[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16747-16754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7127]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


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

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 16748]]

Overview Information

Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Programs

    Notice inviting applications for new awards using fiscal year (FY) 
2010 funds.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.031C.

DATES: Applications Available: March 25, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Programs: The Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation programs authorized under section 371 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) provide grants to assist 
Hispanic-Serving institutions (HSIs) to develop and carry out 
activities to improve and expand their capacity to serve Hispanic and 
other low-income students.

    Note 1: The Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation 
programs in this notice are authorized under section 371 of part F 
of title III of the HEA. This section appropriates $100,000,000 
annually for Hispanic-serving institutions (HSI), as defined in 
section 502 of the HEA, for activities described in section 503 of 
part A of title V of the HEA, with a priority given to applications 
that propose to increase the number of Hispanic and other low income 
students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics and to develop model transfer and 
articulation agreements between 2-year Hispanic-serving institutions 
and 4-year institutions in such fields.
    Although the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation 
programs authorized under section 371 of the HEA are not part of the 
Developing HSIs program authorized by title V of the HEA, the 
eligibility and activity provisions under the Developing HSIs 
program apply to the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation programs pursuant to section 371(a)(2) and (b)(2)(B) of 
the HEA. In light of the overlap of the statutory provisions in 
these two programs, the Secretary has determined that it is 
appropriate to use certain requirements contained in the Developing 
HSIs program regulations (see 34 CFR part 606) for use for the first 
grant competition for the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation programs competition. Specifically, the Secretary has 
decided to base the requirements for this competition on the 
following Developing HSIs regulations: Enrollment of needy students 
provisions in 34 CFR 606.3 and the low education and general 
expenditures provisions in 34 CFR 606.4 as part of the eligibility 
criteria; unallowable activities in 34 CFR 606.10(c); and the tie-
breaker provisions in 34 CFR 606.23(b).


    Note 2: The eligibility criteria for this competition, including 
the enrollment of needy students and expenditure provisions, are set 
forth in section III. 1. Eligible Applicants of this notice. The 
unallowable activities provisions are set forth in section IV. 5. 
Funding Restrictions of this notice, and the tie-breaker provisions 
are set forth in section V. 2. Tie-breaker for Development Grants of 
this notice.

    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed program requirements. Section 
437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, 
allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. The Health Care and Education 
Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-152) (Reconciliation Act) 
provided new authority to implement the Hispanic-Serving Institutions 
STEM and Articulation programs authorized under section 371 of the HEA. 
This is the first grant competition for the programs since the 
enactment of the Reconciliation Act; therefore, this competition 
qualifies for the exemption.
    Under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, in order to ensure timely grant 
awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the 
following requirements for this competition: the enrollment of needy 
students provision based on 34 CFR 606.3 and the low education and 
general expenditures provision based on 34 CFR 607.4 as part of the 
eligibility criteria, the unallowable activities provisions based on 34 
CFR 606.10(c), and the tie-breaker provisions based on 34 CFR 
606.23(b).
    Priorities: This notice contains two absolute priorities and one 
competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), the two absolute priorities are from section 
371(b)(2)(B) of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1067q(b)(2)(B). The competitive 
preference priority is selected from the final supplemental priorities 
and definitions for discretionary grant programs notice published in 
the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet these priorities.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1

    To meet this priority, an applicant must submit in accordance with 
section 371(b)(2)(B)(i) of the HEA, an application for an Individual 
Development or Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant that proposes 
to increase the number of Hispanic and other low income students 
attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or 
mathematics.

Absolute Priority 2

    To meet this priority, an applicant must submit, in accordance with 
section 371(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the HEA, an application for an Individual 
Development or Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant that proposes 
to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year 
HSIs and four-year institutions in such fields. Competitive Preference 
Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards 
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this 
priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional five points to an application 
that meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making. Projects that are 
designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and 
timely data, including data on program participant outcomes, in 
accordance with privacy requirements, in the following priority area:
    Improving postsecondary student outcomes relating to enrollment, 
persistence, and completion and leading to career success.

    Note: For purposes of this competitive preference priority, the 
term privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its 
implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local 
requirements regarding privacy.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067q(b)(2)(B); Section 2103 of the 
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-
152).

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).


[[Page 16749]]


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except Federally recognized Indian Tribes.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $99,900,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.

    Note: Funds appropriated for this program for FY 2010 remain 
available for obligation in FY 2011 pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 
1067q(b)(1)(B).

    Estimated Range of Awards: $700,000-1,200,000.
    Estimate Average Size of Awards: Individual Development Grant: 
$775,000. Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant: $1,100,000.
    Maximum Awards: Individual Development Grant: $870,000. Cooperative 
Arrangement Development Grant: $1,200,000. We will reject any 
application that proposes a budget exceeding these maximum amounts for 
a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for 
Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: Individual Development Grants: 46. 
Cooperative Arrangement Development Grants: 58.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

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

    Note: To demonstrate an enrollment of needy students and low 
average educational and general expenditures per FTE undergraduate 
student, an IHE must be designated as an ``eligible institution'' in 
accordance with 34 CFR 606.3 through 606.5 and the notice inviting 
applications for designation as an eligible institution for the 
fiscal year for which the grant competition is being conducted.

    (c) Be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association that the Secretary has determined to be a reliable 
authority as to the quality of education or training offered, or making 
reasonable progress toward accreditation, according to such an agency 
or association (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iv));
    (d) Be legally authorized to provide, and provide within the State, 
an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's 
degree (section 502(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 
1101a(a)(2)(A)(iii)); and
    (e) Have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at 
least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year 
immediately preceding the date of application (section 502(a)(5)(B) of 
the HEA; 20 U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)(B)).

    Note 1: Funds for the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation Programs will be awarded each fiscal year; thus, for 
this program, the ``end of the award year immediately preceding the 
date of application'' refers to the end of the fiscal year prior to 
the application due date. The end of the fiscal year occurs on 
September 30 for any given year.


    Note 2: In considering applications for grants under this 
program, the Department will compare the data and documentation the 
institution relied on in its application with data reported to the 
Department's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 
the IHE's State-reported enrollment data, and the institutional 
annual report. If different percentages or data are reported in 
these various sources, the institution must, as part of the 25 
percent assurance verification, explain the reason for the 
differences. If the IPEDS data show that less than 25 percent of the 
institution's undergraduate FTE students are Hispanic, the burden is 
on the institution to show that the IPEDS data are inaccurate. If 
the IPEDS data indicate that the institution has an undergraduate 
FTE less than 25 percent, and the institution fails to demonstrate 
that the IPEDS data are inaccurate, the institution will be 
considered ineligible.\1\

    \1\ For purposes of making the determination described in 
paragraph (e) of the Eligibility Criteria for this competition, IHEs 
must report their undergraduate Hispanic FTE percent based on the 
student enrollment count closest to, but not after, September 30, 
2009.
    In addition, for purposes of establishing eligibility for this 
competition, the Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as 
Eligible Institutions for FY 2010 was published in the Federal 
Register on December 7, 2009 (74 FR 64059), and the deadline for 
application was January 6, 2010. The Notice Inviting Applications 
for Designation as Eligible Institutions for FY 2010 was reopened on 
August 13, 2010 (75 FR 49484), and the deadline for applications was 
September 13, 2010. Only institutions that submitted the required 
application and received designation through one of these processes 
are eligible to submit applications for this competition.
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    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: There are no cost sharing or matching 
requirements unless the grantee uses a portion of its grant for 
establishing or improving an endowment fund. If a grantee uses a 
portion of its grant for endowment fund purposes, it must match those 
grant funds with non-Federal funds. (20 U.S.C. 1101b(c)(2)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: Carolyn Proctor, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6060, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 502-7567 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed 
in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for these programs.
    Page Limits: The application narrative (Part III of the 
application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection 
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We have 
established mandatory page limits for both the Individual Development 
Grant and the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant applications. 
You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to no more than 50 
pages for the Individual Development Grant application and no more than 
70 pages for the Cooperative Arrangement Development Grant application, 
using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' on, one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the

[[Page 16750]]

application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, 
references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs. These items may be single spaced. Charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs in the application narrative count toward the page 
limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no 
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
     If you do not use all of the allowable space on a page, it 
will be counted as a full page in determining compliance with the page 
limit.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for 
Federal Assistance (SF 424); the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information form (SF 424); Part II, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524); Part IV, the assurances and 
certifications; or the one-page abstract, or the program activity 
budget detail form and supporting narrative. However, the page limit 
does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III), 
including the narrative on budget that responds to the selection 
criteria. If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically 
requested in the application package, these items will be counted as 
part of your application narrative (Part III) for purposes of the page 
limit requirement. You must include your complete response to the 
selection criteria in the application narrative.

    Note: The narrative response to the budget selection criteria is 
not the same as the activity detail budget form and supporting 
narrative. The supporting narrative for the detail budget form 
explains the requested budget items line by line.

    We will reject your application if you exceed the applicable page 
limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 25, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2011.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: These programs are subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for these programs.
    5. Funding Restrictions: A grantee may not carry out the following 
activities or pay the following costs under a HSI STEM and Articulation 
Programs Development Grant:
    (1) Activities that are not included in the grantee's approved 
application.
    (2) Activities that are inconsistent with any State plan for higher 
education that is applicable to the institution, including, but not 
limited to, a State plan for desegregation of higher education.
    (3) Activities or services that relate to sectarian instruction or 
religious worship.
    (4) Activities provided by a school or department of divinity. For 
the purpose of this provision, a ``school or department of divinity'' 
means an institution, or a department of an institution, whose program 
is specifically for the education of students to prepare them to become 
ministers of religion or to enter into some other religious vocation or 
to prepare them to teach theological subjects.
    (5) Developing or improving non-degree or non-credit courses other 
than basic skills development courses.
    (6) Developing or improving community-based or community services 
programs, unless the program provides academic-related experiences or 
academic credit toward a degree for degree students, or, unless it is a 
program or services to encourage elementary and secondary school 
students to develop the academic skills and the interest to pursue 
postsecondary education.
    (7) Purchase of standard office equipment, such as furniture, file 
cabinets, bookcases, typewriters, or word processors.
    (8) Payment of any portion of the salary of a president, vice 
president, or equivalent officer who has college-wide administrative 
authority and responsibility at an institution to fill a position under 
the grant such as project coordinator or activity director.
    (9) Costs of organized fund-raising, including financial campaigns, 
endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar 
expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions.
    (10) Costs of student recruitment such as advertisements, 
literature, and college fairs.
    (11) Services to high school students, unless they are services to 
encourage such students to develop the skills and the interest to 
pursue postsecondary education.
    (12) Instruction in the institution's standard courses as indicated 
in the institution's catalog.
    (13) Costs for health and fitness programs, transportation, and day 
care services.
    (14) Student activities such as entertainment, cultural, or social 
enrichment programs, publications, social clubs, or associations.
    (15) Activities that are operational in nature rather than 
developmental in nature.
    We reference other regulations outlining funding restrictions in 
the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: 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 Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR 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. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    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

[[Page 16751]]

Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, 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 CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    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 in the 
Grants.gov 3--Step Registration Guide. (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    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 Hispanic-Serving Institutions 
STEM and Articulation Programs, CFDA number 84.031C, must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy 
of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and 
submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Hispanic-
Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Programs at http://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 84.031 not 
84.031C).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
     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 .PDF (Portable Document) 
format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the

[[Page 16752]]

application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent 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: Carolyn Proctor, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6048, Washington, DC 
20006-8516. FAX: (202) 502-7861.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.031C), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    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.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.031C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for these programs 
are from 34 CFR 75.209(a) and 75.210, and are as follows:
    Need for the project (20 points);
    Quality of the project design (15 points);
    Quality of project services (15 points);
    Quality of project personnel (10 points);
    Adequacy of resources (10 points);
    Quality of the management plan (15 points); and
    Quality of project evaluation (15 points).
    Additional information regarding these criteria is listed in the 
application package for this competition.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
achievement of project objectives, the applicant's use of funds, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an 
award are as follows:
    (A) Documentation of at least 25 Percent Hispanic Undergraduate FTE 
Students. An applicant must provide, as an attachment to the 
application, the documentation the institution relied upon in 
determining that at least 25 percent of the institution's undergraduate 
FTE students are Hispanic.

    Note: The 25 percent requirement applies only to undergraduate 
Hispanic students and is calculated based upon FTE students. 
Instructions for formatting and submitting the verification 
documentation to Grants.gov are in the application package for this 
competition.

    (B) Tie-breaker for development grants (based on 34 CFR 606.23). To 
resolve ties in the reader scores of applications for development 
grants, the Department will award one additional point to an 
application from an IHE that has an endowment fund for which the market 
value per FTE student is less than the comparable average current

[[Page 16753]]

market value of the endowment funds per FTE student at similar type 
IHEs. In addition, to resolve ties in the reader scores of applications 
for HSI STEM and Articulation Programs development grants, the 
Department will award one additional point to an application from an 
IHE that has expenditures for library materials per FTE student that 
are less than the comparable average expenditures for library materials 
per FTE student at similar type IHEs.
    We also will add one additional point to an application from an IHE 
that proposes to carry out one or more of the following activities--
    1. Faculty development;
    2. Funds and administrative management;
    3. Development and improvement of academic programs;
    4. Acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening management and 
academic programs;
    5. Joint use of facilities; and
    6. Student services.
    For the purpose of these funding considerations, we will use the 
most recent complete data available (e.g., for FY 2010, we will use 
2008-2009 data).
    If a tie remains after applying the tie-breaker mechanism above, 
priority will be given in the case of applicants for: (a) Individual 
development grants, to applicants that addressed the statutory priority 
found in section 521(d) of the HEA; and b. Cooperative arrangement 
grants, to applicants in accordance with section 524(b) of the HEA, if 
the Secretary determines that the cooperative arrangement is 
geographically and economically sound or will benefit the applicant 
institution.
    If a tie still remains after applying the additional point(s) and 
the relevant statutory priority, we will determine the ranking of 
applicants based on the lowest endowment values per FTE enrolled 
student.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special 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 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). 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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c) For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Programs:
    (1) The percentage change, over the five-year grant period, of the 
number of full-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled at HSIs.
    (2) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students who were in their first year of postsecondary 
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at 
the same institution.
    (3) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at four-year HSIs graduating within six 
years of enrollment.
    (4) The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at two-year HSIs graduating within 
three years of enrollment.
    (5) Federal cost for undergraduate and graduate degrees at 
institutions in the Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation 
Programs.
    5. Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Programs 
Special Analyses: The Hispanic- Serving Institutions STEM and 
Articulation Programs include two absolute priorities and one 
competitive preference priority listed under Priorities in section I of 
this notice.
    To assess the impact of the adoption of these priorities on program 
outcomes, the Department will collect data through the annual 
performance report and conduct special analyses to determine the 
changes that occur during the course of the grant period in:
    (1) The percentage of graduates receiving STEM related degrees from 
grantee institutions; and
    (2) The number of students transferring from two-year grantee 
institutions to four-year institutions; and
    (3) The use of student data on enrollment, persistence, and 
completion by grantee institutions that select the Competitive 
Preference Priority in conducting project activities. Such data may 
include data from State longitudinal data systems or other reliable 
third-party resources.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Proctor, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6048, Washington, DC 20006-8513. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7567 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

[[Page 16754]]

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), 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.

    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 via the Federal Digital System at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys.


    Dated: March 22, 2011.
Eduardo M. Ochoa,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-7127 Filed 3-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P