[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88987-88990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26104]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Research Training Programs in the
Education Sciences
AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences Grant Program.
DATES:
Application Package Available: November 14, 2024.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 7, 2025.
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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Schellinger. Telephone: 202-
987-0765.
Email: ed.gov">Jennifer.Schellinger@ed.gov.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: Through the Research Training Programs in the
Education Sciences Grant Program, IES aims to prepare individuals to
conduct rigorous and relevant education research that advances
knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education
policymakers and practitioners.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.305B.
OMB Control Number: 4040-0001.
Competition
The IES National Center for Education Research (NCER) is announcing
one competition:
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (ALN 84.305B).
Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that
address one of the following topics:
Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education
Research
Pathways to the Education Sciences Training Program
IES will not accept FY 2025 Pathways Training Program
applications that include institutions that received an FY 2021
Pathways Training grant award or served as a partner institution on an
FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.
Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the
Education Sciences
IES will not accept FY 2025 Predoctoral Training Program
applications from institutions that received an FY 2020 Predoctoral
Training grant award.
Methods Training for Education Researchers
Application Submission
You may submit one or more than one application to the IES FY 2025
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences competition so
long as you meet the following requirements.
An institution may submit multiple applications to the
Early Career Development and Mentoring Program so long as the Principal
Investigator (PI) is different for each application and there is no
overlap in mentors.
An institution may not be the applicant or the partner on
more than one application to the Pathways Training Program.
An institution may not submit an application to the
Pathways Training Program, or be a partner on an application, if it is
the grantee or partner on an FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.
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An institution may not submit more than one application to
the Predoctoral Training Program.
An institution may not submit an application to the
Predoctoral Training Program if it received an FY 2020 Predoctoral
Training grant award.
An institution may submit multiple applications to the
Methods Training Program so long as the applications are substantively
different from one another and have no overlap in key personnel.
For the programs that permit multiple applications under the
conditions described above, if an institution submits multiple
applications that violate any of those conditions, IES will determine
whether and which applications will be accepted for review and/or will
be eligible for funding. If you submit the same or similar application
to IES and to another funding entity within or external to the
Department and receive funding for the non-IES application prior to IES
scientific peer review of applications, you must withdraw the same or
similar application submitted to IES, or IES may otherwise determine
you are ineligible to receive an award. If reviews are happening
concurrently, IES staff will consult with the other potential funder to
determine the degree of overlap and which entity will provide funding
if both applications are being considered for funding.
Exemption from Proposed Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the
Education Sciences Reform Act, 20 U.S.C. 9581, IES is not subject to
section 437(d) of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C.
1232(d), and is therefore not required to offer interested parties the
opportunity to comment on matters relating to grants.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
and 99. In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are applicable,
except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103,
75.105, 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-(c), 75.219,
75.220, 75.221, 75.222, 75.230, 75.250, and 75.708. (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 Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance 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 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not
apply to this competition.
Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the
provisions in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (89 FR
30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more
information about these regulations please visit: https://www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.
II. Award Information
Types of Awards: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an
appropriation for FY 2025, IES is inviting applications for this
competition now so that applicants can have adequate time to prepare
their applications. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on
final congressional action. IES may announce additional competitions
later in FY 2025.
Estimated Range of Awards: The size of the awards will depend on
the scope of the projects proposed. The estimated range of awards
varies by topic:
$200,000 to $400,000 (total) for the Early Career
Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research.
$800,000 to $1,700,000 (total) for the Pathways Training
Program.
$3,000,000 to $5,000,000 (total) for the Predoctoral
Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the Education Sciences.
$400,000 to $800,000 (total) for the Methods Training
Program.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount for each topic is set out
in the NCER Request for Applications (RFA).
For all IES competitions, applications must include budgets no
higher than the relevant maximum award as set out in the relevant RFA.
IES will not make an award exceeding the maximum award amount as set
out in the relevant RFA.
Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards made under each
topic will depend on the quality of the applications received for that
topic and the availability of funds. IES anticipates making between 5
and 10 awards under each topic, except for the Methods Training for
Education Sciences topic. IES anticipates making between 3 and 5 awards
under the Methods Training topic.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: The maximum project period varies by topic as
follows:
4 years for the Early Career Development and Mentoring
Program for Education Research.
5 years for the Pathways Training Program.
5 years for the Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research
Training Program in the Education Sciences.
3 years for the Methods Training Program.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: For the Pathways to the Education Sciences
topic, the applicant must either be:
A minority-serving institution \1\ (MSI) located in the
territorial United States that confers bachelor's or master's degrees
in academic fields relevant to education; or
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\1\ For the purpose of this competition, institutions included
on the Office of Postsecondary Education's FY 2024 Eligibility
Matrix lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions will be
considered MSIs. For more information, see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html#el-inst. Institutions
eligible only for the Department's Title III Part A Strengthening
Institutions Program (SIP) are not considered MSIs for the purposes
of this competition unless they also meet the eligibility
requirement for a specific MSI category.
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An academic institution located in the territorial United
States that confers bachelor's or master's degrees in academic fields
relevant to education and that partners with an eligible MSI. Any
member of the partnership may serve as the grantee.
An institution may not submit an application to the Pathways
Training Program, or be a partner on an application, if it is the
grantee or partner on an FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.
For Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the
Education Sciences, the applicant must be an academic institution
located in the territorial United States that confers doctoral degrees
in academic fields relevant to education. An institution may not submit
an application to the Predoctoral Training Program if it received an FY
2020 Predoctoral Training grant award.
For Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education
Research and Methods Training for Education Researchers, applicants
that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid
research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are
not limited to, nonprofit and for-
[[Page 88989]]
profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions
of higher education, such as colleges and universities.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: These programs use an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
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: nonprofit and for-profit organizations and public and private
agencies and institutions of higher education. The grantee may award
subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to
submit an application.
2. Other Information: Information regarding program and application
requirements for the competition can be found in the currently
available IES Application Submission Guide and in the RFA, which will
be available on or before November 14, 2024, on the IES website at:
https://ies.ed.gov/funding/. The application packages for this
competition will also be available on or before November 14, 2024.
3. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA for
the specific competition. The forms that must be submitted are in the
application package for the specific competition.
4. Submission Dates and Times: The deadline date for transmittal of
applications is March 7, 2025.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
5. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
6. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: For all of its grant competitions, IES uses
selection criteria based on a peer review process that has been
approved by the National Board for Education Sciences. The Peer Review
Procedures for Grant Applications can be found on the IES website at
Office of Science--Peer Review of Grant Applications (ed.gov).
For the 84.305B competition, Early Career Development and
Mentoring, peer reviewers will evaluate the significance of the
application, the quality of the research plan, the quality of the
career development plan, the qualifications and experience of the
personnel, the resources of the applicant to support the proposed
activities, and the quality of the engagement and dissemination plan.
These criteria are described in greater detail in the RFA.
For the other training topics competed in this notice, peer
reviewers will evaluate the significance of the application, the
quality of the research training plan, the qualifications and
experience of the personnel, the resources of the applicant to support
the proposed activities, and the quality of the engagement and
dissemination plan. These criteria are described in greater detail in
the RFA.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
IES 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, compliance with the
IES policy regarding public access to research, and compliance with
grant conditions. IES 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, IES 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). Also, IES requires all key personnel on a
grant award to have a persistent identifier, such as ORCID iD (Open
Researcher and Contributor Identification; https://orcid.org/) in place
before an award will be made.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition, the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, IES may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10,
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
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(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 also may notify you
informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
[[Page 88990]]
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. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual
meeting of up to three days for project directors to be held in
Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under a competition
announced in this notice, 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
IES. 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 IES under 34 CFR
75.118. IES 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 Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its
education research grant programs, IES annually assesses the percentage
of projects that result in peer-reviewed publications and the number of
IES-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in improving
learner education outcomes. School readiness outcomes include pre-
reading, reading, pre-writing, early mathematics, early science, and
social-emotional skills that prepare young children for school. Student
academic outcomes include learning and achievement in academic content
areas, such as reading, writing, math, and science, as well as outcomes
that reflect students' successful progression through the education
system, such as course and grade completion; high school graduation;
and postsecondary enrollment, progress, and completion. Social and
behavioral competencies include social and emotional skills, attitudes,
and behaviors that are important to academic and post-academic success.
Employment and earnings outcomes include hours of employment, job
stability, and wages and benefits, and may be measured in addition to
student academic outcomes.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, IES 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; whether a grantee
is in compliance with the IES policy regarding public access to
research; and if IES has established performance measurement
requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in
achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved
application.
In making a continuation award, IES 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. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, as well as in the relevant RFA and
application package, individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the RFA 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 Department documents 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 Department documents 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.
Matthew Soldner,
Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2024-26104 Filed 11-8-24; 8:45 am]
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