83_FR_2981 83 FR 2967 - Applications for New Awards; Lead of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Program

83 FR 2967 - Applications for New Awards; Lead of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 14 (January 22, 2018)

Page Range2967-2971
FR Document2018-00998

The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to fund the Lead of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network under the Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.305N.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 14 (Monday, January 22, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2967-2971]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00998]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Lead of a Career and Technical 
Education (CTE) Network: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems 
of Education Policy and Practice Program

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting 
applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2018 to fund the Lead 
of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Network under the Research 
Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice 
Program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.305N.

DATES: 
    Request for Applications Available: January 22, 2018.
    Applications Available: February 15, 2018.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 15, 2018.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Corinne Alfeld, Institute of 
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Potomac Center Plaza, 
550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20202 or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Research Networks Focused on Critical 
Problems of Education Policy and Practice Program is designed to direct 
resources and attention to education problems or issues that are a high 
priority for the Nation, and to create a structure and process for 
researchers who are working on these issues to share ideas, build new 
knowledge, and strengthen their research and dissemination capacity. 
Under this announcement, the Institute of Education Sciences 
(Institute) intends to award one grant under this program to fund the 
Lead of a CTE Network, which is to carry out the requirements under 
section 114(d)(4) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act to establish a national research center to carry out scientifically 
based research on career and technical education programs. The CTE 
Network will conduct research on CTE through projects funded by other 
Institute grant competitions. The goal of the CTE Network is to support 
and expand the causal research base on CTE at the secondary and/or 
postsecondary level specifically through research on whether and how 
CTE practices, programs, and policies affect student education 
outcomes. The Network Lead will be responsible for: (1) CTE Network 
administration and coordination, including convening meetings and 
coordinating supplemental research activities among Network members; 
(2) conducting research activities including an evaluability assessment 
of CTE programs and a final synthesis of the CTE Network's major 
findings and lessons; (3) providing research training to increase the 
capacity of the field and to create a pipeline of new CTE researchers; 
and (4) developing and hosting a CTE Network website and conducting 
other leadership and dissemination activities to share the findings and 
products of the CTE Network with policymakers, practitioners, and other 
researchers.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324(d)(4); 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

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
    Maximum Award: The maximum total award is $5 million for the entire 
project period of 60 months.

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

    Project Period: 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are institutions of 
higher education, public and private non-profit organizations and 
agencies, and consortia of such institutions, organizations, or 
agencies that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically 
valid research.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does 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 this competition 
will be contained in the Request for Applications (RFA), which will be 
available on or before January 22, 2018, on the Institute's

[[Page 2968]]

website at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. The application package for 
this competition will be available on February 15, 2018, on the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov.
    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 listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA. The 
forms that must be submitted will be in the application package for 
this competition.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Request for Applications Available: January 22, 2018.
    Applications Available: February 15, 2018.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 15, 2018.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2018.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    The application package for this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (www.Grants.gov). For 
information 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 the Other Submission Requirements section below.
    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. 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), 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 website: 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 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Research Networks Focused on 
Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Program, CFDA number 
84.305N, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. You may not email an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared 
environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and 
edit different webforms within an application. An applicant can create 
an individual Workspace for each application notice and, thus, 
establish for that application a collaborative application package that 
allows more than one person in the applicant's organization to work 
concurrently on an application. The applicant can, thus, assign other 
users to participate in the Workspace. The system also enables the 
applicant to reuse forms from previous submissions; check them in and 
out and complete them; and submit its application package. For access 
to complete instructions on how to apply, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
    Effective January 1, 2018, applicants may not download an Adobe 
form application package from Grants.gov. Applicants must instead use 
Workspace.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Research 
Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice 
competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable

[[Page 2969]]

application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not 
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 
84.305, not 84.305N).
    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 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 website 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, flattened 
Portable Document Format (PDF), meaning any fillable PDF documents must 
be saved as flattened non-fillable files. Therefore, do not upload an 
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than 
a read-only, flattened 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. There is no need to 
password protect a file in order to meet the requirement to submit a 
read-only flattened PDF. And, as noted, the Department will not review 
password-protected files.
     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, flattened 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 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 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 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

[[Page 2970]]

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: Ellie Pelaez, U.S. 
Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW, Potomac Center Plaza, Room 
4107, Washington, DC 20202. Fax: 202-245-6752.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
    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: 84.305N), 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 Institute.
    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: 84.305N), 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: For all of its grant competitions, the 
Institute uses selection criteria based on a peer-review process that 
has been approved by the National Board for Education Sciences. The 
Peer Review Procedures for Grant Applications can be found on the 
Institute's website at https://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/peer_review/application_review.asp. For this competition, peer reviewers will be 
asked to evaluate the significance of the application, the quality of 
the network plan (including network administration, research 
activities, research training, leadership and dissemination), the 
qualifications and experience of the personnel, and the resources of 
the applicant to support the proposed activities. These criteria are 
described in greater detail in the RFA.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Institute 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 Institute 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 Institute 
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. 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 Institute 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.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through SAM. You may review and comment on any 
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and 
that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts

[[Page 2971]]

from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting 
requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report 
certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the 
requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all 
the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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 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 
Institute. 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 Institute under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Institute may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its 
education research grant programs, 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-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in 
improving student outcomes including student academic outcomes and 
social and behavioral competencies for school-age students. 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 are important to student's academic and post-
academic success.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Institute 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 
Institute 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 Institute also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the 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 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: January 16, 2018.
Thomas Brock,
Commissioner of the National Center for Education Research, Delegated 
the Duties of the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2018-00998 Filed 1-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P



                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices                                                2967

                                               following issues: (1) Is this collection                DATES:                                                 researchers; and (4) developing and
                                               necessary to the proper functions of the                   Request for Applications Available:                 hosting a CTE Network website and
                                               Department; (2) will this information be                January 22, 2018.                                      conducting other leadership and
                                               processed and used in a timely manner;                     Applications Available: February 15,                dissemination activities to share the
                                               (3) is the estimate of burden accurate;                 2018.                                                  findings and products of the CTE
                                               (4) how might the Department enhance                       Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:             Network with policymakers,
                                               the quality, utility, and clarity of the                February 15, 2018.                                     practitioners, and other researchers.
                                               information to be collected; and (5) how                   Deadline for Transmittal of                            Program Authority: 20 U.S.C.
                                               might the Department minimize the                       Applications: April 5, 2018.                           2324(d)(4); 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
                                               burden of this collection on the                        FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.                      Applicable Regulations: (a) The
                                               respondents, including through the use                  Corinne Alfeld, Institute of Education                 Education Department General
                                               of information technology. Please note                  Sciences, U.S. Department of Education,                Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
                                               that written comments received in                       Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street                  parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
                                               response to this notice will be                         SW, Washington, DC 20202 or by email:                  In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR
                                               considered public records.                              Corinne.Alfeld@ed.gov.                                 part 75 are applicable, except for the
                                                 Title of Collection: Lender’s                            If you use a telecommunications                     provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b),
                                               Application Process (LAP).                              device for the deaf (TDD) or a text                    75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 75.109(a),
                                                 OMB Control Number: 1845–0032.                        telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay                75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211,
                                                 Type of Review: An extension of an                    Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–                75.217(a)-(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221,
                                               existing information collection.                        8339.                                                  75.222, and 75.230. (b) The Office of
                                                 Respondents/Affected Public: Private                  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                             Management and Budget Guidelines to
                                               Sector.                                                                                                        Agencies on Governmentwide
                                                 Total Estimated Number of Annual                      Full Text of Announcement                              Debarment and Suspension
                                               Responses: 10.                                          I. Funding Opportunity Description                     (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as
                                                 Total Estimated Number of Annual                                                                             adopted and amended as regulations of
                                                                                                          Purpose of Program: The Research
                                               Burden Hours: 2.                                                                                               the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)
                                                                                                       Networks Focused on Critical Problems
                                                 Abstract: The Lender’s Application                                                                           The Uniform Administrative
                                                                                                       of Education Policy and Practice
                                               Process (LAP) is submitted by lenders                                                                          Requirements, Cost Principles, and
                                                                                                       Program is designed to direct resources
                                               who are eligible for reimbursement of                                                                          Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
                                                                                                       and attention to education problems or
                                               interest and special allowance, as well                                                                        in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and
                                                                                                       issues that are a high priority for the
                                               as Federal Insured Student Loan (FISL)                                                                         amended in 2 CFR part 3474.
                                                                                                       Nation, and to create a structure and
                                               claims payment, under the Federal
                                                                                                       process for researchers who are working                  Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
                                               Family Education Loan Program. The                                                                             apply to institutions of higher education
                                                                                                       on these issues to share ideas, build new
                                               information will be used by ED to                                                                              only.
                                                                                                       knowledge, and strengthen their
                                               update Lender Identification Numbers
                                                                                                       research and dissemination capacity.
                                               (LID’s), lender names, addresses with 9                                                                        II. Award Information
                                                                                                       Under this announcement, the Institute
                                               digit zip codes, and other pertinent
                                                                                                       of Education Sciences (Institute) intends                 Type of Award: Cooperative
                                               information.
                                                                                                       to award one grant under this program                  agreement.
                                                 Dated: January 17, 2018.                              to fund the Lead of a CTE Network,                        Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
                                               Kate Mullan,                                            which is to carry out the requirements                    Maximum Award: The maximum total
                                               Acting Director, Information Collection                 under section 114(d)(4) of the Carl D.                 award is $5 million for the entire project
                                               Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy         Perkins Career and Technical Education                 period of 60 months.
                                               Officer, Office of Management.                          Act to establish a national research                     Note: The Department is not bound by any
                                               [FR Doc. 2018–01000 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am]             center to carry out scientifically based               estimates in this notice.
                                               BILLING CODE 4000–01–P                                  research on career and technical                         Project Period: 60 months.
                                                                                                       education programs. The CTE Network
                                                                                                       will conduct research on CTE through                   III. Eligibility Information
                                               DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION                                 projects funded by other Institute grant                  1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible
                                                                                                       competitions. The goal of the CTE                      applicants are institutions of higher
                                               Applications for New Awards; Lead of                    Network is to support and expand the
                                               a Career and Technical Education                                                                               education, public and private non-profit
                                                                                                       causal research base on CTE at the                     organizations and agencies, and
                                               (CTE) Network: Research Networks                        secondary and/or postsecondary level
                                               Focused on Critical Problems of                                                                                consortia of such institutions,
                                                                                                       specifically through research on                       organizations, or agencies that have the
                                               Education Policy and Practice Program                   whether and how CTE practices,                         ability and capacity to conduct
                                               AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences,                programs, and policies affect student                  scientifically valid research.
                                               Department of Education.                                education outcomes. The Network Lead                      2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
                                               ACTION: Notice.                                         will be responsible for: (1) CTE Network               program does not require cost sharing or
                                                                                                       administration and coordination,                       matching.
                                               SUMMARY:   The Department of Education                  including convening meetings and
                                               is issuing a notice inviting applications               coordinating supplemental research                     IV. Application and Submission
                                               for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2018               activities among Network members; (2)                  Information
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                                               to fund the Lead of a Career and                        conducting research activities including                 1. Request for Applications and Other
                                               Technical Education (CTE) Network                       an evaluability assessment of CTE                      Information: Information regarding
                                               under the Research Networks Focused                     programs and a final synthesis of the                  program and application requirements
                                               on Critical Problems of Education Policy                CTE Network’s major findings and                       for this competition will be contained in
                                               and Practice Program, Catalog of Federal                lessons; (3) providing research training               the Request for Applications (RFA),
                                               Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number                       to increase the capacity of the field and              which will be available on or before
                                               84.305N.                                                to create a pipeline of new CTE                        January 22, 2018, on the Institute’s


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                                               2968                          Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices

                                               website at: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/.                    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering                  steps are outlined at the following
                                               The application package for this                        System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer                    Grants.gov web page: www.grants.gov/
                                               competition will be available on                        Identification Number (TIN);                           web/grants/register.html.
                                               February 15, 2018, on the                                  b. Register both your DUNS number                      7. Other Submission Requirements:
                                               Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site                    and TIN with the System for Award                      Applications for grants under this
                                               at www.Grants.gov.                                      Management (SAM), the Government’s                     competition must be submitted
                                                  Individuals with disabilities can                    primary registrant database;                           electronically unless you qualify for an
                                               obtain a copy of the application package                   c. Provide your DUNS number and                     exception to this requirement in
                                               in an accessible format (e.g., braille,                 TIN on your application; and                           accordance with the instructions in this
                                               large print, audiotape, or compact disc)                   d. Maintain an active SAM                           section.
                                               by contacting the person listed under                   registration with current information                     a. Electronic Submission of
                                               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.                        while your application is under review                 Applications.
                                                  2. Content and Form of Application                   by the Department and, if you are                         Applications for grants under the
                                               Submission: Requirements concerning                     awarded a grant, during the project                    Research Networks Focused on Critical
                                               the content of an application are                       period.                                                Problems of Education Policy and
                                               contained in the RFA. The forms that                       You can obtain a DUNS number from                   Practice Program, CFDA number
                                               must be submitted will be in the                        Dun and Bradstreet at the following                    84.305N, must be submitted
                                               application package for this                            website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/                        electronically using the
                                               competition.                                            webform. A DUNS number can be                          Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
                                                                                                       created within one to two business days.               at www.Grants.gov. You may not email
                                                  3. Submission Dates and Times:
                                                                                                          If you are a corporate entity, agency,              an electronic copy of a grant application
                                                  Request for Applications Available:
                                                                                                       institution, or organization, you can                  to us.
                                               January 22, 2018.                                                                                                 A Grants.gov applicant must apply
                                                  Applications Available: February 15,                 obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue
                                                                                                       Service. If you are an individual, you                 online using Workspace, a shared
                                               2018.                                                                                                          environment where members of a grant
                                                  Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:              can obtain a TIN from the Internal
                                                                                                       Revenue Service or the Social Security                 team may simultaneously access and
                                               February 15, 2018.                                                                                             edit different webforms within an
                                                  Deadline for Transmittal of                          Administration. If you need a new TIN,
                                                                                                       please allow two to five weeks for your                application. An applicant can create an
                                               Applications: April 5, 2018.                                                                                   individual Workspace for each
                                                  We do not consider an application                    TIN to become active.
                                                                                                          The SAM registration process can take               application notice and, thus, establish
                                               that does not comply with the deadline                                                                         for that application a collaborative
                                               requirements.                                           approximately seven business days, but
                                                                                                       may take upwards of several weeks,                     application package that allows more
                                                  The application package for this                                                                            than one person in the applicant’s
                                               competition must be submitted                           depending on the completeness and
                                                                                                       accuracy of the data you enter into the                organization to work concurrently on an
                                               electronically using the Grants.gov                                                                            application. The applicant can, thus,
                                               Apply site (www.Grants.gov). For                        SAM database. Thus, if you think you
                                                                                                       might want to apply for Federal                        assign other users to participate in the
                                               information about how to submit your                                                                           Workspace. The system also enables the
                                               application package electronically, or in               financial assistance under a program
                                                                                                       administered by the Department, please                 applicant to reuse forms from previous
                                               paper format by mail or hand delivery                                                                          submissions; check them in and out and
                                               if you qualify for an exception to the                  allow sufficient time to obtain and
                                                                                                       register your DUNS number and TIN.                     complete them; and submit its
                                               electronic submission requirement,                                                                             application package. For access to
                                               please refer to the Other Submission                    We strongly recommend that you
                                                                                                       register early.                                        complete instructions on how to apply,
                                               Requirements section below.                                                                                    refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/
                                                  Individuals with disabilities who                       Note: Once your SAM registration is active,         applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
                                               need an accommodation or auxiliary aid                  it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can                   Effective January 1, 2018, applicants
                                               in connection with the application                      access the information in, and submit an               may not download an Adobe form
                                               process should contact the person listed                application through, Grants.gov.
                                                                                                                                                              application package from Grants.gov.
                                               under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION                             If you are currently registered with                 Applicants must instead use Workspace.
                                               CONTACT. If the Department provides an                  SAM, you may not need to make any                         We will reject your application if you
                                               accommodation or auxiliary aid to an                    changes. However, please make certain                  submit it in paper format unless, as
                                               individual with a disability in                         that the TIN associated with your DUNS                 described elsewhere in this section, you
                                               connection with the application                         number is correct. Also, note that you                 qualify for one of the exceptions to the
                                               process, the individual’s application                   will need to update your registration                  electronic submission requirement and
                                               remains subject to all other                            annually. This may take three or more                  submit, no later than two weeks before
                                               requirements and limitations in this                    business days.                                         the application deadline date, a written
                                               notice.                                                   Information about SAM is available at                statement to the Department that you
                                                  4. Intergovernmental Review: This                    www.SAM.gov. To further assist you                     qualify for one of these exceptions.
                                               competition is not subject to Executive                 with obtaining and registering your                    Further information regarding
                                               Order 12372 and the regulations in CFR                  DUNS number and TIN in SAM or                          calculation of the date that is two weeks
                                               part 79.                                                updating your existing SAM account,                    before the application deadline date is
                                                  5. Funding Restrictions: We reference                we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,                  provided later in this section under
                                               regulations outlining funding                           which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/                    Exception to Electronic Submission
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                                               restrictions in the Applicable                          fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.                        Requirement.
                                               Regulations section of this notice.                       In addition, if you are submitting your                 You may access the electronic grant
                                                  6. Data Universal Numbering System                   application via Grants.gov, you must (1)               application for the Research Networks
                                               Number, Taxpayer Identification                         be designated by your organization as an               Focused on Critical Problems of
                                               Number, and System for Award                            Authorized Organization Representative                 Education Policy and Practice
                                               Management: To do business with the                     (AOR); and (2) register yourself with                  competition at www.Grants.gov. You
                                               Department of Education, you must—                      Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these                 must search for the downloadable


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices                                                 2969

                                               application package for this competition                   • You must submit all documents                     Department’s application requirements
                                               by the CFDA number. Do not include                      electronically, including all information              as specified in this notice and in the
                                               the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your                  you typically provide on the following                 application instructions. Disqualifying
                                               search (e.g., search for 84.305, not                    forms: The Application for Federal                     errors could include, for instance,
                                               84.305N).                                               Assistance (SF 424), the Department of                 failure to upload attachments in a read-
                                                 Please note the following:                            Education Supplemental Information for                 only, flattened PDF; failure to submit a
                                                 • When you enter the Grants.gov site,                 SF 424, Budget Information—Non-                        required part of the application; or
                                               you will find information about                         Construction Programs (ED 524), and all                failure to meet applicant eligibility
                                               submitting an application electronically                necessary assurances and certifications.               requirements. It is your responsibility to
                                               through the site, as well as the hours of                  • You must upload any narrative                     ensure that your submitted application
                                               operation.                                              sections and all other attachments to                  has met all of the Department’s
                                                 • Applications received by                            your application as files in a read-only,              requirements.
                                               Grants.gov are date and time stamped.                   flattened Portable Document Format                        • We may request that you provide us
                                               Your application must be fully                          (PDF), meaning any fillable PDF                        original signatures on forms at a later
                                               uploaded and submitted and must be                      documents must be saved as flattened                   date.
                                               date and time stamped by the                            non-fillable files. Therefore, do not                     Application Deadline Date Extension
                                               Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00                 upload an interactive or fillable PDF                  in Case of Technical Issues with the
                                               p.m., Washington, DC time, on the                       file. If you upload a file type other than             Grants.gov System: If you are
                                               application deadline date. Except as                    a read-only, flattened PDF (e.g., Word,                experiencing problems submitting your
                                               otherwise noted in this section, we will                Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a                  application through Grants.gov, please
                                               not accept your application if it is                    password-protected file, we will not                   contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,
                                               received—that is, date and time                         review that material. Please note that                 toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must
                                               stamped by the Grants.gov system—after                  this could result in your application not              obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
                                               4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                   being considered for funding because                   Number and must keep a record of it.
                                               the application deadline date. We do                    the material in question—for example,                     If you are prevented from
                                               not consider an application that does                   the project narrative—is critical to a                 electronically submitting your
                                               not comply with the deadline                            meaningful review of your proposal. For                application on the application deadline
                                               requirements. When we retrieve your                     that reason it is important to allow                   date because of technical problems with
                                               application from Grants.gov, we will                    yourself adequate time to upload all                   the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
                                               notify you if we are rejecting your                     material as PDF files. The Department                  an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,
                                               application because it was date and time                will not convert material from other                   Washington, DC time, the following
                                               stamped by the Grants.gov system after                  formats to PDF. There is no need to                    business day to enable you to transmit
                                               4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on                   password protect a file in order to meet               your application electronically or by
                                               the application deadline date.                          the requirement to submit a read-only                  hand delivery. You also may mail your
                                                 • The amount of time it can take to                   flattened PDF. And, as noted, the                      application by following the mailing
                                               upload an application will vary                         Department will not review password-                   instructions described elsewhere in this
                                               depending on a variety of factors,                      protected files.                                       notice.
                                               including the size of the application and                  • After you electronically submit                      If you submit an application after
                                               the speed of your internet connection.                  your application, you will receive from                4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                               Therefore, we strongly recommend that                   Grants.gov an automatic notification of                the application deadline date, please
                                               you do not wait until the application                   receipt that contains a Grants.gov                     contact the person listed under FOR
                                               deadline date to begin the submission                   tracking number. (This notification                    FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and
                                               process through Grants.gov.                             indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not              provide an explanation of the technical
                                                 • You should review and follow the                    receipt by the Department.) Grants.gov                 problem you experienced with
                                               Education Submission Procedures for                     will also notify you automatically by                  Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov
                                               submitting an application through                       email if your application met all the                  Support Desk Case Number. We will
                                               Grants.gov that are included in the                     Grants.gov validation requirements or if               accept your application if we can
                                               application package for the competition                 there were any errors (such as                         confirm that a technical problem
                                               to ensure that you submit your                          submission of your application by                      occurred with the Grants.gov system
                                               application in a timely manner to the                   someone other than a registered                        and that the problem affected your
                                               Grants.gov system. You can also find the                Authorized Organization                                ability to submit your application by
                                               Education Submission Procedures                         Representative, or inclusion of an                     4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
                                               pertaining to Grants.gov under News                     attachment with a file name that                       the application deadline date. We will
                                               and Events on the Department’s G5                       contains special characters). You will be              contact you after we determine whether
                                               system home page at www.G5.gov. In                      given an opportunity to correct any                    your application will be accepted.
                                               addition, for specific guidance and                     errors and resubmit, but you must still
                                                                                                                                                                 Note: The extensions to which we refer in
                                               procedures for submitting an                            meet the deadline for submission of                    this section apply only to the unavailability
                                               application through Grants.gov, please                  applications.                                          of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
                                               refer to the Grants.gov website at:                        Once your application is successfully               system. We will not grant an extension if you
                                               www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/                   validated by Grants.gov, the Department                failed to fully register to submit your
                                               apply-for-grants.html.                                  will retrieve your application from                    application to Grants.gov before the
                                                 • You will not receive additional                     Grants.gov and send you an email with                  application deadline date and time or if the
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                                               point value because you submit your                     a unique PR/Award number for your                      technical problem you experienced is
                                               application in electronic format, nor                   application.                                           unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
                                               will we penalize you if you qualify for                    These emails do not mean that your                    Exception to Electronic Submission
                                               an exception to the electronic                          application is without any disqualifying               Requirement: You qualify for an
                                               submission requirement, as described                    errors. While your application may have                exception to the electronic submission
                                               elsewhere in this section, and submit                   been successfully validated by                         requirement, and may submit your
                                               your application in paper format.                       Grants.gov, it must also meet the                      application in paper format, if you are


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                                               2970                          Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices

                                               unable to submit an application through                 accept either of the following as proof                the proposed activities. These criteria
                                               the Grants.gov system because—                          of mailing:                                            are described in greater detail in the
                                                  • You do not have access to the                        (1) A private metered postmark.                      RFA.
                                               internet; or                                              (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by                 2. Review and Selection Process: We
                                                  • You do not have the capacity to                    the U.S. Postal Service.                               remind potential applicants that in
                                               upload large documents to the                             Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not               reviewing applications in any
                                               Grants.gov system; and                                  uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before             discretionary grant competition, the
                                                  • No later than two weeks before the                 relying on this method, you should check               Institute may consider, under 34 CFR
                                               application deadline date (14 calendar                  with your local post office.                           75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
                                               days or, if the fourteenth calendar day                                                                        applicant in carrying out a previous
                                                                                                         We will not consider applications
                                               before the application deadline date                                                                           award, such as the applicant’s use of
                                                                                                       postmarked after the application
                                               falls on a Federal holiday, the next                                                                           funds, achievement of project
                                                                                                       deadline date.
                                               business day following the Federal                                                                             objectives, and compliance with grant
                                                                                                         c. Submission of Paper Applications
                                               holiday), you mail or fax a written                                                                            conditions. The Institute may also
                                                                                                       by Hand Delivery.
                                               statement to the Department, explaining                                                                        consider whether the applicant failed to
                                                                                                         If you qualify for an exception to the
                                               which of the two grounds for an                                                                                submit a timely performance report or
                                                                                                       electronic submission requirement, you
                                               exception prevents you from using the                                                                          submitted a report of unacceptable
                                                                                                       (or a courier service) may deliver your
                                               internet to submit your application.                                                                           quality.
                                                                                                       paper application to the Department by                    In addition, in making a competitive
                                                  If you mail your written statement to                hand. You must deliver the original and
                                               the Department, it must be postmarked                                                                          grant award, the Institute also requires
                                                                                                       two copies of your application by hand,                various assurances including those
                                               no later than two weeks before the                      on or before the application deadline
                                               application deadline date. If you fax                                                                          applicable to Federal civil rights laws
                                                                                                       date, to the Department at the following               that prohibit discrimination in programs
                                               your written statement to the                           address: U.S. Department of Education,
                                               Department, we must receive the faxed                                                                          or activities receiving Federal financial
                                                                                                       Application Control Center, Attention:                 assistance from the Department of
                                               statement no later than two weeks                       (CFDA Number: 84.305N), 550 12th                       Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
                                               before the application deadline date.                   Street SW, Room 7039, Potomac Center                   108.8, and 110.23).
                                                  Address and mail or fax your                         Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.                         3. Risk Assessment and Special
                                               statement to: Ellie Pelaez, U.S.                          The Application Control Center                       Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
                                               Department of Education, 550 12th                       accepts hand deliveries daily between                  200.205, before awarding grants under
                                               Street SW, Potomac Center Plaza, Room                   8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,                this competition the Department
                                               4107, Washington, DC 20202. Fax: 202–                   DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,                    conducts a review of the risks posed by
                                               245–6752.                                               and Federal holidays.                                  applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the
                                                  If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the                     Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper             Institute may impose special conditions
                                               FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.                      Applications: If you mail or hand deliver              and, in appropriate circumstances, high-
                                                  Your paper application must be                       your application to the Department—                    risk conditions on a grant if the
                                               submitted in accordance with the mail                      (1) You must indicate on the envelope               applicant or grantee is not financially
                                               or hand delivery instructions described                 and—if not provided by the Department—in               stable; has a history of unsatisfactory
                                               in this notice.                                         Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,                 performance; has a financial or other
                                                  b. Submission of Paper Applications                  including suffix letter, if any, of the
                                                                                                       competition under which you are submitting
                                                                                                                                                              management system that does not meet
                                               by Mail.                                                                                                       the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart
                                                                                                       your application; and
                                                  If you qualify for an exception to the                                                                      D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a
                                                                                                          (2) The Application Control Center will
                                               electronic submission requirement, you                  mail to you a notification of receipt of your          prior grant; or is otherwise not
                                               may mail (through the U.S. Postal                       grant application. If you do not receive this          responsible.
                                               Service or a commercial carrier) your                   notification within 15 business days from the             4. Integrity and Performance System:
                                               application to the Department. You                      application deadline date, you should call             If you are selected under this
                                               must mail the original and two copies                   the U.S. Department of Education                       competition to receive an award that
                                               of your application, on or before the                   Application Control Center at (202) 245–               over the course of the project period
                                               application deadline date, to the                       6288.                                                  may exceed the simplified acquisition
                                               Department at the following address:                                                                           threshold (currently $150,000), under 2
                                               U.S. Department of Education,                           V. Application Review Information
                                                                                                                                                              CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a
                                               Application Control Center, Attention:                    1. Selection Criteria: For all of its                judgment about your integrity, business
                                               (CFDA Number: 84.305N), LBJ                             grant competitions, the Institute uses                 ethics, and record of performance under
                                               Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland                          selection criteria based on a peer-review              Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
                                               Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202–                        process that has been approved by the                  by you as an applicant—before we make
                                               4260.                                                   National Board for Education Sciences.                 an award. In doing so, we must consider
                                                  You must show proof of mailing                       The Peer Review Procedures for Grant                   any information about you that is in the
                                               consisting of one of the following:                     Applications can be found on the                       integrity and performance system
                                                  (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service              Institute’s website at https://ies.ed.gov/             (currently referred to as the Federal
                                               postmark.                                               director/sro/peer_review/application_                  Awardee Performance and Integrity
                                                  (2) A legible mail receipt with the                  review.asp. For this competition, peer                 Information System (FAPIIS)),
                                               date of mailing stamped by the U.S.                     reviewers will be asked to evaluate the                accessible through SAM. You may
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                                               Postal Service.                                         significance of the application, the                   review and comment on any
                                                  (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or              quality of the network plan (including                 information about yourself that a
                                               receipt from a commercial carrier.                      network administration, research                       Federal agency previously entered and
                                                  (4) Any other proof of mailing                       activities, research training, leadership              that is currently in FAPIIS.
                                               acceptable to the Institute.                            and dissemination), the qualifications                    Please note that, if the total value of
                                                  If you mail your application through                 and experience of the personnel, and                   your currently active grants, cooperative
                                               the U.S. Postal Service, we do not                      the resources of the applicant to support              agreements, and procurement contracts


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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2018 / Notices                                                   2971

                                               from the Federal Government exceeds                     publications, the number of newly                      Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
                                               $10,000,000, the reporting requirements                 developed or modified interventions                    available free at this site.
                                               in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,                        with evidence of promise for improving                   You may also access documents of the
                                               require you to report certain integrity                 student education outcomes, and the                    Department published in the Federal
                                               information to FAPIIS semiannually.                     number of Institute-supported                          Register by using the article search
                                               Please review the requirements in 2 CFR                 interventions with evidence of efficacy                feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
                                               part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant                   in improving student outcomes                          Specifically, through the advanced
                                               plus all the other Federal funds you                    including student academic outcomes                    search feature at this site, you can limit
                                               receive exceed $10,000,000.                             and social and behavioral competencies                 your search to documents published by
                                                                                                       for school-age students. Student                       the Department.
                                               VI. Award Administration Information
                                                                                                       academic outcomes include learning                       Dated: January 16, 2018.
                                                  1. Award Notices: If your application                and achievement in core academic
                                               is successful, we notify your U.S.                                                                             Thomas Brock,
                                                                                                       content areas (reading, writing, math,
                                               Representative and U.S. Senators and                    and science), and outcomes that reflect                Commissioner of the National Center for
                                               send you a Grant Award Notification                                                                            Education Research, Delegated the Duties of
                                                                                                       students’ successful progression through               the Director of the Institute of Education
                                               (GAN); or we may send you an email                      the education system (e.g., course and                 Sciences.
                                               containing a link to access an electronic               grade completion; high school
                                                                                                                                                              [FR Doc. 2018–00998 Filed 1–19–18; 8:45 am]
                                               version of your GAN. We may notify                      graduation; postsecondary enrollment,
                                                                                                                                                              BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
                                               you informally, also.                                   progress, and completion). Social and
                                                  If your application is not evaluated or              behavioral competencies include social
                                               not selected for funding, we notify you.                and emotional skills, attitudes, and
                                                  2. Administrative and National Policy                behaviors that are important to student’s
                                               Requirements: We identify                                                                                      DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
                                                                                                       academic and post-academic success.
                                               administrative and national policy                         6. Continuation Awards: In making a                 Proposed Agency Information
                                               requirements in the application package                 continuation award under 34 CFR                        Collection
                                               and reference these and other                           75.253, the Institute considers, among
                                               requirements in the Applicable                          other things: Whether a grantee has                    AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and
                                               Regulations section of this notice.                     made substantial progress in meeting                   Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of
                                                  We reference the regulations outlining               the goals and objectives of the project;               Energy.
                                               the terms and conditions of an award in                 whether the grantee has expended funds                 ACTION: Notice and request for
                                               the Applicable Regulations section of                   in a manner that is consistent with its                comments.
                                               this notice and include these and other                 approved application and budget; and,
                                               specific conditions in the GAN. The                     if the Institute has established                       SUMMARY:   The Department of Energy
                                               GAN also incorporates your approved                     performance measurement                                (DOE) today gives notice of a request for
                                               application as part of your binding                     requirements, whether the grantee has                  public comment, pursuant to the
                                               commitments under the grant.                            met the performance targets in the                     Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on
                                                  3. Grant Administration: Applicants                  grantee’s approved application.                        the continued collection of information
                                               should budget for an annual two-day                        In making a continuation award, the                 entitled: Budget Justification, which
                                               meeting for project directors to be held                Institute also considers whether the                   DOE has developed for submission to
                                               in Washington, DC.                                      grantee is operating in compliance with                and approval by the Office of
                                                  4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a                 the assurances in its approved                         Management and Budget (OMB).
                                               grant under this competition, you must                  application, including those applicable                DATES: Comments regarding this
                                               ensure that you have in place the                       to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit             proposed information collection must
                                               necessary processes and systems to                      discrimination in programs or activities               be received on or before March 23, 2018.
                                               comply with the reporting requirements                  receiving Federal financial assistance                 If you anticipate difficulty in submitting
                                               in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive                    from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,                     comments within that period, contact
                                               funding under the competition. This                     104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).                      the person listed in ADDRESSES as soon
                                               does not apply if you have an exception                                                                        as possible.
                                               under 2 CFR 170.110(b).                                 VII. Other Information
                                                  (b) At the end of your project period,                  Accessible Format: Individuals with                 ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
                                               you must submit a final performance                     disabilities can obtain this document                  sent to U.S. Department of Energy,
                                               report, including financial information,                and a copy of the RFA in an accessible                 Golden Field Office, 15013 Denver West
                                               as directed by the Institute. If you                    format (e.g., braille, large print,                    Parkway Golden, CO 80401–3111, Attn:
                                               receive a multiyear award, you must                     audiotape, or compact disc) on request                 James Cash, or by email at james.cash@
                                               submit an annual performance report                     to the appropriate program contact                     ee.doe.gov.
                                               that provides the most current                          person listed in the chart at the end of               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                               performance and financial expenditure                   this notice.                                           Requests for additional information or
                                               information as directed by the Institute                   Electronic Access to This Document:                 copies of the information collection
                                               under 34 CFR 75.118. The Institute may                  The official version of this document is               instrument and instructions should be
                                               also require more frequent performance                  the document published in the Federal                  directed to James Cash, U.S. Department
                                               reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For                     Register. Free internet access to the                  of Energy, Golden Field Office, 15013
                                               specific requirements on reporting,                     official edition of the Federal Register               Denver West Parkway Golden, CO
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                                               please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/                     and the Code of Federal Regulations is                 80401–3111, or by phone (240) 562–
                                               apply/appforms/appforms.html.                           available via the Federal Digital System               1456, or by email at james.cash@
                                                  5. Performance Measures: To evaluate                 at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you                ee.doe.gov. The information collection
                                               the overall success of its education                    can view this document, as well as all                 instrument, titled ‘‘Budget Justification’’
                                               research grant programs, the Institute                  other documents of this Department                     may also be viewed at https://
                                               annually assesses the percentage of                     published in the Federal Register, in                  energy.gov/eere/funding/downloads/
                                               projects that result in peer-reviewed                   text or PDF. To use PDF you must have                  budget-justification-eere-335-and-3351.


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Document Created: 2018-01-23 21:35:45
Document Modified: 2018-01-23 21:35:45
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.
DatesRequest for Applications Available: January 22, 2018.
ContactDr. Corinne Alfeld, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20202 or by email: [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 2967 

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