[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19267-19273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7716]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions (ANNH) Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

[[Page 19268]]


ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions (ANNH) Program.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2012.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.031W and 
84.031N.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 30, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2012.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The ANNH program authorized under section 317 
of the HEA provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education 
(IHEs) to enable them to improve and expand their capacity to serve 
Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.
    Priorities: This notice contains three competitive preference 
priorities from the Department's notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and 
corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2012, and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from 
the competition, these priorities are competitive preference 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to three points 
for each competitive preference priority for an additional nine points 
total to an application, depending on how well the application meets 
all competitive preference priorities. Applicants must address all 
competitive preference priorities in order to receive any additional 
points. Applicants who do not address all three competitive preference 
priorities will not receive any additional points.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Increasing Postsecondary 
Success.
    Projects that are designed to address the following priority area: 
Increasing the number and proportion of high-need students (as defined 
in this notice) who persist in and complete college or other 
postsecondary education and training.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--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 (as defined in this 
notice), in the following priority area: Improving postsecondary 
student outcomes relating to enrollment, persistence, and completion 
and leading to career success.
    Competitive Preference Priority 3--Improving Productivity.
    Projects that are designed to significantly increase efficiency in 
the use of time, staff, money, or other resources while improving 
student learning or other educational outcomes (i.e., outcome per unit 
of resource). Such projects may include innovative and sustainable uses 
of technology, modification of school schedules and teacher 
compensation systems, use of open educational resources (as defined in 
this notice), or other strategies.

    Note: The types of projects identified in Competitive Preference 
Priority 3 are suggestions for ways to improve productivity. The 
Department recognizes that some of these examples, such as 
modification of teacher compensation systems, may not be relevant to 
this program. Accordingly, applicants should consider responding to 
this competitive preference priority in a way that improves 
productivity in a relevant higher education context.

    Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 
78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637), and apply to the 
priorities in this notice:
    High-need children and high-need students means children and 
students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students 
who are living in poverty, who are English learners, who are far below 
grade level or who are not on track to becoming college- or career-
ready by graduation, who have left school or college before receiving, 
respectively, a regular high school diploma or a college degree or 
certificate, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, 
who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting 
teenagers, who have been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are 
migrant, or who have disabilities.
    Open educational resources (OER) means teaching, learning, and 
research resources that reside in the public domain or have been 
released under an intellectual property license that permits their free 
use or repurposing by others.
    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. 1057-1059d and 1067q.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 
84, 85, and 86. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 
607. (c) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions 
for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on 
December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 
27637).

    Note: 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 
tie-breaker provisions are set in section V. 3. Tie-breaker for 
Grants of this notice.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Individual Development Grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $17,360,518 in funding under Title III, 
Part F, section 371 of HEA.
    Estimated Range of Awards: Up to $2,000,000.
    Average Size of Awards: $826,691.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 21.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An IHE that qualifies as an eligible 
institution under the ANNH programs may apply for grants under this 
notice. At the time of application, an Alaska Native-Serving 
Institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is 
at least 20 percent Alaska Native. 34 CFR 607.2(e). At the time of 
application, a Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution must have an 
enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native 
Hawaiian. This program is authorized by Title III, Part A of the HEA. 
To qualify as an eligible institution (see section 312(b) of the HEA), 
an institution must, among other requirements--
    (1) Be accredited or preaccredited 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;

[[Page 19269]]

    (2) Be legally authorized by the State in which it is located to be 
a junior college or to provide an educational program for which it 
awards a bachelor's degree;
    (3) Be designated as an ``eligible institution'' by demonstrating 
that it: (A) Has an enrollment of needy students as described in 34 CFR 
607.3; and (B) has low average educational and general expenditures per 
full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student, as described in 34 
CFR 607.4.

    Note:  For purposes of establishing eligibility for this 
competition, the Notice Inviting Applications for Designation as 
Eligible Institutions for FY 2012 was published in the Federal 
Register on December 15, 2011 (76 FR 77982) and the deadline for 
submission of the designation of eligibility application was 
February 10, 2012. Awards under this competition are available only 
to institutions that established eligibility through an Application 
for Designation as Eligible Institutions for FY 2012.

Relationship Between the Title III, Part A and Part F Programs and the 
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program

    Note 1: A grantee under the HSI Program, which is authorized 
under Title V of the HEA, may not receive a grant under any HEA, 
Title III, Part A or Part F program, including the Alaska Native-
Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Programs (ANNH). 
Further, a current HSI Program grantee may not give up its HSI grant 
in order to receive a grant under any Title III, Part A or Part F 
program.


    Note 2: An eligible HSI that does not fall within the limitation 
described in Note 1 (i.e., is not a current grantee under the HSI 
Program) may apply for a FY 2012 grant under all Title III, Part A 
and Part F programs for which it is eligible, as well as receive 
consideration for a grant under the HSI Program. However, a 
successful applicant may receive only one grant.

    2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Grant funds shall be used so that they 
supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would 
otherwise be available for the activities to be carried out under the 
grant and in no case supplant those funds (34 CFR 607.30 (b)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application via the Internet using the following address: http://
http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact 
Kelley Harris, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 
6033, Washington, DC 20006-8513. Telephone: (202) 219-7083; 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.
    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 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 this program.
    Page Limits: The application narrative (Part III of the 
application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection 
criteria and the competitive priorities that reviewers use to evaluate 
your application. We have established mandatory page limits for the 
Individual Development Grant applications. You must limit the 
application narrative (Part III) to no more than 55 pages for the 
Individual Development Grant application.

    Note: Please include a separate heading when responding to the 
competitive priorities. If you are not addressing the competitive 
priorities, you must limit your application narrative to no more 
than 50 pages for the Individual Development Grant.

     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side 
only, with 1'' margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers 
and an identifier may be outside the 1 margin.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, captions and all text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the 
application narrative may be single spaced and will count toward the 
page limit.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no 
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An applications submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the Application for 
Federal Assistance (SF-424); the Supplemental Information for SF-424 
Form required by the Department of Education; Part II, the Budget 
section, Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), 
including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page program abstract, the resumes, the 
bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does 
apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III), including 
the budget narrative of the selection criteria and the competitive 
priorities. 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 the 
purpose 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 activity detail budget 
form lists the requested budget line items line by line.

    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 30, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2012.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov Apply site (http://Grants.gov">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, 2012.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order

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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: We specify limitations on allowable costs 
in 34 CFR 607.30. We reference additional regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    Applicability of Executive Order 13202. Applicants that apply for 
construction funds under the Title III, Part A programs, must comply 
with Executive Order 13202 signed by former President George W. Bush on 
February 17, 2001, and amended on April 6, 2001. This Executive Order 
provides that recipients of Federal construction funds may not 
``require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors 
to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor 
organizations, on the same or other construction project(s)'' or 
``otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or 
subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or remain signatories 
or otherwise adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, 
on the same or other construction project(s).'' However, the Executive 
Order does not prohibit contractors or subcontractors from voluntarily 
entering into these agreements. Projects funded under these programs 
that include construction activity will be provided a copy of this 
Executive Order and will be asked to certify that they will adhere to 
it.
    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 
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 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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated 
by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative 
(AOR); and (2) register yourself with http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on 
these steps are outlined at the following http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov Web page: 
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp).
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the 
ANNH programs 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 Alaska Native-Serving 
Institutions Program (CFDA number 84.031N) and the Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions Program (CFDA number 84.031W) must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov Apply site at 
www.grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy 
of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and 
submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for this 
competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.031, 
not 84.031N).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30 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 
http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov system after 
4:30 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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to http://Grants.gov">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.

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     You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable 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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. 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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov, please contact the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov, along with the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">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 http://Grants.gov">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: Kelley Harris, U.S. 
Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6033, Washington, DC 
20006-8513. 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 84.031N or 84.031W), 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 84.031N or 84.031W), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 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 in 34 CFR

[[Page 19272]]

607.22(a)-(g). Applicants must address each of the following selection 
criteria (separately for each proposed activity). The total weight of 
the selection criteria is 100 points; the maximum score for each 
criterion is noted in parentheses.
    (a) Quality of the Applicant's Comprehensive Development Plan 
(Maximum 25 Points).
    (b) Quality of Activity Objectives (Maximum 15 Points).
    (c) Quality of Implementation Strategy (Maximum 20 Points).
    (d) Quality of Key Personnel (Maximum 7 Points).
    (e) Quality of Project Management Plan (Maximum 10 Points).
    (f) Quality of Evaluation Plan (Maximum 15 Points).
    (g) Budget (Maximum 8 Points).
    2. Review and Selection Process: Awards will be made in rank order 
according to the average score received from a panel of three readers.
    Tie-Breaker for Development Grants. In tie-breaking situations for 
development grants, 34 CFR 607.23(b) requires that additional points be 
awarded to any applicants that: (1) Have an endowment fund of which the 
current market value, per full-time equivalent (FTE) enrolled student, 
is less than the average current market value of the endowment funds, 
per FTE enrolled student at comparable institutions that offer similar 
instruction; (2) have expenditures for library materials per FTE 
enrolled student that are less than the average expenditures per FTE 
enrolled student at comparable institutions that offer similar 
instruction; or (3) that propose 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 use 2009-2010 
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 have the lowest endowment values 
per FTE student; and (b) cooperative arrangement development grants to 
applicants in accordance with section 394(b) of the HEA, if the 
Secretary determines that the cooperative arrangement is geographically 
and economically sound or will benefit the applicant institution.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14, 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 (34 CFR 607.24); 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 also notify you informally.
    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 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. 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 in 34 
CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR 607.31. The Secretary may also require more 
frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific 
requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of 
the Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving 
Institutions Programs:
    a. The percentage change, over the five-year period, of the number 
of full-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled at Alaska Native 
and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. Note that this is a long-term 
measure, which will be used to periodically gauge performance, 
beginning in FY 2009.
    b. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students at 4-year Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions who were in their first year of postsecondary 
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at 
the same Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution;
    c. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students at 2-year Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
Serving Institutions who were in their first year of postsecondary 
enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year at 
the same Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institution;
    d. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree-seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at 4-year Alaska Native and Native 
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions graduating within 6 years of enrollment; 
and
    e. The percentage of first-time, full-time degree seeking 
undergraduate students enrolled at 2-year Alaska Native and Native 
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions graduating within 3 years of enrollment.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 607.31, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward achieving the objectives 
set forth in its grant application, including, if applicable, the 
institution's success in institutionalizing practices and improvements 
developed under the grant.'' 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 Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelley Harris, U.S. Department of

[[Page 19273]]

Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6033, Washington, DC 20006-8513. 
Telephone: (202) 219-7083; or, by email: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

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 compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
in section VII 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.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to David Bergeron, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, 
Planning, and Innovation to perform the functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.

    Dated: March 26, 2012.
David Bergeron,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Innovation, 
delegated the authority to perform the functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2012-7716 Filed 3-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P