanic students coming from 
HSIs.\2\
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    \1\ Vilorio, D. (2014, March). STEM 101: Intro to tomorrow's 
jobs. Occupational Outlook Quarterly. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/spring/art01.pdf.
    \2\ Excelencia in Education. (2015). Finding Your Workforce: 
Latinos in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). 
Washington, DC: Excelencia in Education.
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    These data demonstrate the need for comprehensive support programs 
that promote educational opportunities in STEM fields for Hispanics. 
The Department has promoted college retention, affordability, and 
completion, especially for minority and low-income students, through 
various policy initiatives. This competition specifically acknowledges 
the importance of student-centered programs that will increase the 
number of Hispanic and low-income students who graduate with degrees in 
STEM fields, as well as the need to promote strong articulation and 
transfer models, leading to more transfer students attaining STEM field 
degrees.
    In recent years, the Department has emphasized the importance of 
promoting evidence-based practices through our grant competitions. In 
an effort to focus on promising strategies that have been the subject 
of research and evaluation as a way to enhance the effectiveness of 
work supported by funded applicants with Federal dollars, and to 
improve outcomes for students participating in our programs, we have 
included competitive preference priorities encouraging applicants to 
model their proposed projects on evidence-based strategies. For 
applicants that address a competitive preference priority, we award one 
additional point if the activities or strategies are supported by a 
study that meets the evidence of promise standard or three additional 
points if the activities or strategies are supported by a study (or 
studies) that meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness standard.
    Applicants must demonstrate that the research cited is relevant to 
the proposed project activities or strategies. In assessing the 
relevance of the research cited to the proposed project, the Secretary 
will consider, among other factors, the portion of the requested funds 
that will be dedicated to the evidence-based strategies or activities. 
In addition, in an effort to help generate evidence about effective 
intervention strategies and best practices that lead to increased 
completion rates at two- and four-year HSIs, particularly for STEM 
credentials, we have included a selection criterion awarding additional 
points for applications that propose rigorous evaluation methods for 
their proposed projects.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), Absolute 
Priority 1 is from the list of authorized activities in the statute 
(see section 503(b)(5) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101b(b)(5)). In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 2 is from 
section 371(b)(2)(B) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1067q(b)(2)(B)). In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the competitive preference 
priorities are from 34 CFR 75.226.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which 
we make

[[Page 11533]]

awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, 
these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only applications that meet both priorities.
    These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1
    An application that proposes to develop or enhance tutoring, 
counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic 
success, including innovative and customized instruction courses (which 
may include remedial education and English language instruction) 
designed to help retain students and move the students rapidly into 
core courses and through program completion.
Absolute Priority 2
    An application that proposes activities to increase the number of 
Hispanic and other low-income students attaining degrees in the STEM 
fields and proposes to develop model transfer and articulation 
agreements between two-year HSIs and four-year institutions in STEM 
fields.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2016 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 one additional point 
to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and 
three additional points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 2. Applicants may address only one of the 
competitive preference priorities and must clearly indicate in their 
application which competitive preference priority they are addressing. 
Applicants that address Competitive Preference Priority 2, but whose 
applications do not meet the moderate evidence of effectiveness 
standard, may still be considered under Competitive Preference Priority 
1 to determine whether their applications meet the evidence of promise 
standard.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1. (One additional point) 
Applications supported by evidence of effectiveness that meets the 
conditions set out in the definition of ``evidence of promise.''
    Competitive Preference Priority 2. (Three additional points) 
Applications supported by evidence of effectiveness that meets the 
conditions set out in the definition of ``moderate evidence of 
effectiveness.''
    Definitions: These definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1.
    Evidence of promise means there is empirical evidence to support 
the theoretical linkage(s) between at least one critical component and 
at least one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice. Specifically, 
evidence of promise means the conditions in both paragraphs (i) and 
(ii) of this definition are met:
    (i) There is at least one study that is a--
    (A) Correlational study with statistical controls for selection 
bias;
    (B) Quasi-experimental design study that meets the What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations; or
    (C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.
    (ii) The study referenced in paragraph (i) of this definition found 
a statistically significant or substantively important (defined as a 
difference of 0.25 standard deviations or larger), favorable 
association between at least one critical component and one relevant 
outcome presented in the logic model for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice.
    Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.

    Note: In developing logic models, applicants may want to use 
resources such as the Pacific Education Laboratory's Education Logic 
Model Application (www.relpacific.mcrel.org/PERR.html or http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544779.pdf) to help design their logic 
model.

    Moderate evidence of effectiveness means one of the following 
conditions is met:
    (i) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the 
process, product, strategy, or practices being proposed that meets the 
What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations, found 
a statistically significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome 
(with no statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts 
on that outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other 
studies of the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the What 
Works Clearinghouse), and includes a sample that overlaps with the 
populations or settings proposed to receive the process, product, 
strategy, or practice.
    (ii) There is at least one study of the effectiveness of the 
process, product, strategy, or practice being proposed that meets the 
What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations, found a 
statistically significant favorable impact on a relevant outcome (with 
no statistically significant and overriding unfavorable impacts on that 
outcome for relevant populations in the study or in other studies of 
the intervention reviewed by and reported on by the What Works 
Clearinghouse), includes a sample that overlaps with the populations or 
settings proposed to receive the process, product, strategy, or 
practice, and includes a large sample and a multi-site sample.

    Note: Multiple studies can cumulatively meet the large and 
multi-site sample requirements as long as each study meets the other 
requirements in this paragraph.

    Multi-site sample means more than one site, where site can be 
defined as a local educational agency, locality, or State.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can 
meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations (but 
not What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations).
    Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random 
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or 
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment 
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The 
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between 
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group. 
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet What 
Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate 
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice is designed to improve; consistent with the 
specific goals of a program.
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
    What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards means the standards set 
forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook

[[Page 11534]]

(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link: 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.

     Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067q(b)(2)(B).

    Although the HSI STEM and Articulation Program authorized under 
section 371 of the HEA is not part of the Developing HSIs Program 
authorized by title V of the HEA, the eligibility and activity 
provisions under the Developing HSIs Program apply to the HSI STEM and 
Articulation Program pursuant to section 371(a)(2) and (b)(2)(B) of the 
HEA.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations 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.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $91,773,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $700,000-1,200,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $775,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 109.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: (a) IHEs that qualify as eligible HSIs are 
eligible to apply under the HSI STEM and Articulation Program. To be an 
eligible HSI, an IHE must--
    (i) Have an enrollment of needy students, as defined in section 
502(b) of the HEA (section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));
    (ii) Have, except as provided in section 522(b) of the HEA, average 
educational and general expenditures that are low, per full-time 
equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, in comparison with the average 
educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of 
institutions that offer similar instruction (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii) 
of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));

    Note: The notice announcing the FY 2016 process for designation 
of eligible institutions, and inviting applications for waiver of 
eligibility requirements, was published in the Federal Register on 
November 19, 2015 (80 FR 72422). Only institutions that the 
Department determines are eligible, or are granted a waiver, may 
apply for a grant in this program.

    (iii) Be accredited 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, or making 
reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency 
or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));
    (iv) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the 
State, an educational program for which the institution awards a 
bachelor's degree, or be a junior or community college (section 
502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and
    (v) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at 
least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year 
immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of 
the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).

    Note: Institutions that have been identified as meeting the 
requirements to be an ``eligible institution'' for purposes of title 
V of the HEA as described in the Federal Register notice published 
on November 19, 2015, including the requirement that it have at 
least 25 percent Hispanic enrollment, do not need to submit any 
additional eligibility information but must submit a grant 
application. Institutions that have been identified as meeting the 
basic requirements to be an eligible institution except for the 
requirement for 25 percent Hispanic enrollment must submit 
documentation to demonstrate that they meet that requirement. The 
institution must submit either: The data the institution submitted 
to the Department in response to the IPEDS surveys for Fall 2014 or 
the data submitted by the institution to the State. See the 
application package for more information regarding eligibility 
documentation.

    An institution that is required to submit documentation of its 
percentage of Hispanic student enrollment but does not do so will not 
be eligible to apply for a grant. An institution that meets the basic 
requirements of an eligible institution but does not demonstrate that 
it meets the requirement for 25 percent Hispanic enrollment is also not 
eligible to apply for a grant.
    (b) An eligible HSI that submits multiple applications may only be 
awarded one grant.
    2. 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 (section 503(c)(2) of the HEA; 20 
U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request for Application Package: Everardo Gil or 
Jeffrey Hartman, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 219-7000 or (202) 502-7607 or by email: 
[email protected] or [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.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person 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 program.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria, the 
absolute priorities, and the competitive preference priorities that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have established the 
following mandatory page limits for all applications:
     If you are not addressing a competitive preference 
priority, you must limit your application narrative to no more than 50 
pages.
     If you are addressing one of the competitive preference 
priorities, you must limit your application narrative to no more than 
55 pages.
    Please include a separate heading for the absolute priorities and 
for the competitive preference priority, if you address one.
    For the purpose of determining compliance with the page limits, 
each page on which there are words will be

[[Page 11535]]

counted as one full page. Applicants must 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. Page numbers and an 
identifier may be within the 1'' margins.
     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, figures, and graphs. These items may be single-spaced. Charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs in the application narrative 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, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes.
     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.
    The page limit applies to all of the application narrative section, 
including your complete response to the selection criteria, the 
absolute priorities, and a competitive preference priority. However, 
the page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424); the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information form (SF 424); Part II, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524) and budget narrative; Part IV, the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page project abstract. If you 
include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested in the 
application package, these items will be counted as part of your 
application narrative for purposes of the page-limit requirement.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 4, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 3, 2016.
    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, please refer to Other Submission Requirements in section IV 
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 5, 2016.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: (a) General. We reference regulations 
outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of 
this notice.
    (b) Applicability of Executive Order 13202. Applicants that apply 
for construction funds under the HSI STEM and Articulation Program must 
comply with Executive Order 13202, as amended. This Executive order 
provides that recipients of Federal construction funds may not 
``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors 
to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor 
organizations, on the same or other construction project(s)'' or 
``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or 
subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or remain signatories 
or otherwise to adhere to agreements with one or more labor 
organizations, on the same or other related construction project(s).'' 
Projects funded under this program that include construction activity 
will be provided a copy of this Executive order and will be asked to 
certify that they will adhere to it.
    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), 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 at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be 
created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database. 
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, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and 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 the 
HSI STEM and Articulation Program 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 HSI STEM and Articulation 
Program, CFDA

[[Page 11536]]

number 84.031C, 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 this 
competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, 
not 84.031C).
    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. In addition, for specific guidance and 
procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please 
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     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 read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF) format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the project 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason, it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF.
     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. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the persons 
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

[[Page 11537]]

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 the problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. We will contact you after we determine 
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: Everardo Gil or Jeffrey 
Hartman, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202. 
FAX: (202) 205-0063.
    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 84.031C) 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.

    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.

    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    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 84.031C), 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 competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. We will award up to 100 points to an 
application under the selection criteria; the total possible points for 
each selection criterion are noted in parentheses.
    (a) Quality of the Project Design. (Maximum 30 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 following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs. (Up to 10 points)
    (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes 
a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a high-
quality plan for project implementation, and the use of appropriate 
methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of project 
objectives. (Up to 5 points)
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by strong 
theory (as defined in this notice). (Up to 5 points)
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the 
competition. (Up to 10 points)
    (b) Quality of Project Services. (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, national origin, 
gender, age, or disability.
    In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice. (Up to 10 points)
    (2) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. (Up to 
10 points)
    (c) Significance. (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary considers the 
significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance 
of the proposed project,

[[Page 11538]]

the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or 
effective strategies. (Up to 5 points)
    (2) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement. (Up to 15 points)
    (d) Quality of the Management Plan. (Maximum 10 points) The 
Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (Up to 5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project. (Up to 5 points)
    (e) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (Maximum 20 points) The 
Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of 
the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(Up to 5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (Up to 5 points)
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well-
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 
reservations. (Up to 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 
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).
    Awards will be made in rank order according to the average score 
received from an evaluation performed by a panel of non-Federal 
reviewers based on responses to the selection criteria and, if 
applicable, the competitive preference priorities. If an application is 
scored highly, has the possibility of being funded, and includes a 
response to one of the competitive preference priorities, the Institute 
of Education Sciences (IES) will review the studies cited in the 
application to determine whether they meet the ``moderate evidence of 
effectiveness'' or the ``evidence of promise'' standard. Only those 
applications that address a competitive preference priority and have 
the possibility of being funded because of high scores and available 
funds for new awards will undergo further review by IES.

    Note: As noted in 34 CFR 75.217, we will use other information 
noted in this section to select applications for new grants when two 
or more applicants receive the same score in the rank order and the 
program funds are insufficient to fund all applicants with the same 
cut off score.

    3. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. 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 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.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the HSI STEM and Articulation Program:
    a. The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the 
number of Hispanic and low-income full-time STEM field degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled.
    b. The percentage of Hispanic and low-income first-time, full-time 
STEM field degree-seeking undergraduate students who were in their 
first year of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are 
enrolled in the current year who remain in a STEM field degree/
credential program.
    c. The percentage of Hispanic and low-income first-time, full-time 
degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at four-year HSIs 
graduating within six years of enrollment with a STEM field degree.

[[Page 11539]]

    d. The percentage of Hispanic and low-income first-time, full-time 
degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at two-year HSIs 
graduating within three years of enrollment with a STEM field degree/
credential.
    e. The percentage of Hispanic and low-income students transferring 
successfully to a four-year institution from a two-year institution and 
retained in a STEM field major.
    f. The number of Hispanic and low-income students participating in 
grant-funded student support programs or services.
    g. The percent of Hispanic and low-income students who participated 
in grant-supported services or programs who successfully completed 
gateway courses.
    h. The percent of Hispanic and low-income students who participated 
in grant-supported services or programs in good academic standing.
    i. The percent of Hispanic and low-income STEM field major transfer 
students on track to complete a STEM field degree within three years 
from their transfer date.
    j. The percent of Hispanic and low-income students who participated 
in grant-supported services or programs and completed a degree or 
credential.
    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 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. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Hartman or Everardo Gil, 
Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 
502-7607 or (202) 219-7000 or by email: [email protected] or 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Applicants should periodically check the HSI Program Web site for 
information regarding pre-application technical assistance workshops 
and webinars. The address is: www.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/index.html.

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 
one of 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 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.

    Dated: March 1, 2016.
Lynn Mahaffie,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning and Innovation 
Delegated the Duties of Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2016-04868 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                                  11532                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices

                                                  presentations. Those who pre-register                     Catalog of Federal Domestic                         especially for minority and low-income
                                                  will be scheduled to speak first.                       Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031C.                    students, through various policy
                                                  Individual oral comments may be                         DATES:                                                initiatives. This competition specifically
                                                  limited by the time available, depending                  Applications Available: March 4,                    acknowledges the importance of
                                                  on the number of persons who register.                  2016.                                                 student-centered programs that will
                                                  At the beginning of the hearing, the                      Deadline for Transmittal of                         increase the number of Hispanic and
                                                  Board will post a list of speakers at the               Applications: May 3, 2016.                            low-income students who graduate with
                                                  entrance to the hearing room. Anyone                      Deadline for Intergovernmental                      degrees in STEM fields, as well as the
                                                  who wishes to comment or provide                        Review: July 5, 2016.                                 need to promote strong articulation and
                                                  technical information or data may do so                 Full Text of Announcement                             transfer models, leading to more transfer
                                                  in writing, either in lieu of, or in                                                                          students attaining STEM field degrees.
                                                  addition to, making an oral                             I. Funding Opportunity Description                       In recent years, the Department has
                                                  presentation. The Board Members may                        Purpose of Program: The Hispanic-                  emphasized the importance of
                                                  question presenters to the extent                       Serving Institutions STEM and                         promoting evidence-based practices
                                                  deemed appropriate. Public                              Articulation Program supports eligible                through our grant competitions. In an
                                                  participation in the hearing will be                    Hispanic-Serving institutions (as                     effort to focus on promising strategies
                                                  subject to the participation criteria                   defined in section 502 of the Higher                  that have been the subject of research
                                                  posted on the Board’s Web site with the                 Education Act of 1965, as amended                     and evaluation as a way to enhance the
                                                  hearing agenda. Written comments and                    (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1101a)) (HSIs) in                    effectiveness of work supported by
                                                  documents will be accepted at the                       developing and carrying out activities                funded applicants with Federal dollars,
                                                  hearing or may be sent to the Board’s                   described in section 503(b) of the HEA                and to improve outcomes for students
                                                  Washington, DC, office. The Board will                  (20 U.S.C. 1101b(b)) to increase the                  participating in our programs, we have
                                                  hold the hearing record open until April                number of Hispanic and low-income                     included competitive preference
                                                  22, 2016, for the receipt of additional                 students attaining degrees in the fields              priorities encouraging applicants to
                                                  materials.                                              of science, technology, engineering, and              model their proposed projects on
                                                     The hearing will be presented live                   math (STEM).                                          evidence-based strategies. For
                                                  through Internet video streaming. A link                   Background: Given the growth in the                applicants that address a competitive
                                                  to the presentation will be available on                Hispanic population, taking steps to                  preference priority, we award one
                                                  the Board’s Web site (www.dnfsb.gov). A                 increase the number of Hispanic                       additional point if the activities or
                                                  transcript of the hearing, along with a                 students with STEM credentials is                     strategies are supported by a study that
                                                  DVD video recording, will be made                       critical to the future workforce and                  meets the evidence of promise standard
                                                  available by the Board for inspection                   economy of the United States. Data from               or three additional points if the
                                                  and viewing by the public at the Board’s                the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1                 activities or strategies are supported by
                                                  Washington office and at the                            project that jobs in occupations related              a study (or studies) that meet the
                                                  Department of Energy’s (DOE) public                     to STEM will grow to more than nine                   moderate evidence of effectiveness
                                                  reading room at the DOE Federal                         million between 2012 and 2022. This                   standard.
                                                  Building, 1000 Independence Avenue                      represents an increase of about one                      Applicants must demonstrate that the
                                                  SW., Washington, DC 20585. The Board                    million jobs over 2012 employment                     research cited is relevant to the
                                                  specifically reserves its right to further              levels. Additionally, the U.S. Census                 proposed project activities or strategies.
                                                  schedule and otherwise regulate the                     Bureau reports that Latinos accounted                 In assessing the relevance of the
                                                  course of the hearing, to recess,                       for just 6.5 percent of the STEM                      research cited to the proposed project,
                                                  reconvene, postpone, or adjourn the                     workforce in 2011, even though they                   the Secretary will consider, among other
                                                  hearing, conduct further reviews, and                   made up about 17 percent of the U.S.                  factors, the portion of the requested
                                                  otherwise exercise its authority under                  population. The number of Hispanic                    funds that will be dedicated to the
                                                  the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as                       students graduating with a                            evidence-based strategies or activities.
                                                  amended.                                                postsecondary degree has increased in                 In addition, in an effort to help generate
                                                                                                          recent years; however, these students                 evidence about effective intervention
                                                    Dated: March 1, 2016.                                                                                       strategies and best practices that lead to
                                                                                                          continue to be significantly
                                                  Joyce L. Connery,                                                                                             increased completion rates at two- and
                                                                                                          underrepresented in the total number of
                                                  Chairman.                                               students earning STEM credentials. In                 four-year HSIs, particularly for STEM
                                                  [FR Doc. 2016–04928 Filed 3–2–16; 11:15 am]             2013 Hispanic students accounted for                  credentials, we have included a
                                                  BILLING CODE 3670–01–P                                  nine percent of students earning STEM                 selection criterion awarding additional
                                                                                                          degrees and certificates, with the                    points for applications that propose
                                                                                                          majority of such Hispanic students                    rigorous evaluation methods for their
                                                  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                                 coming from HSIs.2                                    proposed projects.
                                                                                                             These data demonstrate the need for                   Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
                                                  Applications for New Awards;                            comprehensive support programs that                   75.105(b)(2)(v), Absolute Priority 1 is
                                                  Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM                      promote educational opportunities in                  from the list of authorized activities in
                                                  and Articulation Program                                STEM fields for Hispanics. The                        the statute (see section 503(b)(5) of the
                                                                                                          Department has promoted college                       HEA (20 U.S.C. 1101b(b)(5)). In
                                                  AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary                                                                               accordance with 34 CFR
                                                  Education, Department of Education.                     retention, affordability, and completion,
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                                                                                                                                75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 2 is
                                                  ACTION: Notice.                                           1 Vilorio, D. (2014, March). STEM 101: Intro to     from section 371(b)(2)(B) of the HEA (20
                                                                                                          tomorrow’s jobs. Occupational Outlook Quarterly.      U.S.C. 1067q(b)(2)(B)). In accordance
                                                  Overview Information                                    Retrieved from www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/        with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the
                                                                                                          spring/art01.pdf.
                                                    Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM                      2 Excelencia in Education. (2015). Finding Your
                                                                                                                                                                competitive preference priorities are
                                                  and Articulation Program                                Workforce: Latinos in Science, Technology,            from 34 CFR 75.226.
                                                    Notice inviting applications for new                  Engineering, and Math (STEM). Washington, DC:            Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and
                                                  awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.                       Excelencia in Education.                              any subsequent year in which we make


                                             VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:22 Mar 03, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00025   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\04MRN1.SGM   04MRN1


                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices                                              11533

                                                  awards from the list of unfunded                           Evidence of promise means there is                 receive the process, product, strategy, or
                                                  applications from this competition,                     empirical evidence to support the                     practice.
                                                  these priorities are absolute priorities.               theoretical linkage(s) between at least                  (ii) There is at least one study of the
                                                  Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider                  one critical component and at least one               effectiveness of the process, product,
                                                  only applications that meet both                        relevant outcome presented in the logic               strategy, or practice being proposed that
                                                  priorities.                                             model for the proposed process,                       meets the What Works Clearinghouse
                                                    These priorities are:                                 product, strategy, or practice.                       Evidence Standards with reservations,
                                                                                                          Specifically, evidence of promise means               found a statistically significant favorable
                                                  Absolute Priority 1                                     the conditions in both paragraphs (i)                 impact on a relevant outcome (with no
                                                    An application that proposes to                       and (ii) of this definition are met:                  statistically significant and overriding
                                                  develop or enhance tutoring,                               (i) There is at least one study that is            unfavorable impacts on that outcome for
                                                  counseling, and student service                         a—                                                    relevant populations in the study or in
                                                  programs designed to improve academic                      (A) Correlational study with statistical           other studies of the intervention
                                                  success, including innovative and                       controls for selection bias;                          reviewed by and reported on by the
                                                  customized instruction courses (which                      (B) Quasi-experimental design study                What Works Clearinghouse), includes a
                                                  may include remedial education and                      that meets the What Works                             sample that overlaps with the
                                                  English language instruction) designed                  Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with                 populations or settings proposed to
                                                  to help retain students and move the                    reservations; or                                      receive the process, product, strategy, or
                                                  students rapidly into core courses and                     (C) Randomized controlled trial that               practice, and includes a large sample
                                                  through program completion.                             meets the What Works Clearinghouse                    and a multi-site sample.
                                                                                                          Evidence Standards with or without
                                                  Absolute Priority 2                                     reservations.                                           Note: Multiple studies can cumulatively
                                                                                                             (ii) The study referenced in paragraph             meet the large and multi-site sample
                                                     An application that proposes                                                                               requirements as long as each study meets the
                                                                                                          (i) of this definition found a statistically
                                                  activities to increase the number of                                                                          other requirements in this paragraph.
                                                                                                          significant or substantively important
                                                  Hispanic and other low-income students                                                                           Multi-site sample means more than
                                                                                                          (defined as a difference of 0.25 standard
                                                  attaining degrees in the STEM fields and                                                                      one site, where site can be defined as a
                                                                                                          deviations or larger), favorable
                                                  proposes to develop model transfer and                                                                        local educational agency, locality, or
                                                                                                          association between at least one critical
                                                  articulation agreements between two-                                                                          State.
                                                                                                          component and one relevant outcome
                                                  year HSIs and four-year institutions in                                                                          Quasi-experimental design study
                                                                                                          presented in the logic model for the
                                                  STEM fields.                                                                                                  means a study using a design that
                                                                                                          proposed process, product, strategy, or
                                                     Competitive Preference Priorities: For                                                                     attempts to approximate an
                                                                                                          practice.
                                                  FY 2016 and any subsequent year in                         Logic model (also referred to as theory            experimental design by identifying a
                                                  which we make awards from the list of                   of action) means a well-specified                     comparison group that is similar to the
                                                  unfunded applications from this                         conceptual framework that identifies                  treatment group in important respects.
                                                  competition, these priorities are                       key components of the proposed                        These studies, depending on design and
                                                  competitive preference priorities. Under                process, product, strategy, or practice               implementation, can meet What Works
                                                  34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award one                    (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are            Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with
                                                  additional point to an application that                 hypothesized to be critical to achieving              reservations (but not What Works
                                                  meets Competitive Preference Priority 1                 the relevant outcomes) and describes                  Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
                                                  and three additional points to an                       the relationships among the key                       without reservations).
                                                  application that meets Competitive                      components and outcomes, theoretically                   Randomized controlled trial means a
                                                  Preference Priority 2. Applicants may                   and operationally.                                    study that employs random assignment
                                                  address only one of the competitive                                                                           of, for example, students, teachers,
                                                  preference priorities and must clearly                    Note: In developing logic models,
                                                                                                          applicants may want to use resources such as          classrooms, schools, or districts to
                                                  indicate in their application which                     the Pacific Education Laboratory’s Education          receive the intervention being evaluated
                                                  competitive preference priority they are                Logic Model Application                               (the treatment group) or not to receive
                                                  addressing. Applicants that address                     (www.relpacific.mcrel.org/PERR.html or                the intervention (the control group). The
                                                  Competitive Preference Priority 2, but                  http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544779.pdf)       estimated effectiveness of the
                                                  whose applications do not meet the                      to help design their logic model.                     intervention is the difference between
                                                  moderate evidence of effectiveness                         Moderate evidence of effectiveness                 the average outcome for the treatment
                                                  standard, may still be considered under                 means one of the following conditions                 group and for the control group. These
                                                  Competitive Preference Priority 1 to                    is met:                                               studies, depending on design and
                                                  determine whether their applications                       (i) There is at least one study of the             implementation, can meet What Works
                                                  meet the evidence of promise standard.                  effectiveness of the process, product,                Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
                                                     These priorities are:                                strategy, or practices being proposed                 without reservations.
                                                     Competitive Preference Priority 1.                   that meets the What Works                                Relevant outcome means the student
                                                  (One additional point) Applications                     Clearinghouse Evidence Standards                      outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if
                                                  supported by evidence of effectiveness                  without reservations, found a                         not related to students) the proposed
                                                  that meets the conditions set out in the                statistically significant favorable impact            process, product, strategy, or practice is
                                                  definition of ‘‘evidence of promise.’’                  on a relevant outcome (with no                        designed to improve; consistent with
                                                     Competitive Preference Priority 2.                   statistically significant and overriding              the specific goals of a program.
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                                                  (Three additional points) Applications                  unfavorable impacts on that outcome for                  Strong theory means a rationale for
                                                  supported by evidence of effectiveness                  relevant populations in the study or in               the proposed process, product, strategy,
                                                  that meets the conditions set out in the                other studies of the intervention                     or practice that includes a logic model.
                                                  definition of ‘‘moderate evidence of                    reviewed by and reported on by the                       What Works Clearinghouse Evidence
                                                  effectiveness.’’                                        What Works Clearinghouse), and                        Standards means the standards set forth
                                                     Definitions: These definitions are                   includes a sample that overlaps with the              in the What Works Clearinghouse
                                                  from 34 CFR 77.1.                                       populations or settings proposed to                   Procedures and Standards Handbook


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                                                  11534                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices

                                                  (Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be                 that are low, per full-time equivalent                that it meets the requirement for 25
                                                  found at the following link: http://                    (FTE) undergraduate student, in                       percent Hispanic enrollment is also not
                                                  ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/                                    comparison with the average                           eligible to apply for a grant.
                                                  DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.                                educational and general expenditures                     (b) An eligible HSI that submits
                                                    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C.                          per FTE undergraduate student of                      multiple applications may only be
                                                  1067q(b)(2)(B).                                         institutions that offer similar instruction           awarded one grant.
                                                                                                          (section 502(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the HEA; 20                 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
                                                     Although the HSI STEM and                            U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(ii));                           program does not require cost sharing or
                                                  Articulation Program authorized under                                                                         matching unless the grantee uses a
                                                  section 371 of the HEA is not part of the                 Note: The notice announcing the FY 2016
                                                                                                          process for designation of eligible                   portion of its grant for establishing or
                                                  Developing HSIs Program authorized by                                                                         improving an endowment fund. If a
                                                                                                          institutions, and inviting applications for
                                                  title V of the HEA, the eligibility and                 waiver of eligibility requirements, was               grantee uses a portion of its grant for
                                                  activity provisions under the                           published in the Federal Register on                  endowment fund purposes, it must
                                                  Developing HSIs Program apply to the                    November 19, 2015 (80 FR 72422). Only                 match those grant funds with non-
                                                  HSI STEM and Articulation Program                       institutions that the Department determines           Federal funds (section 503(c)(2) of the
                                                  pursuant to section 371(a)(2) and                       are eligible, or are granted a waiver, may            HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).
                                                  (b)(2)(B) of the HEA.                                   apply for a grant in this program.
                                                     Applicable Regulations: (a) The                                                                            IV. Application and Submission
                                                                                                            (iii) Be accredited by a nationally
                                                  Education Department General                                                                                  Information
                                                                                                          recognized accrediting agency or
                                                  Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR                    association that the Secretary has                      1. Address to Request for Application
                                                  parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and               determined to be a reliable authority as              Package: Everardo Gil or Jeffrey
                                                  99. (b) The Office of Management and                    to the quality of education or training               Hartman, Office of Postsecondary
                                                  Budget Guidelines to Agencies on                        offered, or making reasonable progress                Education, U.S. Department of
                                                  Governmentwide Debarment and                            toward accreditation, according to such               Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
                                                  Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR                    an agency or association (section                     Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202.
                                                  part 180, as adopted and amended as                     502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C.                Telephone: (202) 219–7000 or (202)
                                                  regulations of the Department in 2 CFR                  1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));                                  502–7607 or by email: Everardo.Gil@
                                                  part 3485 (c) The Uniform                                 (iv) Be legally authorized to provide,              ed.gov or Jeffrey.Hartman@ed.gov.
                                                  Administrative Requirements, Cost                       and provide within the State, an                         If you use a telecommunications
                                                  Principles, and Audit Requirements for                  educational program for which the                     device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
                                                  Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as                    institution awards a bachelor’s degree,               telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
                                                  adopted and amended as regulations of                   or be a junior or community college                   Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
                                                  the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.                      (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA; 20             8339.
                                                    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86               U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and                         Individuals with disabilities can
                                                  apply to institutions of higher education                 (v) Have an enrollment of                           obtain a copy of the application package
                                                  (IHEs) only.                                            undergraduate FTE students that is at                 in an accessible format (e.g., braille,
                                                                                                          least 25 percent Hispanic students at the             large print, audiotape, or compact disc)
                                                  II. Award Information                                   end of the award year immediately                     by contacting the program contact
                                                    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.                  preceding the date of application                     person listed in this section.
                                                    Estimated Available Funds:                            (section 502(a)(5)(B) of the HEA; 20                     2. Content and Form of Application
                                                  $91,773,000.                                            U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).                               Submission: Requirements concerning
                                                    Contingent upon the availability of                                                                         the content of an application, together
                                                                                                             Note: Institutions that have been identified
                                                  funds and the quality of applications,                  as meeting the requirements to be an                  with the forms you must submit, are in
                                                  we may make additional awards in FY                     ‘‘eligible institution’’ for purposes of title V      the application package for this
                                                  2017 from the list of unfunded                          of the HEA as described in the Federal                program.
                                                  applications from this competition.                     Register notice published on November 19,                Page Limit: The application narrative
                                                    Estimated Range of Awards:                            2015, including the requirement that it have          (Part III of the application) is where you,
                                                  $700,000–1,200,000.                                     at least 25 percent Hispanic enrollment, do           the applicant, address the selection
                                                                                                          not need to submit any additional eligibility         criteria, the absolute priorities, and the
                                                    Estimated Average Size of Awards:                     information but must submit a grant
                                                  $775,000.                                                                                                     competitive preference priorities that
                                                                                                          application. Institutions that have been              reviewers use to evaluate your
                                                    Estimated Number of Awards: 109.                      identified as meeting the basic requirements
                                                                                                          to be an eligible institution except for the
                                                                                                                                                                application. We have established the
                                                    Note: The Department is not bound by any                                                                    following mandatory page limits for all
                                                  estimates in this notice.                               requirement for 25 percent Hispanic
                                                                                                          enrollment must submit documentation to               applications:
                                                     Project Period: Up to 60 months.                     demonstrate that they meet that requirement.             • If you are not addressing a
                                                                                                          The institution must submit either: The data          competitive preference priority, you
                                                  III. Eligibility Information
                                                                                                          the institution submitted to the Department           must limit your application narrative to
                                                    1. Eligible Applicants: (a) IHEs that                 in response to the IPEDS surveys for Fall             no more than 50 pages.
                                                  qualify as eligible HSIs are eligible to                2014 or the data submitted by the institution            • If you are addressing one of the
                                                  apply under the HSI STEM and                            to the State. See the application package for         competitive preference priorities, you
                                                  Articulation Program. To be an eligible                 more information regarding eligibility                must limit your application narrative to
                                                  HSI, an IHE must—                                       documentation.
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                                                                                                                                                                no more than 55 pages.
                                                    (i) Have an enrollment of needy                         An institution that is required to                     Please include a separate heading for
                                                  students, as defined in section 502(b) of               submit documentation of its percentage                the absolute priorities and for the
                                                  the HEA (section 502(a)(2)(A)(i) of the                 of Hispanic student enrollment but does               competitive preference priority, if you
                                                  HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(2)(A)(i));                      not do so will not be eligible to apply               address one.
                                                    (ii) Have, except as provided in                      for a grant. An institution that meets the               For the purpose of determining
                                                  section 522(b) of the HEA, average                      basic requirements of an eligible                     compliance with the page limits, each
                                                  educational and general expenditures                    institution but does not demonstrate                  page on which there are words will be


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                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices                                               11535

                                                  counted as one full page. Applicants                    under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION                         awarded a grant, during the project
                                                  must use the following standards:                       CONTACT in section VII of this notice.          If    period.
                                                     • A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side              the Department provides an                               You can obtain a DUNS number from
                                                  only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,               accommodation or auxiliary aid to an                  Dun and Bradstreet at the following
                                                  and both sides. Page numbers and an                     individual with a disability in                       Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/
                                                  identifier may be within the 1″ margins.                connection with the application                       webform. A DUNS number can be
                                                     • Double space (no more than three                   process, the individual’s application                 created within one to two business days.
                                                  lines per vertical inch) all text in the                remains subject to all other                             If you are a corporate entity, agency,
                                                  application narrative, except titles,                   requirements and limitations in this                  institution, or organization, you can
                                                  headings, footnotes, quotations,                        notice.                                               obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue
                                                  references, captions and all text in                       Deadline for Intergovernmental                     Service. If you are an individual, you
                                                  charts, tables, figures, and graphs. These              Review: July 5, 2016.                                 can obtain a TIN from the Internal
                                                  items may be single-spaced. Charts,                        4. Intergovernmental Review: This                  Revenue Service or the Social Security
                                                  tables, figures, and graphs in the                      program is subject to Executive Order                 Administration. If you need a new TIN,
                                                  application narrative count toward the                  12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR                   please allow two to five weeks for your
                                                  page limit.                                             part 79. Information about                            TIN to become active.
                                                     • Use a font that is either 12 point or              Intergovernmental Review of Federal                      The SAM registration process can take
                                                  larger, or no smaller than 10 pitch                     Programs under Executive Order 12372                  approximately seven business days, but
                                                  (characters per inch). However, you may                 is in the application package for this                may take upwards of several weeks,
                                                  use a 10-point font in charts, tables,                  program.                                              depending on the completeness and
                                                  figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes.                  5. Funding Restrictions: (a) General.              accuracy of the data you enter into the
                                                     • Use one of the following fonts:                    We reference regulations outlining                    SAM database. Thus, if you think you
                                                  Times New Roman, Courier, Courier                       funding restrictions in the Applicable                might want to apply for Federal
                                                  New, or Arial. An application submitted                 Regulations section of this notice.                   financial assistance under a program
                                                  in any other font (including Times                         (b) Applicability of Executive Order               administered by the Department, please
                                                  Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be                      13202. Applicants that apply for                      allow sufficient time to obtain and
                                                  accepted.                                               construction funds under the HSI STEM                 register your DUNS number and TIN.
                                                     The page limit applies to all of the                 and Articulation Program must comply                  We strongly recommend that you
                                                  application narrative section, including                with Executive Order 13202, as                        register early.
                                                  your complete response to the selection                 amended. This Executive order provides                   Note: Once your SAM registration is active,
                                                  criteria, the absolute priorities, and a                that recipients of Federal construction               it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can
                                                  competitive preference priority.                        funds may not ‘‘require or prohibit                   access the information in, and submit an
                                                  However, the page limit does not apply                  bidders, offerors, contractors, or                    application through, Grants.gov.
                                                  to Part I, the Application for Federal                  subcontractors to enter into or adhere to               If you are currently registered with
                                                  Assistance (SF 424); the Department of                  agreements with one or more labor                     SAM, you may not need to make any
                                                  Education Supplemental Information                      organizations, on the same or other                   changes. However, please make certain
                                                  form (SF 424); Part II, Budget                          construction project(s)’’ or ‘‘otherwise              that the TIN associated with your DUNS
                                                  Information—Non-Construction                            discriminate against bidders, offerors,               number is correct. Also note that you
                                                  Programs (ED 524) and budget narrative;                 contractors, or subcontractors for                    will need to update your registration
                                                  Part IV, the assurances and                             becoming or refusing to become or                     annually. This may take three or more
                                                  certifications; or the one-page project                 remain signatories or otherwise to                    business days.
                                                  abstract. If you include any attachments                adhere to agreements with one or more                   Information about SAM is available at
                                                  or appendices not specifically requested                labor organizations, on the same or                   www.SAM.gov. To further assist you
                                                  in the application package, these items                 other related construction project(s).’’              with obtaining and registering your
                                                  will be counted as part of your                         Projects funded under this program that               DUNS number and TIN in SAM or
                                                  application narrative for purposes of the               include construction activity will be                 updating your existing SAM account,
                                                  page-limit requirement.                                 provided a copy of this Executive order               we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,
                                                     3. Submission Dates and Times:                       and will be asked to certify that they                which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/
                                                     Applications Available: March 4,                     will adhere to it.                                    fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
                                                  2016.                                                      6. Data Universal Numbering System                   In addition, if you are submitting your
                                                     Deadline for Transmittal of                          Number, Taxpayer Identification                       application via Grants.gov, you must (1)
                                                  Applications: May 3, 2016.                              Number, and System for Award                          be designated by your organization as an
                                                     Applications for grants under this                   Management: To do business with the                   Authorized Organization Representative
                                                  program must be submitted                               Department of Education, you must—                    (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
                                                  electronically using the Grants.gov                        a. Have a Data Universal Numbering                 Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these
                                                  Apply site (Grants.gov). For information                System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer                   steps are outlined at the following
                                                  (including dates and times) about how                   Identification Number (TIN);                          Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/
                                                  to submit your application                                 b. Register both your DUNS number                  web/grants/register.html.
                                                  electronically, or in paper format by                   and TIN with the System for Award                       7. Other Submission Requirements:
                                                  mail or hand delivery, please refer to                  Management (SAM) (formerly the                        Applications for grants under the HSI
                                                  Other Submission Requirements in                        Central Contractor Registry), the                     STEM and Articulation Program must
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                  section IV of this notice.                              Government’s primary registrant                       be submitted electronically unless you
                                                     We do not consider an application                    database;                                             qualify for an exception to this
                                                  that does not comply with the deadline                     c. Provide your DUNS number and                    requirement in accordance with the
                                                  requirements.                                           TIN on your application; and                          instructions in this section.
                                                     Individuals with disabilities who                       d. Maintain an active SAM                            a. Electronic Submission of
                                                  need an accommodation or auxiliary aid                  registration with current information                 Applications.
                                                  in connection with the application                      while your application is under review                  Applications for grants under the HSI
                                                  process should contact the person listed                by the Department and, if you are                     STEM and Articulation Program, CFDA


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                                                  11536                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices

                                                  number 84.031C, must be submitted                       deadline date to begin the submission                 email if your application met all the
                                                  electronically using the                                process through Grants.gov.                           Grants.gov validation requirements or if
                                                  Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site                       • You should review and follow the                 there were any errors (such as
                                                  at www.Grants.gov. Through this site,                   Education Submission Procedures for                   submission of your application by
                                                  you will be able to download a copy of                  submitting an application through                     someone other than a registered
                                                  the application package, complete it                    Grants.gov that are included in the                   Authorized Organization
                                                  offline, and then upload and submit                     application package for this competition              Representative, or inclusion of an
                                                  your application. You may not email an                  to ensure that you submit your                        attachment with a file name that
                                                  electronic copy of a grant application to               application in a timely manner to the                 contains special characters). You will be
                                                  us.                                                     Grants.gov system. You can also find the              given an opportunity to correct any
                                                     We will reject your application if you               Education Submission Procedures                       errors and resubmit, but you must still
                                                  submit it in paper format unless, as                    pertaining to Grants.gov under News                   meet the deadline for submission of
                                                  described elsewhere in this section, you                and Events on the Department’s G5                     applications.
                                                  qualify for one of the exceptions to the                system home page at www.G5.gov. In                       Once your application is successfully
                                                  electronic submission requirement and                   addition, for specific guidance and                   validated by Grants.gov, the Department
                                                  submit, no later than two weeks before                  procedures for submitting an                          will retrieve your application from
                                                  the application deadline date, a written                application through Grants.gov, please                Grants.gov and send you an email with
                                                  statement to the Department that you                    refer to the Grants.gov Web site at:                  a unique PR/Award number for your
                                                  qualify for one of these exceptions.                    www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/                 application.
                                                  Further information regarding                           apply-for-grants.html.                                   These emails do not mean that your
                                                  calculation of the date that is two weeks                  • You will not receive additional                  application is without any disqualifying
                                                  before the application deadline date is                 point value because you submit your                   errors. While your application may have
                                                  provided later in this section under                    application in electronic format, nor                 been successfully validated by
                                                  Exception to Electronic Submission                      will we penalize you if you qualify for               Grants.gov, it must also meet the
                                                  Requirement.                                            an exception to the electronic                        Department’s application requirements
                                                                                                          submission requirement, as described                  as specified in this notice and in the
                                                     You may access the electronic grant
                                                                                                          elsewhere in this section, and submit                 application instructions. Disqualifying
                                                  application for this competition at
                                                                                                          your application in paper format.                     errors could include, for instance,
                                                  www.Grants.gov. You must search for                        • You must submit all documents                    failure to upload attachments in a read-
                                                  the downloadable application package                    electronically, including all information             only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to
                                                  for this program by the CFDA number.                    you typically provide on the following                submit a required part of the
                                                  Do not include the CFDA number’s                        forms: The Application for Federal                    application; or failure to meet applicant
                                                  alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search               Assistance (SF 424), the Department of                eligibility requirements. It is your
                                                  for 84.031, not 84.031C).                               Education Supplemental Information for                responsibility to ensure that your
                                                     Please note the following:                           SF 424, Budget Information—Non-                       submitted application has met all of the
                                                     • When you enter the Grants.gov site,                Construction Programs (ED 524), and all               Department’s requirements.
                                                  you will find information about                         necessary assurances and certifications.                 • We may request that you provide us
                                                  submitting an application electronically                   • You must upload any narrative                    original signatures on forms at a later
                                                  through the site, as well as the hours of               sections and all other attachments to                 date.
                                                  operation.                                              your application as files in a read-only,                Application Deadline Date Extension
                                                     • Applications received by Grants.gov                non-modifiable Portable Document                      in Case of Technical Issues with the
                                                  are date and time stamped. Your                         Format (PDF) format. Do not upload an                 Grants.gov System: If you are
                                                  application must be fully uploaded and                  interactive or fillable PDF file. If you              experiencing problems submitting your
                                                  submitted and must be date and time                     upload a file type other than a read-                 application through Grants.gov, please
                                                  stamped by the Grants.gov system no                     only, non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word,                 contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,
                                                  later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC                 Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a                 toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must
                                                  time, on the application deadline date.                 password-protected file, we will not                  obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
                                                  Except as otherwise noted in this                       review that material. Please note that                Number and must keep a record of it.
                                                  section, we will not accept your                        this could result in your application not                If you are prevented from
                                                  application if it is received—that is, date             being considered for funding because                  electronically submitting your
                                                  and time stamped by the Grants.gov                      the material in question—for example,                 application on the application deadline
                                                  system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,                  the project narrative—is critical to a                date because of technical problems with
                                                  DC time, on the application deadline                    meaningful review of your proposal. For               the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
                                                  date. We do not consider an application                 that reason, it is important to allow                 an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,
                                                  that does not comply with the deadline                  yourself adequate time to upload all                  Washington, DC time, the following
                                                  requirements. When we retrieve your                     material as PDF files. The Department                 business day to enable you to transmit
                                                  application from Grants.gov, we will                    will not convert material from other                  your application electronically or by
                                                  notify you if we are rejecting your                     formats to PDF.                                       hand delivery. You also may mail your
                                                  application because it was date and time                   • Your electronic application must                 application by following the mailing
                                                  stamped by the Grants.gov system after                  comply with any page-limit                            instructions described elsewhere in this
                                                  4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                   requirements described in this notice.                notice.
                                                  the application deadline date.                             • After you electronically submit                     If you submit an application after
jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                                     • The amount of time it can take to                  your application, you will receive from               4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                                  upload an application will vary                         Grants.gov an automatic notification of               the application deadline date, please
                                                  depending on a variety of factors,                      receipt that contains a Grants.gov                    contact the persons listed under FOR
                                                  including the size of the application and               tracking number. This notification                    FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in
                                                  the speed of your Internet connection.                  indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not             section VII of this notice and provide an
                                                  Therefore, we strongly recommend that                   receipt by the Department. Grants.gov                 explanation of the technical problem
                                                  you do not wait until the application                   will also notify you automatically by                 you experienced with Grants.gov, along


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                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices                                              11537

                                                  with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case                   must mail the original and two copies                 the U.S. Department of Education
                                                  Number. We will accept your                             of your application, on or before the                 Application Control Center at (202) 245–
                                                  application if we can confirm that a                    application deadline date, to the                     6288.
                                                  technical problem occurred with the                     Department at the following address:
                                                  Grants.gov system and that the problem                  U.S. Department of Education,                         V. Application Review Information
                                                  affected your ability to submit your                    Application Control Center, Attention:                   1. Selection Criteria: The selection
                                                  application by 4:30:00 p.m.,                            (CFDA Number 84.031C) LBJ Basement                    criteria for this competition are from 34
                                                  Washington, DC time, on the                             Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                     CFR 75.210. We will award up to 100
                                                  application deadline date. We will                      Washington, DC 20202–4260.                            points to an application under the
                                                  contact you after we determine whether                    You must show proof of mailing                      selection criteria; the total possible
                                                  your application will be accepted.                      consisting of one of the following:                   points for each selection criterion are
                                                     Note: The extensions to which we refer in              (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service             noted in parentheses.
                                                  this section apply only to the unavailability           postmark.                                                (a) Quality of the Project Design.
                                                  of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov            (2) A legible mail receipt with the                 (Maximum 30 points) The Secretary
                                                  system. We will not grant you an extension              date of mailing stamped by the U.S.                   considers the quality of the design of the
                                                  if you failed to fully register to submit your          Postal Service.                                       proposed project. In determining the
                                                  application to Grants.gov before the                      (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or             quality of the design of the proposed
                                                  application deadline date and time or if the            receipt from a commercial carrier.                    project, the Secretary considers the
                                                  technical problem you experienced is                      (4) Any other proof of mailing                      following factors:
                                                  unrelated to the Grants.gov system.                     acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.                  (1) The extent to which the design of
                                                     Exception to Electronic Submission                   Department of Education.                              the proposed project is appropriate to,
                                                  Requirement: You qualify for an                           If you mail your application through                and will successfully address, the needs
                                                  exception to the electronic submission                  the U.S. Postal Service, we do not                    of the target population or other
                                                  requirement, and may submit your                        accept either of the following as proof               identified needs. (Up to 10 points)
                                                  application in paper format, if you are                 of mailing:                                              (2) The extent to which the design of
                                                  unable to submit an application through                   (1) A private metered postmark.                     the proposed project includes a
                                                  the Grants.gov system because—                            (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by             thorough, high-quality review of the
                                                     • You do not have access to the                      the U.S. Postal Service.                              relevant literature, a high-quality plan
                                                  Internet; or                                              Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not              for project implementation, and the use
                                                     • You do not have the capacity to                    uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before            of appropriate methodological tools to
                                                  upload large documents to the                           relying on this method, you should check              ensure successful achievement of
                                                  Grants.gov system; and                                  with your local post office.                          project objectives. (Up to 5 points)
                                                     • No later than two weeks before the
                                                                                                            We will not consider applications                      (3) The extent to which the proposed
                                                  application deadline date (14 calendar
                                                                                                          postmarked after the application                      project is supported by strong theory (as
                                                  days or, if the fourteenth calendar day
                                                                                                          deadline date.                                        defined in this notice). (Up to 5 points)
                                                  before the application deadline date
                                                                                                            c. Submission of Paper Applications                    (4) The extent to which the proposed
                                                  falls on a Federal holiday, the next
                                                                                                          by Hand Delivery.                                     project represents an exceptional
                                                  business day following the Federal
                                                                                                            If you qualify for an exception to the              approach to the priority or priorities
                                                  holiday), you mail or fax a written
                                                                                                          electronic submission requirement, you                established for the competition. (Up to
                                                  statement to the Department, explaining
                                                                                                          (or a courier service) may deliver your               10 points)
                                                  which of the two grounds for an
                                                  exception prevents you from using the                   paper application to the Department by                   (b) Quality of Project Services.
                                                  Internet to submit your application.                    hand. You must deliver the original and               (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary
                                                     If you mail your written statement to                two copies of your application by hand,               considers the quality of the services to
                                                  the Department, it must be postmarked                   on or before the application deadline                 be provided by the proposed project. In
                                                  no later than two weeks before the                      date, to the Department at the following              determining the quality of the services
                                                  application deadline date. If you fax                   address: U.S. Department of Education,                to be provided by the proposed project,
                                                  your written statement to the                           Application Control Center, Attention:                the Secretary considers the quality and
                                                  Department, we must receive the faxed                   (CFDA Number 84.031C), 550 12th                       sufficiency of strategies for ensuring
                                                  statement no later than two weeks                       Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center                 equal access and treatment for eligible
                                                  before the application deadline date.                   Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.                     project participants who are members of
                                                     Address and mail or fax your                           The Application Control Center                      groups that have traditionally been
                                                  statement to: Everardo Gil or Jeffrey                   accepts hand deliveries daily between                 underrepresented based on race,
                                                  Hartman, Office of Postsecondary                        8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,               national origin, gender, age, or
                                                  Education, U.S. Department of                           DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,                   disability.
                                                  Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,                     and Federal holidays.                                    In addition, the Secretary considers
                                                  Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202.                          Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper            the following factors:
                                                  FAX: (202) 205–0063.                                    Applications: If you mail or hand deliver                (1) The extent to which services to be
                                                     Your paper application must be                       your application to the Department—                   provided by the proposed project reflect
                                                  submitted in accordance with the mail                      (1) You must indicate on the envelope              up-to-date knowledge from research and
                                                  or hand delivery instructions described                 and—if not provided by the Department—in              effective practice. (Up to 10 points)
                                                                                                          Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,                   (2) The likely impact of the services
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                                                  in this notice.
                                                     b. Submission of Paper Applications                  including suffix letter, if any, of the               to be provided by the proposed project
                                                                                                          competition under which you are submitting            on the intended recipients of those
                                                  by Mail.                                                your application; and
                                                     If you qualify for an exception to the                  (2) The Application Control Center will
                                                                                                                                                                services. (Up to 10 points)
                                                  electronic submission requirement, you                  mail to you a notification of receipt of your            (c) Significance. (Maximum 20 points)
                                                  may mail (through the U.S. Postal                       grant application. If you do not receive this         The Secretary considers the significance
                                                  Service or a commercial carrier) your                   notification within 15 business days from the         of the proposed project. In determining
                                                  application to the Department. You                      application deadline date, you should call            the significance of the proposed project,


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                                                  11538                           Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices

                                                  the Secretary considers the following                   submitted a report of unacceptable                       2. Administrative and National Policy
                                                  factors:                                                quality.                                              Requirements: We identify
                                                     (1) The potential contribution of the                   In addition, in making a competitive               administrative and national policy
                                                  proposed project to increased                           grant award, the Secretary requires                   requirements in the application package
                                                  knowledge or understanding of                           various assurances including those                    and reference these and other
                                                  educational problems, issues, or                        applicable to Federal civil rights laws               requirements in the Applicable
                                                  effective strategies. (Up to 5 points)                  that prohibit discrimination in programs              Regulations section of this notice.
                                                     (2) The likelihood that the proposed                 or activities receiving Federal financial                We reference the regulations outlining
                                                  project will result in system change or                 assistance from the Department of                     the terms and conditions of an award in
                                                  improvement. (Up to 15 points)                          Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,                the Applicable Regulations section of
                                                     (d) Quality of the Management Plan.                  108.8, and 110.23).                                   this notice and include these and other
                                                  (Maximum 10 points) The Secretary                          Awards will be made in rank order                  specific conditions in the GAN. The
                                                  considers the quality of the management                 according to the average score received               GAN also incorporates your approved
                                                  plan for the proposed project. In                       from an evaluation performed by a                     application as part of your binding
                                                  determining the quality of the                          panel of non-Federal reviewers based on               commitments under the grant.
                                                  management plan for the proposed                        responses to the selection criteria and,                 3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
                                                  project, the Secretary considers the                    if applicable, the competitive preference             grant under this competition, you must
                                                  following factors:                                      priorities. If an application is scored               ensure that you have in place the
                                                     (1) The adequacy of the management                   highly, has the possibility of being                  necessary processes and systems to
                                                  plan to achieve the objectives of the                   funded, and includes a response to one                comply with the reporting requirements
                                                  proposed project on time and within                     of the competitive preference priorities,             in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
                                                  budget, including clearly defined                       the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)             funding under the competition. This
                                                  responsibilities, timelines, and                        will review the studies cited in the                  does not apply if you have an exception
                                                                                                          application to determine whether they                 under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
                                                  milestones for accomplishing project
                                                                                                          meet the ‘‘moderate evidence of                          (b) At the end of your project period,
                                                  tasks. (Up to 5 points)
                                                                                                          effectiveness’’ or the ‘‘evidence of                  you must submit a final performance
                                                     (2) The extent to which the time
                                                                                                          promise’’ standard. Only those                        report, including financial information,
                                                  commitments of the project director and
                                                                                                          applications that address a competitive               as directed by the Secretary. If you
                                                  principal investigator and other key
                                                                                                          preference priority and have the                      receive a multiyear award, you must
                                                  personnel are appropriate and adequate
                                                                                                          possibility of being funded because of                submit an annual performance report
                                                  to meet the objectives of the proposed
                                                                                                          high scores and available funds for new               that provides the most current
                                                  project. (Up to 5 points)
                                                                                                          awards will undergo further review by                 performance and financial expenditure
                                                     (e) Quality of the Project Evaluation.
                                                                                                          IES.                                                  information as directed by the Secretary
                                                  (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary
                                                                                                            Note: As noted in 34 CFR 75.217, we will            under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
                                                  considers the quality of the evaluation
                                                                                                          use other information noted in this section to        may also require more frequent
                                                  to be conducted of the proposed project.
                                                                                                          select applications for new grants when two           performance reports under 34 CFR
                                                  In determining the quality of the                       or more applicants receive the same score in          75.720(c). For specific requirements on
                                                  evaluation, the Secretary considers the                 the rank order and the program funds are              reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/
                                                  following factors:                                      insufficient to fund all applicants with the          fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
                                                     (1) The extent to which the goals,                   same cut off score.                                      (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the
                                                  objectives, and outcomes to be achieved                    3. Risk Assessment and Special                     Secretary may provide a grantee with
                                                  by the proposed project are clearly                     Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR                     additional funding for data collection
                                                  specified and measurable. (Up to 5                      200.205, before awarding grants under                 analysis and reporting. In this case the
                                                  points)                                                 this competition the Department                       Secretary establishes a data collection
                                                     (2) The extent to which the methods                  conducts a review of the risks posed by               period.
                                                  of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and               applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the                     4. Performance Measures: The
                                                  appropriate to the goals, objectives, and               Secretary may impose special                          Secretary has established the following
                                                  outcomes of the proposed project. (Up                   conditions and, in appropriate                        key performance measures for assessing
                                                  to 5 points)                                            circumstances, high-risk conditions on a              the effectiveness of the HSI STEM and
                                                     (3) The extent to which the methods                  grant if the applicant or grantee is not              Articulation Program:
                                                  of evaluation will, if well-implemented,                financially stable; has a history of                     a. The percentage change, over the
                                                  produce evidence about the project’s                    unsatisfactory performance; has a                     five-year grant period, of the number of
                                                  effectiveness that would meet the What                  financial or other management system                  Hispanic and low-income full-time
                                                  Works Clearinghouse Evidence                            that does not meet the standards in 2                 STEM field degree-seeking
                                                  Standards with reservations. (Up to 10                  CFR part 200, subpart D; has not                      undergraduate students enrolled.
                                                  points)                                                 fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;               b. The percentage of Hispanic and
                                                     2. Review and Selection Process: We                  or is otherwise not responsible.                      low-income first-time, full-time STEM
                                                  remind potential applicants that in                                                                           field degree-seeking undergraduate
                                                  reviewing applications in any                           VI. Award Administration Information                  students who were in their first year of
                                                  discretionary grant competition, the                       1. Award Notices: If your application              postsecondary enrollment in the
                                                  Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR                    is successful, we notify your U.S.                    previous year and are enrolled in the
                                                  75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
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                                                                                                          Representative and U.S. Senators and                  current year who remain in a STEM
                                                  applicant in carrying out a previous                    send you a Grant Award Notification                   field degree/credential program.
                                                  award, such as the applicant’s use of                   (GAN); or we may send you an email                       c. The percentage of Hispanic and
                                                  funds, achievement of project                           containing a link to access an electronic             low-income first-time, full-time degree-
                                                  objectives, and compliance with grant                   version of your GAN. We may notify                    seeking undergraduate students enrolled
                                                  conditions. The Secretary may also                      you informally, also.                                 at four-year HSIs graduating within six
                                                  consider whether the applicant failed to                   If your application is not evaluated or            years of enrollment with a STEM field
                                                  submit a timely performance report or                   not selected for funding, we notify you.              degree.


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                                                                                  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 43 / Friday, March 4, 2016 / Notices                                            11539

                                                     d. The percentage of Hispanic and                      Applicants should periodically check                Overview Information
                                                  low-income first-time, full-time degree-                the HSI Program Web site for                            Technical Assistance and
                                                  seeking undergraduate students enrolled                 information regarding pre-application                 Dissemination to Improve Services and
                                                  at two-year HSIs graduating within three                technical assistance workshops and                    Results for Children with Disabilities
                                                  years of enrollment with a STEM field                   webinars. The address is: www.ed.gov/                 (TA&D); Personnel Development to
                                                  degree/credential.                                      programs/idueshsi/index.html.                         Improve Services and Results for
                                                     e. The percentage of Hispanic and
                                                                                                          VIII. Other Information                               Children with Disabilities (Personnel
                                                  low-income students transferring
                                                                                                                                                                Development); and Educational
                                                  successfully to a four-year institution                    Accessible Format: Individuals with
                                                                                                                                                                Technology, Media, and Materials for
                                                  from a two-year institution and retained                disabilities can obtain this document
                                                                                                                                                                Individuals with Disabilities (ETechM2)
                                                  in a STEM field major.                                  and a copy of the application package in
                                                     f. The number of Hispanic and low-                                                                         Programs—Postsecondary Education
                                                                                                          an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
                                                  income students participating in grant-                                                                       Center for Individuals who are Deaf or
                                                                                                          print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
                                                  funded student support programs or                                                                            Hard of Hearing
                                                                                                          request to one of the program contact                   Notice inviting applications for a new
                                                  services.                                               persons listed under FOR FURTHER
                                                     g. The percent of Hispanic and low-                                                                        award for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
                                                                                                          INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of                   Catalog of Federal Domestic
                                                  income students who participated in                     this notice.                                          Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326D.
                                                  grant-supported services or programs                       Electronic Access to This Document:
                                                  who successfully completed gateway                                                                            DATES:
                                                                                                          The official version of this document is                Applications Available: March 4,
                                                  courses.                                                the document published in the Federal
                                                     h. The percent of Hispanic and low-                                                                        2016.
                                                                                                          Register. Free Internet access to the                   Deadline for Transmittal of
                                                  income students who participated in                     official edition of the Federal Register
                                                  grant-supported services or programs in                                                                       Applications: April 18, 2016.
                                                                                                          and the Code of Federal Regulations is                  Deadline for Intergovernmental
                                                  good academic standing.                                 available via the Federal Digital System
                                                     i. The percent of Hispanic and low-                                                                        Review: June 17, 2016.
                                                                                                          at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you
                                                  income STEM field major transfer                        can view this document, as well as all                Full Text of Announcement
                                                  students on track to complete a STEM                    other documents of this Department                    I. Funding Opportunity Description
                                                  field degree within three years from                    published in the Federal Register, in
                                                  their transfer date.                                                                                             Purpose of Program: Funding from
                                                                                                          text or PDF. To use PDF, you must have
                                                     j. The percent of Hispanic and low-                                                                        three Department of Education
                                                                                                          Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                                                  income students who participated in                                                                           (Department) programs supports this
                                                                                                          available free at the site.
                                                  grant-supported services or programs                                                                          competition: The TA&D program, the
                                                                                                             You may also access documents of the
                                                  and completed a degree or credential.                                                                         Personnel Development program, and
                                                                                                          Department published in the Federal
                                                     5. Continuation Awards: In making a                                                                        the ETechM2 program.
                                                                                                          Register by using the article search
                                                  continuation award under 34 CFR                                                                                  The purpose of the TA&D program is
                                                                                                          feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
                                                  75.253, the Secretary considers, among                                                                        to promote academic achievement and
                                                                                                          Specifically, through the advanced
                                                  other things: Whether a grantee has                                                                           to improve results for children with
                                                                                                          search feature at this site, you can limit
                                                  made substantial progress in achieving                                                                        disabilities by providing technical
                                                                                                          your search to documents published by
                                                  the goals and objectives of the project;                                                                      assistance (TA), supporting model
                                                                                                          the Department.
                                                  whether the grantee has expended funds                                                                        demonstration projects, disseminating
                                                  in a manner that is consistent with its                    Dated: March 1, 2016.                              useful information, and implementing
                                                  approved application and budget; and,                   Lynn Mahaffie,                                        activities that are supported by
                                                  if the Secretary has established                        Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy,                scientifically based research.
                                                  performance measurement                                 Planning and Innovation Delegated the Duties             The purposes of the Personnel
                                                  requirements, the performance targets in                of Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary              Development program are to: (1) Help
                                                  the grantee’s approved application.                     Education.                                            address State-identified needs for
                                                     In making a continuation award, the                  [FR Doc. 2016–04868 Filed 3–3–16; 8:45 am]            personnel—in special education, related
                                                  Secretary also considers whether the                    BILLING CODE 4000–01–P                                services, early intervention, and regular
                                                  grantee is operating in compliance with                                                                       education—to work with children with
                                                  the assurances in its approved                                                                                disabilities; and (2) ensure that those
                                                  application, including those applicable                 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                               personnel have the skills and
                                                  to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit                                                                    knowledge—derived from practices that
                                                  discrimination in programs or activities                Applications for New Awards;                          have been determined through research
                                                  receiving Federal financial assistance                  Technical Assistance and                              and experience to be successful—that
                                                  from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,                      Dissemination To Improve Services                     are needed to serve those children.
                                                  104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).                       and Results for Children With                            Finally, the purposes of the ETechM2
                                                                                                          Disabilities; Personnel Development                   program are to: (1) Improve results for
                                                  VII. Agency Contacts                                    To Improve Services and Results for                   children with disabilities by promoting
                                                  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                          Children With Disabilities; and                       the development, demonstration, and
                                                  Jeffrey Hartman or Everardo Gil, Office                 Educational Technology, Media, and                    use of technology; (2) support
                                                  of Postsecondary Education, U.S.                        Materials for Individuals With                        educational activities designed to be of
                                                                                                          Disabilities Programs—Postsecondary                   educational value in the classroom for
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                                                  Department of Education, 400 Maryland
                                                  Avenue SW., Room 7E311, Washington,                     Education Center for Individuals Who                  students with disabilities; (3) provide
                                                  DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 502–7607                     Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing                           support for captioning and video
                                                  or (202) 219–7000 or by email:                          AGENCY:  Office of Special Education and              description that is appropriate for use in
                                                  Jeffrey.Hartman@ed.gov or                               Rehabilitative Services, Department of                the classroom; and (4) provide
                                                  Everardo.Gil@ed.gov.                                    Education.                                            accessible educational materials to
                                                     If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the                                                                        students with disabilities in a timely
                                                                                                          ACTION: Notice.
                                                  FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.                                                                            manner.


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Document Created: 2018-02-02 15:05:38
Document Modified: 2018-02-02 15:05:38
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
DatesApplications Available: March 4, 2016.
ContactJeffrey Hartman or Everardo Gil, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 7E311, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 502-7607 or (202) 219-7000 or by email: [email protected] or [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 11532 

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