[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 90 (Monday, May 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27050-27057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11336]



  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 90 / Monday, May 11, 2015 / Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; First in the World Program--
Development Grants

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--First in 
the World (FITW) Program--Development Grants

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116F.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 11, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 31, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The FITW program is designed to support the 
development, replication, and dissemination of innovative solutions and 
evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread 
challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for 
not persisting in and completing postsecondary programs, including, but 
not limited to, adult learners, working students, part-time students, 
students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with 
disabilities, and first-generation students. The focus of the FITW 
program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education 
by testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student 
persistence and completion outcomes.
    For FY 2015, the Department will award two types of grants under 
this program: ``Development'' grants and ``Validation'' grants. These 
grants differ in terms of the level of evidence of effectiveness 
required for consideration of funding, the level of scale the funded 
project should reach, and, consequently, the amount of funding 
available to support the project.
    This notice invites applications for Development grants only. 
Development grants will support new or substantially more effective 
practices for addressing widely shared challenges. Applications for 
Development grants must be based on Strong Theory (as defined in this 
notice). The Department has published a separate notice inviting 
applications for Validation grants elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register.
    Priorities: This notice contains three absolute priorities and one 
competitive preference priority.
    These priorities are from the notice of final priorities, 
requirements, definitions, and selection criterion for this program 
(NFP), published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that address one of the 
three absolute priorities. Applicants must specify on the Abstract and 
Information page of their applications which absolute priority is 
addressed in the application. For Absolute Priority 2 and Absolute 
Priority 3, we have identified multiple subparts. Applicants that 
address one of these absolute priorities must select one subpart that 
the proposed project will address to meet the absolute priority.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1: Improving Teaching and Learning

    The Secretary gives priority to:
    Projects designed to improve teaching and learning through:
    Instruction-level tools or strategies such as adaptive learning 
technology, educational games, personalized learning, active- or 
project-based learning, faculty-centered strategies that systematically 
improve the quality of teaching, or multi-disciplinary efforts focused 
on improving instructional experiences.

    Note: A large percentage of students in postsecondary education 
struggle academically because they arrive to college unprepared for 
college-level coursework.\1\ These struggles make the prospect of 
dropping out more likely.\2\ Further, for students who do complete 
their courses and programs, the limited available information on 
learning proficiency suggests that too many students are lacking the 
critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills needed for 
the workforce.\3\ These challenges may be more acute for the types 
of students that now make up the majority of students enrolled in 
postsecondary education: Adult learners, working students, part-time 
students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, 
and first-generation students. On the other hand, the research base 
on cognitive science continues to grow, employers are becoming more 
specific in the competencies they desire, data analytics offers 
greater and more targeted insights, and new technologies offer the 
potential for new methods and more differentiated instruction.

    \1\ Xianglei Chen and others, Academic Preparation for College 
in the High School Senior Class of 2003-04: Education Longitudinal 
Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002), Base-year, 2002, First Follow-up, 2004, 
and High School Transcript Study, 2004 (Washington: U.S. Department 
of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, January 
2010); Jay Greene and Greg Foster, ``Public High School Graduation 
and College Readiness Rates in the United States,'' Working Paper 3 
(New York: Manhattan Institute, Center for Civic Information, 
Education, September 2003). Greene and Foster define being minimally 
``college ready'' as: Graduating from high school, having taken four 
years of English, three years of mathematics, and two years of 
science, social science, and foreign language, and demonstrating 
basic literacy skills by scoring at least 265 points on the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress in reading.
    \2\ Eric Bettinger and Bridget Terry Long, ``Addressing the 
Needs of Under-Prepared College Students: Does College Remediation 
Work?'' Journal of Human Resources 44, no. 3 (2009); Brian Jacob and 
Lars Lefgren, ``Remedial Education and Student Achievement: A 
Regression-Discontinuity Analysis,'' Review of Economics and 
Statistics 86, no. 1 (2004): 226-44.
    \3\ Arum, Richard and Roksa, Josipa, Academically Adrift: 
Limited Learning on College Campuses (University of Chicago Press, 
January 2011).

    Despite these challenges and opportunities, innovations in how 
students experience learning in college remain largely small scale or 
limited to a small number of institutions. With some exceptions, the 
same degrees and other credentials are offered in the traditional ways, 
by counting numbers of courses taken or hours taught. Methods of 
teaching have stayed largely static, with the traditional lecture as 
the core instructional design. New approaches to teaching and learning, 
such as tools and strategies that go beyond the traditional lecture to 
support active learning, and that actively engage learners or customize 
learning, must be tested and expanded to more postsecondary 
institutions to improve accessibility and quality and reduce cost.

Absolute Priority 2: Developing and Using Assessments of Learning

    The Secretary gives priority to:
    Projects that support the development and use of externally 
validated assessments of student learning and stated learning goals 
through one of the following:
    (a) Alternative assessment tools or strategies such as micro- or 
competency-based assessments, assessments embedded in curriculum, or 
simulations, games, or other technology-based assessment approaches.
    (b) Aligning assessments across sectors and institutions, such as 
across kindergarten through grade 12 and postsecondary education 
systems or across two-year and four-year

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institutions, to improve college readiness and content delivery.

    Note: Learning assessment has shown promise as an effective 
instructional strategy to increase student success. While learning 
assessment, in the past, focused more on traditional testing, 
current assessment has expanded to assess not just what students 
know but also what they can do, and is embedded in ways that inform 
instruction on an ongoing basis. Further, a knowledge-based economy 
requires assessment of higher-order thinking skills such as 
analysis, synthesis, and transfer; along with ``non-cognitive'' 
capacities such as mindset, persistence, and other qualities. New 
forms of assessments must be developed for these purposes and tested 
for their benefits to students. Assessments are also needed to 
measure what is learned outside the classroom, such as through 
previous work experience, workplace or community-based experiences, 
and other high impact engagements.

Absolute Priority 3: Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing and 
Transfer

    The Secretary gives priority to:
    Projects designed to develop and implement systems and practices to 
capture and aggregate credit or other evidence of knowledge and skills 
towards postsecondary degrees or credentials through one of the 
following:
    (a) Seamless transfer of credits between postsecondary 
institutions; or
    (b) Validation and transfer of credit for learning or learning 
experiences from non-institutional sources.

    Note: Students obtain knowledge and skills through a variety of 
experiences and from a range of institutions and providers. Many 
postsecondary students attend more than one institution on their way 
to earning a certificate or degree. Further, many student learning 
experiences, such as learning that occurs through work experience or 
from non-traditional education providers, are simply not recognized.

    Alternate systems and methods of assessing, aggregating, and 
credentialing learning experiences are needed to help more students 
reach completion in accelerated timeframes. Additionally, new systems 
of portable, stackable postsecondary degrees and credentials along 
transparent career pathways must be designed and opportunities to 
obtain such degrees and credential must be expanded.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2015, this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award 
up to an additional five points to an application, depending how well 
the application meets this priority. Applicants must clearly mark the 
Abstract and Information page in the application package if they intend 
to address this competitive preference priority.

    Note: Given the limited resources of secondary schools, 
institutions of higher education, and other relevant stakeholders, 
the cost effectiveness of any intervention designed to improve 
student outcomes is of primary importance. In recent years, numerous 
institutions, researchers, and others have begun testing 
interventions that are relatively low cost but have the ability to 
have a high impact on student outcomes. Many of these interventions 
minimize cost through the use of technology, such as digital 
messaging or predictive analytics to target interventions. Others 
incorporate low cost approaches, such as non-cognitive 
interventions. We are particularly interested in effective low cost 
interventions because even institutions with limited resources would 
be able to scale such strategies to impact large numbers of 
students, and, such interventions, particularly those that use 
technology, are often easily replicable.

    This priority is:

Implementing Low Cost-High Impact Strategies To Improve Student 
Outcomes (Up to 5 Points)

    The Secretary gives priority to projects that use low-cost tools or 
strategies, such as those that use technology, that result in a high 
impact on student outcomes.
    The selection criteria for the FY 2015 Development competition are 
designed to ensure that applications selected for funding have the best 
potential to generate substantial improvements and research in student 
outcomes, and include well-articulated plans for the implementation, 
dissemination, and evaluation of the proposed projects. Applicants 
should review the selection criteria and submission instructions 
carefully to ensure their applications address this year's criteria.
    Requirements: The following requirements are from the NFP and apply 
to all applications submitted under this competition:
    (a) Innovations That Improve Outcomes for High-Need Students: 
Grantees must implement projects designed to improve one or more of the 
following outcomes of high-need students (as defined in this notice) in 
postsecondary education: Persistence, academic progress, time to degree 
or and completion.
    (b) Evidence Standards: To be eligible for an award, an application 
for a Development grant must be supported by Strong theory (as defined 
in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
    (c) Independent Evaluation:
    (i) The grantee must conduct an Independent Evaluation (as defined 
in this notice) of its project. The evaluation must estimate the impact 
of the FITW-supported practice (as implemented at the proposed level of 
scale) on a relevant outcome (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).
    (ii) The grantee must make broadly available, digitally and free of 
charge, through formal (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) or informal 
(e.g., newsletters) mechanisms, the results of any evaluations it 
conducts of its funded activities. The grantee must also ensure that 
the data from its evaluation are made available to third-party 
researchers consistent with applicable privacy requirements.
    (iii) The grantee and its independent evaluator must agree to 
cooperate on an ongoing basis with any technical assistance provided by 
the Department or its contractor, including any technical assistance 
provided to ensure that the evaluation design meets the required 
evaluation standards, and comply with the requirements of any 
evaluation of the program conducted by the Department. This includes 
providing to the Department, within 100 days of a grant award, an 
updated comprehensive evaluation plan in a format and using such tools 
as the Department may require. Grantees must update this evaluation 
plan at least annually to reflect any changes to the evaluation and 
provide the updated evaluation plan to the Department. All of these 
updates must be consistent with the scope and objectives of the 
approved application.
    (d) Funding Categories: An applicant will be considered for an 
award only for the type of FITW grant (Development or Validation) for 
which it applies. Applicants may not apply for a FITW competition in 
which they currently have an active FITW grant. An applicant may submit 
only one FITW application in FY 2015.
    (e) Management Plan: Within 100 days of a grant award, the grantee 
must provide an updated comprehensive management plan for the approved 
project in a format and using such tools as the Department may require. 
This management plan must include detailed information about 
implementation of the first year of the grant, including key 
milestones, staffing details, and other information that the Department 
may require. It must also include a complete list of performance 
metrics, including baseline measures and annual targets. The grantee 
must update this management plan at least annually to reflect 
implementation of subsequent years of the project and provide the 
updated management plan to the Department.
    Definitions:
    The following definitions are from the NFP and from 34 CFR 77.1 and 
apply

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to the priorities, requirements, and selection criteria in this notice:
    High-need student means a student at risk of educational failure or 
otherwise in need of special assistance and support such as adult 
learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-
income backgrounds, students of color, first-generation students, 
students with disabilities, and students who are English learners. 
(Note: The Department does not limit the definition of high-need 
students to this list. This list is illustrative and may include other 
categories of high-need students).
    Independent evaluation means an evaluation that is designed and 
carried out independent of and external to the grantee, but in 
coordination with any employees of the grantee who develop a process, 
product, strategy, or practice and are implementing it.
    Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a well-
specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the 
proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active 
``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the 
relevant outcomes) and describes the relationship among the key 
components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.
    Minority-serving institution means an institution that is eligible 
to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of Title 
III, under part B of Title III, or under Title V of the HEA.
    Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or institution, 
means that it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or 
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully 
benefit, any private shareholder or entity.
    Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that 
attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying a 
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important 
respects. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can 
meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations (but 
not What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations).
    Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random 
assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, schools, or 
districts to receive the intervention being evaluated (the treatment 
group) or not to receive the intervention (the control group). The 
estimated effectiveness of the intervention is the difference between 
the average outcome for the treatment group and for the control group. 
These studies, depending on design and implementation, can meet What 
Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations.
    Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate 
outcome if not related to students) the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice is designed to improve, consistent with the 
specific goals of a program.
    Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, 
strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.
    What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards means the standards set 
forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook 
(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found at the following link: 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The NFP.

    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: $60,000,000 total for the FITW program, 
with up to $16,000,000 set aside for Minority-Serving Institutions 
(MSIs), in accordance with the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying 
the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015. In 
implementing this set aside, the Department may fund high-quality 
applications from MSIs out of rank order in the competition for 
Development grants, Validation grants or in both competitions. We plan 
to allocate at least $20 million for Development grants but the actual 
amount will depend on the quality of the proposals for both 
competitions.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 or later years 
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not fund any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period of 48-months. 
The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the 
maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 8.

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

    Project Period: 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, 
combinations of such institutions, and other public and private 
nonprofit institutions and agencies.
    To qualify as an eligible MSI under the FITW Program, an 
institution of higher education must meet one of two criteria:
    The first criterion includes: Current eligibility approval as 
defined by the Department's FY 2015 eligibility process for Title III 
and/or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; an open 
grant under one of the Department's Title III, Parts A and F and/or 
Title V programs; or a designation as a Historically Black College or 
University or a Tribally Controlled College.
    The second criterion includes: Specific enrollment percentages for 
minority students served; and, if applicable, needy student and 
educational and general expenditure criteria for determining income 
eligibility.
    More information on MSI eligibility is in the application package 
under the section entitled Eligibility. The Department will screen the 
applications to verify MSI eligibility based on these criteria and, if 
applicable, will use the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education 
Data System data. In the event an application does not qualify for MSI 
eligibility, it will still be reviewed.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs).
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
www.ed.gov/

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fund/grant/apply/grantapp/index.html. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, 
write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of 
Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 
1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 
1-877-576-7734.
    You also can contact ED Pubs at its Web site: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: [email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program as follows: CFDA number 84.116F.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    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 competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria and the competitive preference priority 
that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the 
section of the application narrative that addresses:
     The selection criteria to no more than 30 pages, and
     The competitive preference priority to no more than 2 
pages.
    Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application narrative 
exceed 32 pages.
    Please include a separate heading for the competitive preference 
priority if you choose to address it.
    For purposes of determining compliance with the 32-page limit, each 
page on which there are words will be counted as one full page. 
Applicants must use 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 application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, endnotes, quotations, references, and captions. Charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs in the application may be single spaced.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use a 10-point 
font in charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and endnotes.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The 32-page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet, the 
table of contents; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative 
budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or 
Abstract and Information page, the resumes (three-page limit per 
resume), the citations or full studies, appendix, or letters of 
support.
    If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically 
requested and required for the application, these items will be counted 
as part of the narrative for the purposes of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 11, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015.
    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.
    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: August 31, 2015.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is 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 this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management:
    To do business with the Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative

[[Page 27054]]

(AOR), and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on 
these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: 
www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under the First in the World Program, CFDA 
number 84.116F, must be submitted electronically using the 
Governmentwide 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 the First in 
the World Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.116, not 84.116F).
    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 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) 
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 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 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 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 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--

[[Page 27055]]

     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;
    and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Gary Thomas, First in 
the World, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6153, 
Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.
    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 84.116F, 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 84.116F, 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this 
Development competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points assigned to 
each criterion are indicated in parentheses. We will award up to a 
total of 100 points to an application under the selection criteria.

A. Significance (Up to 20 Points)

    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of education problems, issues, or effective 
strategies.
    2. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    3. The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings.

B. Quality of the Project Design (Up to 30 Points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    2. The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the 
competition.
    3. The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying 
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of 
that framework.

C. Adequacy of Resources (Up to 20 Points)

    The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    2. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    3. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    4. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the key project personnel.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (Up to 30 Points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are specified and measurable.
    2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well 
implemented, produce evidence about the project's

[[Page 27056]]

effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence 
Standards with reservations.
    3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well-
implemented, produce evidence about the project's effectiveness that 
would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without 
reservations.
    4. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.

    Note: Successful applications will be those that have an 
evaluation design that has the potential to meet the What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations. The 
What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook describes 
in detail which types of study designs can meet WWC Evidence 
Standards with or without reservations including both quasi-
experimental design studies and randomized controlled trials (as 
defined in this notice). The response to this selection criterion 
should include a description of the total unduplicated number of 
students involved in the project. The term project consultants 
include the person or firm conducting the independent evaluation (as 
defined in this notice). The applicant is encouraged to select an 
evaluator with experience in the design and management of 
evaluations designed to meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence 
Standards.

    We encourage eligible applicants to review the following technical 
assistance resources on evaluation:
    (1) What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook: 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/references/idocviewer/doc.aspx?docid=19&tocid=1; and
    (2) IES/NCEE Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/.
    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 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, 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).
    Prior to making awards, we will screen applications submitted in 
accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine which 
applications meet the eligibility requirements. This screening process 
may occur at various stages of the application review process; 
applicants that are determined ineligible will not be considered 
further or be awarded a grant. For the application review process, we 
will use independent peer reviewers with varied backgrounds and 
professions in postsecondary education including college and university 
educators, researchers and evaluators, strategy consultants, grant 
makers and managers, and others with postsecondary education expertise. 
All reviewers will be thoroughly screened for conflicts of interest to 
ensure a fair and competitive review process.
    For FITW Development grant applications the Department will use a 
two-tier review process to review and score eligible applications. 
Content reviewers will review and score eligible applications on the 
three selection criteria: A. Significance; B. Quality of the Project 
Design; and C. Adequacy of Resources. These reviewers will also review 
and score the applications which address the competitive preference 
priority. Eligible applications that score highly on these three 
selection criteria will have the remaining criterion, D. Quality of the 
Project Evaluation, reviewed and scored by a different panel of peer 
reviewers with evaluation expertise.
    Finally, if there are two or more applications with the same final 
score and there are insufficient funds to fully support these 
applications, the Department will consider an equitable distribution of 
grants among geographic locations.
    3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 
conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially 
stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or 
other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or 
is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    To ensure that the Federal investment of these funds has as broad 
an impact as possible and to encourage innovation in the development of 
new learning materials, FITW grantees will be required to license to 
the public all intellectual property (except for computer software 
source code, discussed below) created with the support of grant funds, 
including both new content created with grant funds and modifications 
made to pre-existing, grantee-owned content using grant funds. That 
license must be worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, 
irrevocable, and grant the public permission to access, reproduce, 
publicly perform, publicly display, adapt, distribute, and otherwise 
use the intellectual property referenced above (except for computer 
software source code, discussed below) for any purposes, conditioned 
only on the requirement that attribution be given to authors as 
designated. Further, the Department requires that all computer software 
source code developed or created with FITW funds will be released under 
an intellectual property license that allows others to freely use and 
build upon them.
    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 www.ed.gov/

[[Page 27057]]

fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, the Department will use the following performance 
measures in assessing the successful performance of FIPSE's FITW 
grants:
    (a) The extent to which funded projects are replicated (i.e., 
adopted or adapted by others).
    (b) The extent to which projects are institutionalized and 
continued after funding.
    (c) The extent to which the metrics used to assess and evaluate 
project results measure performance under the absolute priority the 
project is designed to address.
    (d) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that 
produce evidence of their effectiveness (i.e., meet What Works 
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations) at 
improving student outcomes and college affordability, especially for 
low-income students.
    (e) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that 
provide high-quality implementation data and performance feedback that 
allow for periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended 
outcomes.
    (f) The cost per student served by FITW grants.
    (g) The cost per successful student outcome.
    If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your 
project on steps taken toward achieving the outcomes evaluated by these 
performance measures. Consequently, applicants are advised to include 
these outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and 
evaluation of their proposed projects.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Gary Thomas, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6153, Washington, DC 20006-8544. 
Telephone: 202-502-7677. You may send emails to 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, 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 the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary, to perform 
the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.

    Dated: May 5, 2015.
Jamienne S. Studley,
Deputy Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-11336 Filed 5-8-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P