[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51758-51759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19176]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Notice Inviting Applications for Grants To Support Predoctoral 
Interdisciplinary Research Training in the Education Sciences for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2005; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 69 , No. 161 / Friday, August 20, 2004 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Institute of Education Sciences

[CFDA No. 84.305C]


Notice Inviting Applications for Grants To Support Predoctoral 
Interdisciplinary Research Training in the Education Sciences for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

SUMMARY: The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences 
(Institute) announces a FY 2005 competition for grants to support 
Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training in the Education 
Sciences. The Director takes this action under the Education Sciences 
Reform Act of 2002 (Act), Title I of Public Law 107-279. The intent of 
these grants is to: Support the development of innovative 
interdisciplinary training programs for doctoral students interested in 
conducting applied education research, and to establish a network of 
training programs that collectively produce a cadre of education 
researchers willing and able to conduct a new generation of 
methodologically rigorous and educationally relevant scientific 
research that will provide solutions to pressing problems and 
challenges facing American education.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Mission of Institute: A central purpose of 
the Institute is to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, 
policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about 
education practices that support learning and improve academic 
achievement and access to education opportunities for all students. In 
carrying out its mission, the Institute provides support for programs 
of research in areas of demonstrated national need.
    Eligible Applicants: Applicants that have the ability and capacity 
to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to apply. 
Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit and 
for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and 
institutions, such as colleges and universities.
    Request for Applications and Other Information: Information 
regarding program and application requirements for this competition is 
contained in the applicable Request for Applications package (RFA), 
which will be available on August 19 at the following Web site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/applicant.html. Interested potential 
applicants should periodically check the Institute's Web site.
    Information regarding selection criteria and review procedures will 
also be posted at this Web site.
    Letter of Intent: A letter indicating a potential applicant's 
intent to submit an application is optional but encouraged. The letter 
of intent must be submitted electronically by September 17, 2004, using 
the instructions provided at the following web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com/. Receipt of the letter of intent will be 
acknowledged by e-mail.
    Applications Available: August 19, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: 8 p.m. Eastern
    Time, November 18, 2004.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year.
    Project Period: Up to 5 years.
    Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not enacted a final 
appropriation for FY 2005, the Institute is inviting applications for 
this competition now so that it may be prepared to make awards 
following final action on the Department's appropriations bill. The 
President's FY 2005 Budget for the Institute includes sufficient 
funding for this competition. The actual award of grants is pending the 
availability of funds. The number of awards made under this competition 
will depend upon the quality of the applications received. The size of 
the awards will depend upon the scope of the projects proposed.

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


    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 77, 80, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 86 (part 86 applies only to institutions of higher education), 
97, 98, and 99. In addition 34 CFR part 75 is 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, 75.219, 
75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230.
    Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its 
education research program, the Institute annually assesses the quality 
and relevance of newly funded research projects, as well as the quality 
of research publications that result from its funded research projects. 
Two indicators address the quality of new projects. First, an external 
panel of eminent senior scientists reviews the quality of a randomly 
selected sample of newly funded research applications, and the 
percentage of new projects that are deemed to be of high quality is 
determined. Second, because much of the Institute's work focuses on 
questions of effectiveness, newly funded applications are evaluated to 
identify those that address causal questions and then to determine what 
percentage of those projects use randomized field trials to answer the 
causal questions. To evaluate the relevance of newly funded research 
projects, a panel of experienced education practitioners and 
administrators reviews descriptions of a randomly selected sample of 
newly funded projects and rates the degree to which the projects are 
relevant to educational practice.
    Two indicators address the quality of new research publications, 
both print and web-based, which are the products of funded research 
projects. First, an external panel of eminent scientists reviews the 
quality of a randomly selected sample of new publications, and the 
percentage of new publications that are deemed to be of high quality is 
determined. Second, publications that address causal questions are 
identified, and are then reviewed to determine the percentage that 
employ randomized experimental designs. As funded research projects are 
completed, the Institute will subject the final reports to similar 
reviews.
    To evaluate impact, the Institute surveys a random sample of K-16 
policymakers and administrators once every 3 years to determine the 
percentage who report routinely considering evidence of effectiveness 
before adopting educational products and approaches.
    Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act 
(GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance 
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to 
undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. Enhancing the 
ability of individuals and entities to conduct business with us 
electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts. 
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means 
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our 
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
    We are requiring that applications for the FY 2005 competitions be 
submitted electronically to the following Web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com. Information on the software to be used in 
submitting applications will be available at the same Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Griffin, U.S. Department of 
Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW.,

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room 611A, Washington, DC 20208. Telephone: (202) 219-2280 or by e-
mail: [email protected]
    The date on which applications will be available, the deadline for 
transmittal of applications, the estimated range of awards, and the 
project period are also listed in the RFA for this competition that 
will be posted at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/applicant.html.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a 
copy of the RFA in an alternative format by contacting that person.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq. (the ``Education 
Sciences Reform Act of 2002'', Title I of Public Law 107-279, 
November 5, 2002).

    Dated: July 17, 2004.
Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 04-19176 Filed 8-19-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U