[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36895-36902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13587]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Comprehensive Centers Program--
National Comprehensive Center on Improving Literacy for Students With 
Disabilities

AGENCY: Offices of Elementary and Secondary Education and Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Comprehensive Centers Program--National Comprehensive Center on 
Improving Literacy for Students with Disabilities Notice inviting 
applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.283D.

Dates: 
    Applications Available: June 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 25, 2016.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: Section 2244 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds 
Act (ESSA), requires the Secretary to establish a comprehensive center 
on students at risk of not attaining full literacy skills due to a 
disability. Comprehensive Centers are typically administered by the 
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). OESE is funding 
this Center; however, because of the Center's subject matter, it will 
be administered jointly by

[[Page 36896]]

OESE and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
(OSERS).
    Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2016 grant 
competition in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    National Comprehensive Center on Improving Literacy for Students 
with Disabilities.
    Priority: The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative 
agreement to establish a National Comprehensive Center on Improving 
Literacy for Students with Disabilities (the Center) for children in 
early childhood education programs through high school. The 
comprehensive center must:
    (a) Identify or develop free or low-cost evidence-based assessment 
tools for identifying students at risk of not attaining full literacy 
skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or 
writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language 
processing, comprehension, or executive functioning;
    (b) Identify evidence-based literacy instruction, strategies, and 
accommodations, including assistive technology, designed to meet the 
specific needs of such students;
    (c) Provide families of such students with information to assist 
such students, and as part of this activity, the Center should plan to 
collaborate with the parent training and information and community 
parent resource centers funded by the Department of Education (the 
Department), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) (e.g., Center 
for Parent Information and Resources, and Parent Technical Assistance 
Centers);
    (d) Identify or develop evidence-based professional development for 
teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and 
specialized instructional support personnel to--
    (1) Understand early indicators of students at risk of not 
attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia 
impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, 
writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning;
    (2) Use evidence-based screening assessments for early 
identification of such students beginning not later than kindergarten; 
and
    (3) Implement evidence-based instruction designed to meet the 
specific needs of such students; and
    (d) Disseminate the products of the comprehensive center to 
regionally diverse State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational 
agencies (LEAs), regional educational agencies, and schools, including, 
as appropriate, through partnerships with other comprehensive centers 
established under section 203 of the Educational Technical Assistance 
Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602), regional educational laboratories 
established under section 174 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 
2002 (20 U.S.C. 9564), and OSEP- and other related federally-funded 
technical assistance centers.
    Application Requirements: The following requirements apply to all 
applications submitted under this competition. Any application that 
does not include the required documents or information will not be 
considered.
    (a) Demonstrate in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance of the Project'' how the proposed project will address 
current and emerging training and information needs of SEAs, LEAs, 
technical assistance (TA) centers, schools, and practitioners to select 
and implement evidence-based practices that will improve literacy 
outcomes for students with disabilities or students who show indicators 
of disabilities that may prevent them from attaining full literacy 
skills. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--
    (1) Demonstrate knowledge of current and emerging evidence-based 
practices in reading and literacy-related instruction, screening, 
assessment, and identification of students with disabilities or 
students who show indicators of disabilities that may prevent them from 
attaining full literacy skills, including knowledge of culturally 
responsive evidence-based practices to respond to the needs of diverse 
learners with disabilities;
    (2) Demonstrate knowledge of and previous experience with using 
creative approaches to disseminate evidence-based practices to a 
variety of entities, including parents, SEAs, LEAs, schools, Head 
Start, and other early childhood programs;
    (3) Demonstrate knowledge of and previous experience with 
implementing TA strategies and delivering evidence-based professional 
development (PD) to a variety of entities, including SEAs, LEAs, 
schools, Head Start, and other early childhood programs; and
    (4) Demonstrate how using these TA and PD strategies has resulted 
in SEAs, LEAs, schools, teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other 
school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel 
adopting, implementing, and sustaining evidence-based practices in 
reading and literacy-related instruction.
    (b) Demonstrate in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Design,'' how the Center will accomplish project 
goals and activities. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--
    (1) Describe a five-year plan for the Center to identify current 
and emerging training and information needs and to address the priority 
requirements;
    (2) Use a conceptual framework for developing project plans and 
activities, describing any underlying concepts, assumptions, 
expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as the presumed 
relationships or linkages among these variables, and any empirical 
support for this framework;
    (3) Incorporate current research and evidence-based practices and 
strategies in the development and delivery of its products and 
services;
    (4) Provide TA that is of high quality and sufficient intensity and 
duration to achieve the intended outcomes of the proposed project. The 
applicant must describe how it will use TA of varying levels of 
intensity, based on the needs of SEAs and other entities, to assess and 
build the capacity of SEAs, LEAs, TA centers, schools, Head Start and 
other early childhood programs, and practitioners to--
    (i) Assess students' literacy-related skills, including the 
capacity to: Identify students with disabilities or students who show 
indicators of disabilities that may prevent them from attaining full 
literacy skills, administer assessments including screening tools, 
evaluate the evidence base for an assessment (i.e., reliability, 
validity, sensitivity, specificity), understand the purpose of the 
assessment and the skills being assessed, and interpret assessment 
results;
    (ii) Fully implement evidence-based literacy-related programs. This 
involves helping practitioners understand the literacy program's 
purpose or goal, intended population, content, and necessary 
implementation supports, including PD needed to implement it with 
fidelity; and
    (iii) Use evidence-based PD programs to improve practitioners' 
knowledge of reading and literacy-related instruction, ultimately 
leading to better literacy-related skills of students with disabilities 
or students who show indicators of disabilities that may prevent them 
from attaining full literacy skills;

[[Page 36897]]

    (5) Partner with other federally funded comprehensive centers, 
regional educational laboratories, equity assistance centers, TA 
centers, parent training and information and community parent resource 
centers, and other related organizations to refine or develop products, 
create training modules, and hold meetings to both encourage 
collaborative activities among SEAs, LEAs, schools, Head Start and 
other early childhood programs, practitioners, and parents, and 
maximize efficiency. These partnerships should include--
    (i) Using technology, including assistive technology, to achieve 
intended project outcomes;
    (ii) Collaborating with national experts, institutions of higher 
education, and TA providers to avoid duplicating efforts; and
    (iii) Collaboratively identifying measures or guidelines for 
detecting if, due to a disability, students are at risk of not 
attaining full literacy skills, not learning to read, or not reaching 
benchmarks.
    (c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of 
the Evaluation Plan,'' include an evaluation plan for the project. The 
evaluation plan must--
    (1) Describe performance goals, objectives, and outcomes for the 
project that are clearly specified and measurable in terms of the 
project activities to be accomplished and their stated outcomes;
    (2) In accordance with paragraph (f)(1) of these Application 
Requirements, describe the logic model by which the proposed project 
will achieve its intended outcomes;
    (3) Describe how both progress in implementation and project 
outcomes will be measured, including the extent to which the project's 
products and services will reach its target population, how intended 
outcomes or results are achieved, a timeline for conducting the 
evaluation, and data analytic strategies.
    (4) Specify the measures and associated instruments or sources for 
data appropriate to the evaluation questions, suggest analytic 
strategies for those data, provide a timeline for conducting the 
evaluation, and include staff assignments for completing the plan;
    (5) Describe how evaluations of performance will be used to inform 
and improve service delivery over the course of the grant and to refine 
the proposed logic model and evaluation plan, including data 
collection; and
    (6) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the 
costs of carrying out the tasks described in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) 
of these Application Requirements and implementing the evaluation plan.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of Project Resources,'' how--
    (1) The proposed key project personnel, consultants, and 
subcontractors have the qualifications and subject-matter and technical 
expertise to carry out the proposed activities, achieve the project's 
intended outcomes, and develop ongoing partnerships with leading 
experts and organizations nationwide to inform project activities;
    (2) The applicant and any key partners have adequate resources to 
carry out the proposed activities;
    (3) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the 
anticipated results and benefits; and
    (4) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment 
from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disability, as appropriate.
    (e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the Management Plan,'' how--
    (1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's 
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To 
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel, 
consultants, and subcontractors, as appropriate; and
    (ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks.
    (2) Allocation of key project personnel and any consultants and 
subcontractors and how these allocations are appropriate and adequate 
to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
    (3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and 
services provided are of high quality; and
    (4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of 
perspectives, including families, general and special education 
teachers, related services providers, TA providers, researchers, 
institutions of higher education, policy makers, among others, in its 
development and operation.
    (f) The applicant must--
    (1) Include, in Appendix A, a logic model that depicts, at a 
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes of the 
proposed project. A logic model communicates how a project will achieve 
its intended outcomes and provides a framework for both the formative 
and summative evaluations of the project.

    Note: OSEP uses this definition of logic model to differentiate 
between logic models and conceptual frameworks. The following Web 
sites provide more information on logic models: 
www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel and www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.

    (2) Include, in Appendix A, a conceptual framework for the project;
    (3) Include, in Appendix A, person-loading charts and timelines, as 
applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the 
narrative;
    (4) Include in the budget 2-day trips twice per year to attend 
Department briefings, Department-sponsored conferences, and other 
meetings, as requested by the Department; and
    (5) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility.

    Note:  Within 30 days of receipt of the award, a post-award 
teleconference must be held between the project officer and the 
grantee's project director or other authorized representative.

    Definitions: These definitions apply to the National Comprehensive 
Center on Improving Literacy for Students with Disabilities priority in 
this notice. The definition of ``evidence-based'' comes from section 
8002 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. The definitions are as 
follows:
    Evidence-based means an activity, strategy, or intervention that 
(i) demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving 
student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on--(I) strong 
evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented 
experimental study; (II) moderate evidence from at least one well-
designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study; or (III) 
promising evidence from at least one well-designed and well-implemented 
correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias; or 
(ii)(I) demonstrates a rationale based on high-quality research 
findings or positive evaluation that such activity, strategy, or 
intervention is likely to improve student outcomes or other relevant 
outcomes; and (II) includes ongoing efforts to examine the effects of 
such activity, strategy, or intervention.
    Practitioners (for the purposes of this priority) includes 
teachers, paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and 
specialized instructional support personnel.
    TA services are defined as a negotiated series of activities 
designed

[[Page 36898]]

to reach a valued outcome. This category of TA should result in changes 
to policy, program, practice, or operations that support increased 
recipient capacity or improved outcomes at one or more systems levels.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and 
requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary 
to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for the Comprehensive 
Centers program under section 2244 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 6674, and therefore 
qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, 
the Secretary has decided to forego public comment on the priority and 
requirements under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The priority and 
requirements will apply to the FY 2016 grant competition only.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6674; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2016.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
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 as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

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


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,475,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,475,000 for a single budget period of 12 months in 
year one and $1,500,000 for a single budget period in years 2-5.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Research organizations, institutions, 
agencies, institutions of higher education, or partnerships among such 
entities, or individuals, with the demonstrated ability or capacity to 
carry out the activities described in this notice.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Eligible Subgrantees: (a) Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a 
grantee may award subgrants--to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application--to the following types of entities: SEAs; 
LEAs, including public charter schools that operate as LEAs under State 
law; IHEs; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations; 
freely associated States and outlying areas; Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations; and for-profit organizations suitable to carry out the 
activities proposed in the application.
    (b) The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified 
in an approved application.

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/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call: 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 can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.283D.
    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 or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII 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 (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
no more than 60 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
     Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit and double-spacing requirements do not apply to Part 
I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the 
narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and 
certifications; or the abstract (follow the guidance provided in the 
application package for completing the abstract), the table of 
contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the reference 
list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the page 
limit and double-spacing requirements do apply to all of Part III, the 
application narrative, including all text in charts, tables, figures, 
graphs, and screen shots.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit in the 
application narrative section or if you apply standards other than 
those specified in this notice and the application package.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 8, 2016.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 25, 2016.
    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 Other Submission Requirements in section 
IV 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

[[Page 36899]]

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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 
competition.
    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), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet at the 
following Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be 
created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
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 you enter into the SAM database. 
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial 
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow 
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We 
strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, it may be 24 to 48 
hours before you can access the information in, and submit an 
application through, Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, 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: http://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 (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 National Comprehensive Center on 
Improving Literacy for Students with Disabilities competition, CFDA 
number 84.283D, 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 National 
Comprehensive Center on Improving Literacy for Students with 
Disabilities competition 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 84.283, not 84.283D).
    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. In addition, for specific guidance and 
procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please 
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at:

[[Page 36900]]

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     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 read-only, non-modifiable 
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note 
that this could result in your application not being considered for 
funding because the material in question--for example, the project 
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For 
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload 
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material 
from other formats to PDF. Additional, detailed information on how to 
attach files is in the application instructions.
     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. Grants.gov 
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all 
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors 
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a 
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an 
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will 
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you 
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
    Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the 
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you 
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
    These emails do not mean that your application is without any 
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully 
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application 
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application 
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure 
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant 
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
     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 the 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will 
contact you after we determine whether your application will be 
accepted.

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

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
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: Kristen Rhoads, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5076. FAX: (202) 245-7619.
    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 84.283D), 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.

[[Page 36901]]

    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

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

    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date.
    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 84.283D), 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 selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    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 
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).
    3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past, 
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain 
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as 
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. Therefore, the Department 
has determined that for some discretionary grant competitions, 
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and 
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make 
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers by ensuring that 
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers 
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of 
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness 
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review 
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also 
have submitted applications.
    4. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. 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.
    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 multiyear 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/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    4. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of the 
Comprehensive Center program, the Department will use three performance 
measures to assess the quality, relevance, and usefulness of center 
activities funded under this competition. These measures, adapted from 
a set of common measures developed to help assess performance across 
the Department's TA programs, are: (1) The percentage of all 
Comprehensive Centers' products and services that are deemed to be of 
high quality by qualified experts or individuals with appropriate 
expertise to review the substantive content of the products and 
services; (2) the percentage of all Comprehensive Centers' products and 
services that are deemed to be of high relevance to

[[Page 36902]]

educational policy or practice by target audiences; and (3) the 
percentage of all Comprehensive Centers' products and services that are 
deemed to be of high usefulness to educational policy or practice by 
target audiences.
    All grantees will be expected to submit, as part of their 
performance reports, quantitative data documenting their progress with 
regard to these performance measures.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Kristen Rhoads, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-5076. Telephone: (202) 245-6715.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (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) by contacting 
Wendell Bell, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Room 5113, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5108. Telephone: 
(202) 245-7268. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 
1-800-877-8339.
    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 PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat 
Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: June 3, 2016.
Ann Whalen,
Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
Sue Swenson,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2016-13587 Filed 6-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P