[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 245 (Monday, December 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73264-73267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27979]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education 
Discretionary Grant Programs

AGENCY: Office for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice; revised common instructions.

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SUMMARY: On February 13, 2019, the Department of Education (Department) 
published a set of common instructions

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for applicants seeking funds under a Department discretionary grant 
competition as part of a broader effort to reduce barriers for 
applicants. These common instructions are referenced in individual 
competition notices inviting applications (NIAs). In this notice, we 
are publishing a revised version of the common instructions that 
supersedes the version published on February 13, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald B. Petracca, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 6E306, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 401-6008. 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: Background: This document provides 
applicants with a centralized and up-to-date set of instructions for 
applying to the Department's discretionary grant programs. Future NIAs 
will reference this document in lieu of providing this series of 
instructions within each NIA. Rarely, exceptions will need to be made 
to these instructions and will be noted in an individual competition 
NIA.

Revised Common Instructions

    The Department is making several changes to the common instructions 
for applicants provided in the notice published in the Federal Register 
on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768). Throughout section 4, we have 
addressed the Federal governmentwide transition from the requirement to 
register in SAM.gov the Data Universal Numbering System number (DUNS) 
to the implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). In other 
sections, references to DUNS have been replaced with references to UEI. 
In section 5(b), we have revised the instructions for submission of 
paper applications, including by providing that requests to submit a 
paper application may be made by email and updating the mailing address 
for the submission of paper applications. We have also made some 
technical updates to the instructions.
    The revised common instructions are set forth as follows:

Common Set of Instructions for Applicants

Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package from the Department's website or Grants.gov.
    To obtain a copy via the Department's website, use the following 
address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content and form of an application, together with the 
forms you must submit, are in the application package for the program.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Submit applications for grants under 
the program electronically using Grants.gov. For information (including 
dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, 
please refer to Other Submission Requirements in section 5 of these 
instructions.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    4. Unique Entity Identifier, Taxpayer Identification Number, and 
System for Award Management: To do business with the Department, and to 
submit your application electronically using Grants.gov, you must--
    a. Have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and a Taxpayer 
Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your UEI 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.
    Until April 3, 2022, entities that are not already registered in 
SAM.gov and who wish to do business with the Federal Government must 
obtain and/or use a valid Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number 
to register their entity in SAM.gov. On and after April 4, 2022, 
entities that are not registered in SAM.gov will be assigned a UEI when 
they register and will not need to use a DUNS for entity registration 
or reporting. If registering before April 4, 2022, you can obtain a 
DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet at the following website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be created within one to two 
business days. To register in SAM.gov, click on the ``Get Started'' 
link under the ``Register Your Entity. . .'' heading in SAM.gov.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS). If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the IRS 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 usually takes approximately 7 to 10 
business days, but can take longer, depending on the completeness and 
accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM.gov 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, if applying prior to April 4, 
2022, and TIN. If registering in SAM.gov on or after April 4, 2022, 
SAM.gov will issue you a UEI at the time you complete the registration 
process. We recommend that you register early. If you are unable to 
submit an application on Grants.gov by the application deadline because 
you do not have an active SAM registration, you will not be considered 
for funding.
    Note: Once your SAM.gov 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.gov, you may not need to 
make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated 
with your UEI is correct if you register on or after April 4, 2022. If 
you register with a DUNS before April 4, 2022, please make certain that 
the TIN associated with your DUNS is correct.
    Note: You must update your SAM registration annually. This may take 
three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with registering in SAM.gov or updating your existing SAM 
registration, see the Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations and the 
Entity Registration Video at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
    In addition, in order to submit your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) register as an applicant using your UEI number and (2) be 
designated by your organization's E-Biz Point of Contact as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Details on these steps 
are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    5. Other Submission Requirements:
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We are participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov 
site. Submit applications electronically using Grants.gov and do not 
email them unless explicitly allowed in a competition NIA.

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    You may access the electronic grant applications at www.grants.gov. 
You must search for the downloadable application package for this 
competition by the Assistance Listing Number (ALN). Do not include the 
ALN's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.184, not 
84.184D).
    A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared 
environment in Grants.gov where members of a grant team may 
simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an 
application. An applicant can create an individual Workspace for each 
application and establish for that application a collaborative 
application package that allows more than one person in the applicant's 
organization to work concurrently on an application. The Grants.gov 
system also enables the applicant to reuse forms from previous 
submissions, check forms in and out to complete them, and submit the 
application package. For access to further instructions on how to apply 
using Grants.gov, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
    Please note the following:
     Applicants needing assistance with Grants.gov may contact 
the Grants.gov Support Center either by calling 1-800-518-4726 or by 
sending an email to [email protected]. The Grants.gov Support Center 
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Federal 
holidays. Applicants needing assistance from Principal Office staff 
with their applications should contact the person listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the competition NIA during 
normal business hours and no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern 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 
recommend that you leave yourself plenty of time to complete your 
submission.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date- and time-
stamped upon submission. Your application must be fully uploaded and 
submitted and must be date- and time-stamped by the Grants.gov system 
no later than 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern 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 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern 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 late. Receipt of a date- and time-stamp 
does not mean that your application meets program eligibility 
requirements described in the application package.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for the program to ensure that you 
submit your application on time. 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 website at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
     When you submit your application electronically, all 
documents must be submitted 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 Department-specific assurances and certifications.
     When you submit your application electronically, you must 
upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your 
application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or 
Microsoft Word. Although applicants have the option of uploading any 
narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in 
either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all 
documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files 
must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as 
interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are 
processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner. If you 
choose to submit your application in Microsoft Word, you may do so 
using any version of Microsoft Word (i.e., a document ending in a .doc 
or .docx extension). If you upload a file type other than PDF or 
Microsoft Word or if you submit a password-protected file, we will be 
unable to review that material. Please note that this will likely 
result in your application not being considered for funding. The 
Department will not convert material from other formats to PDF or 
Microsoft Word.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. Grants.gov also will notify you 
automatically by email if your application met all of the Grants.gov 
validation requirements or if there were any errors (such as submission 
of your application by someone other than a registered AOR, issues with 
your UEI number, 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 your application.
    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.
    Email confirmations and receipts from Grants.gov do not indicate 
receipt by the Department, nor do they mean that your application is 
complete or has met all application requirements. While your 
application may have been successfully validated by Grants.gov, it also 
must be reviewed in accordance with the Department's application 
requirements as specified in the competition NIA and in these 
application instructions. It is your responsibility to ensure that your 
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements. 
Additionally, we may request that you provide us with original 
signatures on forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you experience problems submitting your 
application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support 
Desk immediately, toll-free, at 1-800-518-4726. The Grants.gov Support 
Center will provide you with a Support Desk Case Number documenting 
your communication. You must retain your Support Desk Case Number for 
future reference as proof of your communication with the Support 
Center. Please subsequently contact the person listed in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the competition NIA and provide 
an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems within the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the following

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business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, 
provided we can verify the technical issues that affected your ability 
to submit your application on time via your Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number.
    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only 
to technical problems with the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you 
an extension if you failed to fully register in order to submit your 
application to Grants.gov (including with the required UEI number and 
TIN currently registered in SAM) before the application deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications.
    We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is 
not possible (e.g., you do not have access to the internet), (1) you 
must provide a prior written notification that you intend to submit a 
paper application and (2) your paper application must be postmarked by 
the application deadline date.
    The prior written notification may be submitted by email or by mail 
to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
the competition NIA. If you submit your notification by email, it must 
be received by the Department no later than 14 calendar days before the 
application deadline date. If you mail your notification to the 
Department, it must be postmarked no later than 14 calendar days before 
the application deadline date.
    If you submit a paper application, you must have, and include on 
your application, a UEI number and 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, OFO/
G5 Functional Application Team, Mail Stop 5C231, Attention: (Assistance 
Listing Number + Suffix Letter), 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.
    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.
    Note for Mail Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail your 
application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and in Item 11 of the SF 424 
the ALN, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under 
which you are submitting your application; and
    (2) The G5 Functional Application Team will notify you of the 
Department's receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive 
this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline 
date, you should contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of the competition NIA.
    Accommodations; Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities 
who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the 
application process should contact the person listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section in the competition NIA. 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 the competition NIA.
    On request to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT, individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a 
copy of the application package in an accessible format. The Department 
will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include 
Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 
file, braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other 
accessible format.
    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 at www.govinfo.gov. 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.

Roberto J. Rodriguez,
Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-27979 Filed 12-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P