81 FR 12085 - Applications for New Awards; Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 45 (March 8, 2016)

Page Range		12085-12092
FR Document		2016-05155

Overview Information: Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs. Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2017. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.305L, 84.305N, 84.324A, 84.324B, and 84.324L. The Deputy Director for Policy and Research, Delegated the Duties of the Director, of the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2017 competitions for grants to support education research and special education research. The Delegated Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The Institute's purpose in awarding these grants is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of (1) developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for disability, and (2) education outcomes for all students from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult education.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12085-12092]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05155]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Education Research and Special
Education Research Grant Programs

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY:
Overview Information:
Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2017.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305A,
84.305B, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.305L, 84.305N, 84.324A, 84.324B, and
84.324L.
The Deputy Director for Policy and Research, Delegated the Duties
of the Director, of the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute)
announces the Institute's FY 2017 competitions for grants to support
education research and special education research. The Delegated
Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of
2002. The Institute's purpose in awarding these grants is to provide
national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and
understanding of (1) developmental and school readiness outcomes for
infants and toddlers with or at risk for disability, and (2) education
outcomes for all students from early childhood education through
postsecondary and adult education.

DATES: The dates when applications are available and the deadlines for
transmittal of applications invited under this notice are indicated in
the chart at the end of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The central purpose of the Institute's research
grant programs is to provide interested individuals and the general
public with reliable and valid information about education practices
that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to
education opportunities for all students. These interested individuals
include parents, educators, students, researchers, and policymakers. In
carrying out its grant programs, the Institute provides support for
programs of research in areas of demonstrated national need.
Competitions in This Notice: The Institute will conduct nine
research competitions in FY 2017 through two of its centers:
The Institute's National Center for Education Research (NCER) will
hold six competitions, one in each of the following areas:
Education research;
Education research training;
Statistical and research methodology in education;
Partnerships and collaborations focused on problems of
practice or policy;
Low-cost, short-duration evaluations; and
Research networks.
The Institute's National Center for Special Education Research
(NCSER) will hold three competitions, one in each of the following
areas:
Special education research;
Special education research training; and
Low-cost, short-duration evaluations.

NCER Competitions

The Education Research Competition. Under this competition, NCER
will consider only applications that address one of the following
twelve education research topics:
Cognition and Student Learning.
Early Learning Programs and Policies.
Education Leadership.
Education Technology.
Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching.
English Learners.
Improving Education Systems.
Mathematics and Science Education.
Postsecondary and Adult Education.
Reading and Writing.
Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning.
Special Topics, which include
Arts in Education.
Career and Technical Education.
Systemic Approaches to Educating Highly Mobile Students.
The Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences
Competition. Under this competition, NCER will consider only
applications that address one of the following three topics:
Pathways to the Education Sciences Research Training.
Postdoctoral Research Training.
Methods Training for Education Researchers.
The Statistical and Research Methodology in Education Competition.
Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that
address one of the following two topics:
Statistical and Research Methodology Grants.
Early Career Statistical and Research Methodology Grants.
The Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice
or Policy Competition. Under this competition, NCER will consider only
applications that address one of the following two topics:
Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education
Research.
Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and
Policies.
The Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions
Competition. Under this competition, NCER will consider only
applications that address low-cost, short-duration evaluation of
education interventions.
The Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education
Policy and Practice Competition. Under this competition, NCER will
consider only applications that address one of the following two
topics:
Exploring Science Teaching in Elementary School Classrooms,
which includes
Network Lead.
Research Team.
Scalable Strategies to Support College Completion, which
includes
Network Lead.
Research Team.

NCSER Competitions

The Special Education Research Competition. In FY 2017, NCSER will
consider only applications that focus on teachers and other
instructional personnel within one of the following eleven topics:
Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education.
Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special
Education.
Families of Children with Disabilities.
Mathematics and Science Education.

[[Page 12086]]

Professional Development for Teachers and Other
Instructional Personnel.
Reading, Writing, and Language Development.
Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning.
Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems.
Technology for Special Education.
Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students with
Disabilities.
The Research Training Programs in Special Education Competition.
Under this competition, NCSER will consider only applications that
address early career development and mentoring in special education
research.
The Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions Competition. Under this competition, NCSER will consider
only applications that address low-cost, short-duration evaluation of
special education interventions.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
and 99. In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are applicable,
except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103,
75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-
(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230. (b) The Office of
Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted
and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)
The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and
amended in 2 CFR part 3474.

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

II. Award Information

Types of Awards: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an
appropriation for fiscal year 2017, the Institute is inviting
applications for these competitions now so that applicants can have
adequate time to prepare their applications. The Department may
announce additional topics later in 2016. The actual award of grants
will depend on the availability of funds.
Estimated Range of Awards: See chart at the end of this notice.
Estimated Size and Number of Awards: The size of the awards will
depend on the scope of the projects proposed. The number of awards made
under each competition will depend on the quality of the applications
received for that competition, the availability of funds, and the
following limits on awards for specific competitions and topics set by
the Institute. See the chart at the end of this notice for additional
information.
The Institute may waive any of the following limits on awards for a
specific competition or topic in the special case that the peer review
process results in a tie between two or more grant applications, making
it impossible to adhere to the limits without funding only some of the
equally ranked applications. In that case, the Institute may make a
larger number of awards to include all applications of the same rank.
For the NCER's Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences
competition, we will award no more than four grants under the Pathways
to the Education Sciences Research Training topic.
For NCER's Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of
Education Policy and Practice competition, we will award no more than
five grants under the Exploring Science Teaching in Elementary School
Classrooms topic (one grant under the Network Lead and four grants
under the Research Team) and four grants under the Scalable Strategies
to Support College Completion topic (one grant under the Network Lead
and three grants under the Research Team).
For NCSER's Research Training Programs in Special Education
competition, we will award no more than five grants under the Early
Career Development and Mentoring topic.
For NCSER's Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special
Education Interventions, we will award no more than four grants.
The Institute may change the maximum number of awards per
competition through a notice in the Federal Register. Contingent on the
availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make
additional awards in FY 2018 from the list of unfunded applications
from the FY 2017 competitions.

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

Project Period: See chart at the end of this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants that have the ability and
capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to
apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, nonprofit
and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and
institutions of higher education, such as colleges and universities.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Request for Applications and Other Information: Information
regarding program and application requirements for the competitions
will be contained in the NCER and NCSER Requests for Applications
(RFAs), which will be available on the Institute's Web site at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. Each competition will have its own application
package. The RFAs for all nine competitions announced in this notice
will be available at the Web site listed above on or before March 31,
2016. The dates on which the application packages for these
competitions will be available are indicated in the chart at the end of
this notice.
The selection criteria and review procedures for the competitions
are contained in the RFAs. The RFAs also include information on the
maximum award available under each grant competition. Applications that
include proposed budgets higher than the relevant maximum award will
not be considered for an award. The Institute may change the maximum
amount through a notice in the Federal Register.
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 person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA for
the specific competition. The forms that must be submitted are in the
application package for the specific competition.
3. Submission Dates and Times: The deadline date for transmittal of
applications invited under this notice is indicated in the chart at the
end of this notice and in the RFAs for the competitions.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.

[[Page 12087]]

Application packages for grants under these competitions must be
obtained from and submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply
site (www.Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times)
about how to submit your application package electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception
to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to Other
Submission Requirements in section IV of this notice.
Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice and the chart at the end of this notice. If the
Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual
with a disability in connection with the application process, the
individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and
limitations in this notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry), 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, you will need to
allow 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
these competitions must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Education Research, Research
Training Programs in the Education Sciences, Statistical and Research
Methodology in Education, Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on
Problems of Practice or Policy, Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of
Education Interventions, Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems
of Education Policy and Practice, Special Education Research, Research
Training Programs in Special Education, and Low-Cost, Short-Duration
Evaluation of Special Education Interventions competitions, CFDA
numbers 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.305L, 84.305N, 84.324A,
84.324B, and 84.324L must be submitted electronically using the
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You
may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant applications for the Education
Research, Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences,
Statistical and Research Methodology in Education, Partnerships and
Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy, Low-Cost,
Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions, Research Networks
Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice, Special
Education Research, Research Training Programs in Special Education,
and Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education
Interventions competitions at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the
downloadable application package for each competition by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.305, not 84.305A).
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

[[Page 12088]]

system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for the competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at www.G5.gov. 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). 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 the relevant RFA for your application.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) 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 person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.

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

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed

[[Page 12089]]

statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail statement to: Ellie Pelaez, U.S. Department of
Education, 550 12th Street SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Room 4107,
Washington, DC 20202.
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: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, for
the competition under which you are applying.]), 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: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, for
the competition under which you are applying.]) 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 these
competitions are provided in the RFAs.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk
conditions on a grant in regards to key aspects of the proposed
research design and 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. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual
two-day meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under one of the
competitions announced in this notice, you must ensure that you have in
place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting
requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the
competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR
170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its
education research and special education research grant programs, the
Institute annually assesses the percentage of projects that result in
peer-reviewed publications, the number of newly developed or modified
interventions with evidence of promise for improving student education
outcomes, and the number of Institute-

[[Page 12090]]

supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in improving student
outcomes including school readiness outcomes for young children and
student academic outcomes and social and behavioral competencies for
school-age students. School readiness outcomes include pre-reading,
reading, pre-writing, early mathematics, early science, and social-
emotional skills that prepare young children for school. Student
academic outcomes include learning and achievement in core academic
content areas (reading, writing, math, and science) and outcomes that
reflect students' successful progression through the education system
(e.g., course and grade completion; high school graduation;
postsecondary enrollment, progress, and completion). Social and
behavioral competencies include social and emotional skills, attitudes,
and behaviors that may be important to student's academic and post-
academic success. Additional education outcomes for students with or at
risk of disability include developmental outcomes for infants and
toddlers (birth to age three) with or at risk for a disability
pertaining to cognitive, communicative, linguistic, social, emotional,
adaptive, functional, or physical development; and developmental and
functional outcomes that improve education outcomes, transition to
employment, independent living, and postsecondary education for
students with disabilities.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in meeting the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether
the grantee has met the performance targets in the grantee's approved
application.
In making a continuation 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 Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The contact person associated with a
particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of
this notice, in the relevant RFA, and in the relevant application
package. The date on which applications will be available, the deadline
for transmittal of applications, the estimated range of awards, and the
project period ranges are also listed in the chart and in the RFAs that
are posted at the following Web sites: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/ and
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/programs.html.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the RFA in an accessible format (e.g., braille,
large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the appropriate
program contact person listed in the chart at the end of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.

Dated: March 3, 2016.
Ruth Neild,
Deputy Director for Policy and Research, Delegated Duties of the
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application package Deadline for transmittal
CFDA No. and name available of applications Estimated range of awards* Project period FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Center for Education Research (NCER)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.305A Education Research:
[squf] Cognition and Student May 5, 2016............... August 4, 2016............ $100,000 to $760,000............ Up to 5 years............. Rebecca McGill-Wilkinson,
Learning. [email protected].
[squf] Early Learning Programs
and Policies..
[squf] Education Leadership.
[squf] Education Technology.
[squf] Effective Teachers and
Effective Teaching.
[squf] English Learners.
[squf] Improving Education
Systems.
[squf] Mathematics and Science
Education.
[squf] Postsecondary and Adult
Education.
[squf] Reading and Writing.
[squf] Social and Behavioral
Context for Academic
Learning.
[squf] Special Topics.
[cir] Arts in Education.
[cir] Career and Technical
Education.
[cir] Systemic Approaches
to Educating Highly
Mobile Students.
84.305B Research Training Programs May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $50,000 to $270,000............. Up to 5 years............. Meredith Larson,
in the Education Sciences: [email protected].

[[Page 12091]]

[squf] Pathways to the
Education Sciences Research
Training..
[squf] Postdoctoral Research
Training Program.
[squf] Methods Training for
Education Researchers.
84.305D Statistical and Research May 5, 2016............... August 4, 2016............ $40,000 to $300,000............. Up to 3 years............. Phill Gagne, [email protected].
Methodology in Education:
[squf] Statistical and
Research Methodology Grants..
[squf] Early Career
Statistical and Research
Methodology Grants.
84.305H Partnerships and
Collaborations Focused on
Problems of Practice or Policy:
[squf]Researcher-Practitioner May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $50,000 to $1,000.000........... Up to 5 years............. Allen Ruby, [email protected].
Partnerships in Education
Research..
[squf] Evaluation of State and
Local Education Programs and
Policies.
84.305L Low-Cost, Short-Duration May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $50,000-$125,000................ Up to 2 Years............. Allen Ruby, [email protected].
Evaluation of Education
Interventions.
84.305N Research Networks Focused
on Critical Problems of Education
Policy and Practice:
[squf] Exploring Science May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $500,000 to $800,000............ Up to 5 years............. Wai-Ying Chow (Science Teaching), Wai-
Teaching in Elementary School [email protected]
Classrooms. James.Benson (College Completion),
[squf] Scalable Strategies to [email protected].
Support College Completion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.324A Special Education
Research: In FY 2017,the focus of
84.324A is on teachers and other
instructional personnel within
each of the following topics:.
[squf] Autism Spectrum May 5, 2016............... August 4, 2016............ $100,000 to $760,000............ Up to 5 years............. Jacquelyn Buckley,
Disorders. [email protected].
[squf] Cognition and Student
Learning in Special
Education.
[squf] Early Intervention and
Early Learning in Special
Education.
[squf] Families of Children
with Disabilities.
[squf] Mathematics and Science
Education.
[squf] Professional
Development for Teachers and
Other Instructional
Personnel.
[squf] Reading, Writing, and
Language Development.
[squf] Social and Behavioral
Outcomes to Support Learning.
[squf] Special Education
Policy, Finance, and Systems.
[squf] Technology for Special
Education.
[squf] Transition Outcomes for
Secondary Students with
Disabilities.
84.324B Research Training Programs
in Special Education:
[squf] Early Career May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $50,000 to $100,000............. Up to 4 years............. Katherine Taylor,
Development and Mentoring in [email protected].
Special Education Research.
84.324L Low-Cost, Short-Duration May 19, 2016.............. August 4, 2016............ $50,000 to $125,000............. Up to 2 Years............. Kimberley Sprague,
Evaluation of Special Education [email protected].
Interventions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* These estimates are annual amounts.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Note: If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

[[Page 12092]]

[FR Doc. 2016-05155 Filed 3-7-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 45 / Tuesday, March 8, 2016 / Notices 12089

statement no later than two weeks (CFDA Number: [Identify the CFDA prior grant; or is otherwise not
before the application deadline date. number, including suffix letter, for the responsible.
Address and mail statement to: Ellie competition under which you are
VI. Award Administration Information
Pelaez, U.S. Department of Education, applying.]) 550 12th Street SW., Room
550 12th Street SW., Potomac Center 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, 1. Award Notices: If your application
Plaza, Room 4107, Washington, DC Washington, DC 20202–4260. is successful, we notify your U.S.
20202. The Application Control Center accepts Representative and U.S. Senators and
Your paper application must be hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. send you a Grant Award Notification
submitted in accordance with the mail and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, (GAN); or we may send you an email
or hand delivery instructions described except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal containing a link to access an electronic
in this notice. holidays. version of your GAN. We may notify
b. Submission of Paper Applications you informally, also.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper If your application is not evaluated or
by Mail.
Applications: If you mail or hand deliver not selected for funding, we notify you.
If you qualify for an exception to the your application to the Department—
electronic submission requirement, you 2. Administrative and National Policy
(1) You must indicate on the envelope Requirements: We identify
may mail (through the U.S. Postal and—if not provided by the Department—in
Service or a commercial carrier) your Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,
administrative and national policy
application to the Department. You including suffix letter, if any, of the requirements in the application package
must mail the original and two copies competition under which you are submitting and reference these and other
of your application, on or before the your application; and requirements in the Applicable
application deadline date, to the (2) The Application Control Center will Regulations section of this notice.
Department at the following address: mail to you a notification of receipt of your We reference the regulations outlining
grant application. If you do not receive this the terms and conditions of an award in
U.S. Department of Education, notification within 15 business days from the
Application Control Center, Attention: the Applicable Regulations section of
application deadline date, you should call this notice and include these and other
(CFDA Number: [Identify the CFDA the U.S. Department of Education
number, including suffix letter, for the specific conditions in the GAN. The
Application Control Center at (202) 245–
competition under which you are 6288. GAN also incorporates your approved
applying.]), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 application as part of your binding
Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC V. Application Review Information commitments under the grant.
3. Grant Administration: Applicants
20202–4260. 1. Selection Criteria: The selection should budget for an annual two-day
You must show proof of mailing criteria for these competitions are meeting for project directors to be held
consisting of one of the following: provided in the RFAs. in Washington, DC.
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 2. Review and Selection Process: We 4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
postmark. remind potential applicants that in grant under one of the competitions
(2) A legible mail receipt with the reviewing applications in any announced in this notice, you must
date of mailing stamped by the U.S. discretionary grant competition, the ensure that you have in place the
Postal Service. Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR necessary processes and systems to
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the comply with the reporting requirements
receipt from a commercial carrier. applicant in carrying out a previous in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
(4) Any other proof of mailing award, such as the applicant’s use of funding under the competition. This
acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. funds, achievement of project does not apply if you have an exception
Department of Education. objectives, and compliance with grant under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
If you mail your application through conditions. The Secretary may also (b) At the end of your project period,
the U.S. Postal Service, we do not consider whether the applicant failed to you must submit a final performance
accept either of the following as proof submit a timely performance report or report, including financial information,
of mailing: submitted a report of unacceptable as directed by the Secretary. If you
(1) A private metered postmark. quality. receive a multi-year award, you must
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by In addition, in making a competitive submit an annual performance report
the U.S. Postal Service. grant award, the Secretary also requires that provides the most current
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not various assurances including those performance and financial expenditure
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before applicable to Federal civil rights laws information as directed by the Secretary
relying on this method, you should check that prohibit discrimination in programs under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
with your local post office. or activities receiving Federal financial may also require more frequent
We will not consider applications assistance from the Department of performance reports under 34 CFR
postmarked after the application Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 75.720(c). For specific requirements on
deadline date. 108.8, and 110.23). reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/
c. Submission of Paper Applications 3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR fund/grant/apply/appforms/
by Hand Delivery. 3474.10, the Secretary may impose appforms.html.
If you qualify for an exception to the special conditions and, in appropriate 5. Performance Measures: To evaluate
electronic submission requirement, you circumstances, high-risk conditions on a the overall success of its education
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

(or a courier service) may deliver your grant in regards to key aspects of the research and special education research
paper application to the Department by proposed research design and if the grant programs, the Institute annually
hand. You must deliver the original and applicant or grantee is not financially assesses the percentage of projects that
two copies of your application by hand, stable; has a history of unsatisfactory result in peer-reviewed publications, the
on or before the application deadline performance; has a financial or other number of newly developed or modified
date, to the Department at the following management system that does not meet interventions with evidence of promise
address: U.S. Department of Education, the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart for improving student education
Application Control Center, Attention: D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a outcomes, and the number of Institute-

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Document Created: 2018-02-02 15:09:49
Document Modified: 2018-02-02 15:09:49

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice.
Dates		The dates when applications are available and the deadlines for transmittal of applications invited under this notice are indicated in the chart at the end of this notice.
Contact		The contact person associated with a particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of this notice, in the relevant RFA, and in the relevant application package. The date on which applications will be available, the deadline for transmittal of applications, the estimated range of awards, and the project period ranges are also listed in the chart and in the RFAs that are posted at the following Web sites: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/ and www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/programs.html.
FR Citation		81 FR 12085