83 FR 6003 - Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 29 (February 12, 2018)

As part of a broader effort to reduce barriers for applicants seeking funds under a Department of Education (Department) discretionary grant competition, the Department is issuing a common set of instructions for applicants. It will be referenced in individual notices inviting applications (NIAs). The common instructions will ensure consistency, reduce burden on Department staff, and improve the Department's ability to provide potential applicants with timely information about Department programs and competitions.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6003-6005]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02558]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education 
Discretionary Grant Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As part of a broader effort to reduce barriers for applicants 
seeking funds under a Department of Education (Department) 
discretionary grant competition, the Department is issuing a common set 
of instructions for applicants. It will be referenced in individual 
notices inviting applications (NIAs). The common instructions will 
ensure consistency, reduce burden on Department staff, and improve the 
Department's ability to provide potential applicants with timely 
information about Department programs and competitions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Levon Schlichter, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 6E235, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 453-6387 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: 
    Background: This document provides applicants with a centralized 
and up-to-date set of instructions for applying to the Department's 
discretionary grant programs. Future NIAs will reference this document 
in lieu of providing this series of instructions within each NIA. 
Rarely, exceptions will need to be made to these instructions and will 
be noted in an individual competition NIA.
    Common Set of Instructions for Applicants:

Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package from the Department's website or Grants.gov.
    To obtain a copy via the Department's website, use the following 
address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content and form of an application, together with the 
forms you must submit, are in the application package for the program.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Submit applications for grants under the program electronically 
using Grants.gov. For information (including dates and times) about how 
to submit your application electronically, please refer to Other 
Submission Requirements in section 5 of these instructions.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
a person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the 
competition NIA. 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 the competition NIA.
    4. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department, and to submit your application electronically using 
Grants.gov, 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.gov), 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 
(IRS). If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the IRS 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.gov 
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.gov 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.gov, 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

[[Page 6004]]

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.gov or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a 
SAM.gov Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, in order to submit your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) register as an applicant using your DUNS number; and (2) 
be designated by your organization's E-Biz Point of Contact as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Details on these steps 
are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    5. Other Submission Requirements:
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We are participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov 
site. Submit applications electronically using Grants.gov and do not 
email them unless explicitly allowed in a competition NIA.
    On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov retired the Legacy PDF format for 
submitting grant applications. A Grants.gov applicant must apply online 
using Workspace, a shared environment where members of a grant team may 
simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an 
application. An applicant can create an individual Workspace for each 
application notice and 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 Grants.gov 
system also enables the applicant to reuse forms from previous 
submissions, check them in and out to complete them, and submit the 
application package. For access to further instructions on how to apply 
using Grants.gov, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
    You may access the electronic grant applications at www.Grants.gov. 
You must search for the downloadable application package for this 
competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha 
suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.184, not 84.184D).
    Please note the following:
     Applicants needing assistance with Grants.gov may contact 
the Grants.gov Support Center either by calling 1-800-518-4726 or by 
sending an email to [email protected]. The Grants.gov Support Center 
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Federal 
holidays.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date- and time-
stamped upon submission. 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., Eastern 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., Eastern 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 late.
     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 leave yourself plenty of time to complete 
your submission.
     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 program to ensure that you 
submit your application on time. 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.
     When you submit your application electronically, all 
documents must be submitted in this manner, 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.
     When you submit your application electronically, 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 documents must be saved and submitted as 
non-fillable PDF files. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF 
file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-fillable 
PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a password-
protected file, we will be unable to review that material. Please note 
that this will likely result in your application not being considered 
for funding. The Department will not convert material from other 
formats to PDF.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. Grants.gov also will notify you 
automatically by email if your application met all of the Grants.gov 
validation requirements or if there were any errors (such as submission 
of your application by someone other than a registered AOR, issues with 
your DUNS number, 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.
    Email confirmations and receipts from Grants.gov do not indicate 
receipt by the Department, nor do they mean that your application is 
complete or has met all application requirements. While your 
application may have been successfully validated by Grants.gov, it also 
must be reviewed in accordance with the Department's application 
requirements as specified in the competition NIA and in these 
application instructions. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
    Additionally, 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 experience problems submitting your 
application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support 
Desk immediately, toll-free, at 1-800-518-4726. The Grants.gov Support 
Center will provide you with a ticket number documenting your 
communication. You must retain your ticket number for future reference 
as proof of your communication with the Support Center. Please 
subsequently contact a person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section in the competition NIA and provide an explanation of 
the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along

[[Page 6005]]

with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems within the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Eastern Time, the following business day to enable 
you to transmit your application electronically, provided we can verify 
the technical issues affected your ability to submit your application 
on time via your Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number.

    Note:  The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to technical problems with the Grants.gov system. We will not 
grant you an extension if you failed to fully register in order to 
submit your application to Grants.gov (including with the required 
DUNS number and TIN currently registered in SAM) before the 
application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you 
experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    b. Submission of Paper Applications.
    We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is 
not possible (e.g., you do not have access to the internet), you must 
provide a written statement that you intend to submit a paper 
application. Send this written statement 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).
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. Please send this statement to a person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of the competition NIA.
    If you submit a paper application, 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), LBJ 
Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

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

    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    Note for Mail Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail your 
application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and 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 Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat 
Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: February 5, 2018.
Kent Talbert,
Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy Secretary, Delegated the Functions 
and Duties of the Deputy Secretary of Education.
[FR Doc. 2018-02558 Filed 2-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P