[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 146 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36574-36577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16259]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Fund for the Improvement of 
Postsecondary Education--Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education 
Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting 
applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Fund for 
the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Pilot Program for 
Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges, 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.116R.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: July 30, 2018.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 29, 2018.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at 
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pearson Owens, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 250-12, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 453-7997. Email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education 
Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges is designed to support 
projects at institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide 
technological upgrades for cybersecurity education programs at 
community colleges.
    Priority: This notice includes one absolute priority. We are 
establishing this priority for the FY 2018 grant competition, and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this 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:
    Collaboration.
    Background: The National Science Foundation's Advanced 
Technological Education (ATE) Program has awarded large grants to three 
community colleges to operate centers that support the improvement of 
cybersecurity education at community colleges around the Nation. Those 
centers are the National CyberWatch Center, based at Prince George's 
Community College (Largo, MD); the CyberWatch West Center, based at 
Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, WA); and the Center for Systems 
Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), based at Moraine Valley 
Community College (Palos Hills, IL). Those centers coordinate a large 
network of affiliated institutions, including more than 100 community 
colleges.
    Priority: To build on the experience and ongoing initiatives of the 
ATE Program, this priority requires applicants to collaborate with an 
ATE Program center. An eligible applicant must propose to lead a 
project to provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity education 
programs at community colleges that leverages the expertise of the 
National Science Foundation's ATE Program.
    Each eligible applicant must include a signed statement by an 
authorized official from at least one of the three ATE Program centers: 
The National CyberWatch Center, the CyberWatch West Center, or CSSIA. 
The signed statement must certify that the center or centers will 
provide technical assistance or other aid to the applicant's project.

    Note:  It is not required for a community college to have an 
existing relationship with an ATE Program center to meet this 
absolute priority.

    Definition: We are establishing the following definition under 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA for FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition.
    Community college means an institution that meets the definition in 
section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) 
(20 U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an institution of higher education (as defined 
in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and 
certificates, more than 50 percent of which are not bachelor's degrees 
(or an equivalent) or master's, professional, or other advanced 
degrees.

[[Page 36575]]

    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and definitions. 
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 this program under 20 U.S.C. 
1138-1138d and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public 
comment on the priority and definition under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. 
The priority and definition will apply to the FY 2018 grant competition 
and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 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 as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $990,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $25,000-$100,000 for a 24-month budget 
period.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $99,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $100,000 for a 
single budget period of 24 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Community colleges that include a signed 
statement from at least one of the ATE Program centers certifying that 
the center or centers will provide technical assistance or other aid to 
the applicant's project.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this 
competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: Public or private entitites that provide technology or 
infrastructure services. The grantee may only award subgrants to 
entities it has identified in an approved application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to 
submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for 
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, 
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003), 
and available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in 
order to make awards by the end of FY 2018.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

    Note:  Hardware to be provided to individual students, such as 
laptops, tablets, or smartphones, is not an allowable cost under 
this competition.

    4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to no more than 12 pages and (2) 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 all text in the application narrative, 
including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and 
captions.
     Use a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman, 
Courier, Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does 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 one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letter of support.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all of the selection 
criteria is 48 points. The maximum score for each criterion is included 
in parentheses following the title of the specific selection criterion. 
Each criterion also includes the factors that reviewers will consider 
in determining the extent to which an applicant meets the criterion.
    The selection criteria are as follows:
    A. Need for Project (up to 20 points).
    The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In 
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.
    B. Quality of the Project Design (up to 12 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 goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (2) 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.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    C. Adequacy of Resources (up to 12 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 relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    D. Quality of the Project Evaluation Plan (up to 4 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 methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and

[[Page 36576]]

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed 
project.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    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 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    For this competition, a panel of internal reviewers will read, 
prepare a written evaluation of, and score all eligible applications 
using the selection criteria provided in this notice. The individual 
scores of the reviewers will be added and the sum divided by the number 
of reviewers to determine the peer review score. The Department may use 
more than one tier of reviews in evaluating grantees. The Department 
prepares a rank order of applications based solely on the evaluation of 
their quality according to the selection criteria.
    In the event there are two or more applications with the same final 
score in the rank order listing, and there are insufficient funds to 
fully support these applications, the Department will apply a 
tiebreaker by awarding funds to the applicant with the largest number 
of students enrolled in cybersecurity education programs in the 
applicant's most recent academic year.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific 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 specific 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.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. 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.
    5. Performance Measure: The Department will use the following 
performance measure in assessing the performance of the Pilot Program 
for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community 
Colleges grants:
    The number of students who enrolled in courses supported by the 
technological upgrades developed through the grant in the year 
following completion of the project.

VII. 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

[[Page 36577]]

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations 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 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.

    Dated: July 24, 2018.
Diane Auer Jones,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary Delegated To Perform the Duties of 
Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2018-16259 Filed 7-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P