U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION &
REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
FISCAL YEAR 2004
APPLICATION FOR NEW GRANTS UNDER
THE
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT
(IDEA)
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO IMPROVE SERVICES
AND RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES (CFDA 84.324)
Initial Career Awards
(CFDA 84.324N)
CLOSING
DATE: May 26, 2004
FORM
APPROVED - OMB No. 1820-0028, EXP. DATE:
05/31/06
Paperwork Burden
Statement
According
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control
number. The valid OMB control
number for this information collection is 1820-0028. The time required to complete this
information collection is estimated to average 45 hours and 40 minutes per
response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data
resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information
collection. If you have any
comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for
improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington,
D.C. 20202-4651. If you have
comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this
form, write directly to: Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department
of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., MES 3527, Washington, D.C.
20202-4651.
Dear
Applicant:
This application packet
contains information and the required forms for you to use in submitting a new
application for funding under one program authorized by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
This packet covers one competition under the Research and
Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (CFDA
84.324) program--Initial Career
Awards.
An application for an
award must be: (1) hand-delivered,
submitted electronically, or mailed by the closing date; and, (2) have an
original signature on at least one copy of the assurances and
certifications (Part IV of the application form). It is also important to include the
appropriate Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numeric and alpha in
Item #3 on ED Form 424 (e.g., CFDA No. 84.324N).
Please note the
following:
•
APPLICATION
SUBMISSION. Based on the
precautionary procedures the U.S. Postal Service is using to process mail, we
are experiencing delays in the delivery of mail to the Department. Therefore, you may want to consider
sending your application by overnight courier or submitting your application
electronically.
•
MAXIMUM AWARD
AMOUNT. In addition to
providing detailed budget information for the total grant period requested, the
competition included in this package has a maximum award amount (See Page B-4 of
this package). Please be advised
that for the priority in this package, the maximum award amount covers all
project costs including indirect costs.
•
STRICT PAGE
LIMITS. The competition
included in this package limits the Part III Application Narrative to a
specified number of double-spaced pages.
This page limitation applies to all material presented in the application
narrative -- including, for example, any charts, tables, figures, and
graphs. (See Pages B-4 and 5 of
this package). The Department will
reject, and will NOT consider an application that does not adhere to the page
limit requirements for the competition.
•
FORMAT FOR
APPLICATIONS. Please
note that additional information regarding formatting applications has been
included on Pages C-3 and 4 of the “General Information on Completing An
Application” section of this package.
•
PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS
IN RESEARCH. The Application for Federal Education
Assistance (Form ED 424) requires applicants to indicate whether they plan to
conduct research involving human subjects at any time during the proposed
project period. (See section 12-12a
of Form ED 424 and the Instructions and Definitions for Form ED 424).
The
Definitions for Form ED 424 attachment includes information that applicants need
to complete the protection of human subjects item and, as appropriate, to
provide additional information to the Department regarding human subjects
research projects. Additional
information on completing the protection of human subjects item is also
available and can be accessed on the INTERNET at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/gcsindex.html
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html
•
RESPONSE TO GPRA.
As required by
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 OSEP has developed a
strategic plan for measuring GPRA performance. The program included in this
announcement is authorized under Part D National Programs of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act. A
copy of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities program’s performance measures under GPRA
is included in the back of this package.
Applicants are encouraged to consider this information as applications
are prepared.
•
COPIES
OF THE APPLICATION. Current Government-wide policy
requires that an original and two copies need to be submitted. OSEP would appreciate receiving three
additional copies to facilitate the peer review process. This means an original and two copies
are required but we would appreciate your voluntarily submitting an additional
three copies (six applications in all).
A program officer is available to provide information to you regarding this competition. Please refer to the name of the program contact at the end of the priority description. For information about other U.S. Department of Education grant and contract opportunities, we encourage you to use the Department's grant information web page which can be accessed on the INTERNET at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/gcsindex.html
We appreciate your efforts
to improve the provision of services for individuals with
disabilities.
Sincerely,
Louis
C. Danielson, Ph.D.
Director
Research to Practice
Division
Office of Special
Education
Programs
PRIORITY
DESCRIPTION
AND
SELECTION CRITERIA
FOR THE
RESEARCH AND
INNOVATION
FOR CHILDREN WITH
DISABILITIES PROGRAM
INITIAL CAREER AWARDS
(CFDA
84.324N)
DEADLINE:
05/26/04
ABSOLUTE PRIORITY:
For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
Background: There is a need to enable individuals in the initial phases of their careers to initiate and develop promising lines of research that would improve results for children with disabilities and their families through better early intervention services for infants and toddlers, and special education and related services for children with disabilities. Support for research activities among individuals in the initial phases of their careers is intended to develop the capacity of the early intervention and special education research community to more effectively meet the needs of children with disabilities and their families. The priority established in this notice also provides support for a broad range of field-initiated research projects -- focusing on the special education and related services for children with disabilities and early intervention for infants and toddlers -- consistent with the purpose of the program as described in section 672 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Statement of Priority:
This priority is:
Grants to eligible applicants for the support of individuals in the initial phases of their careers to initiate and develop promising lines of research consistent with the purposes of the program. For purposes of this priority, the initial phase of an individual’s career is considered to be the first three years after completing a doctoral program and graduating (i.e., for FY 2004 awards, projects may support individuals who completed a doctoral program and graduated no earlier than the 2000-2001 academic year).
At least 50 percent of the initial career researcher's time must be devoted to the project.
Projects must --
(a) Pursue a line of research that is developed either from theory or a conceptual framework. The line of research must establish directions for designing future studies extending beyond the support of this award. The project is not intended to represent all inquiry related to the particular theory or conceptual framework; rather, it is expected to initiate a new line or advance an existing one;
(b) Include, in design and conduct, sustained involvement with one or more nationally recognized experts. Such experts must have substantive or methodological knowledge and expertise relevant to the proposed research. The experts do not have to be at the same institution or agency at which the project is located, but the interaction with the project must be sufficient to develop the capacity of the initial career researcher to effectively pursue the research into mid-career activities;
(c) Prepare procedures, findings, and conclusions in a manner that advances professional practice by informing other interested researchers; and
(d) Disseminate project procedures, findings, and conclusions to appropriate research institutes and technical assistance providers.
(e)
The projects funded under this priority must budget for a two-day Project
Directors’ meeting in Washington, DC during each year of the
project.
(f) The project’s Web site, must include relevant information and documents in an accessible form.
Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in applications that address the following invitational priority.
Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
This priority is:
Projects
that include, in the design and conduct of the research project, a practicing
teacher or clinician, in addition to the required involvement of nationally
recognized experts.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing indicators and measures that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program. Included in these indicators and measures will be those that assess the quality and relevance of newly funded research projects. Two indicators will address the quality of new projects. First, an external panel of eminent senior scientists will review the quality of a randomly selected sample of newly funded research applications, and the percentage of new projects that are deemed to be of high quality will be determined. Second, because much of the Department’s work focuses on questions of effectiveness, newly funded applications will be evaluated to identify those that address causal questions and then to determine what percentage of those projects use randomized field trials to answer the causal questions. To evaluate the relevance of newly funded research projects, a panel of experienced education practitioners and administrators will review descriptions of a randomly selected sample of newly funded projects and rate the degree to which the projects are relevant to practice.
Other indicators and measures are still under development in areas such as the quality of project products and long-term impact. Data on these measures will be collected from the projects funded under this notice. Grantees will also be required to report information on their projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590).
APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE: April 22, 2004.
DEADLINE FOR TRANSMITTAL OF
APPLICATIONS: May 26,
2004.
ESTIMATED AVAILABLE FUNDS: $300,000.
ESTIMATED
AVERAGE SIZE OF AWARDS: $75,000.
MAXIMUM
AWARDS: We will
reject an application that proposes a budget exceeding $75,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for the
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal
Register.
ESTIMATED
NUMBER OF AWARDS: 4.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
PROJECT
PERIOD: Up to 36 months.
PAGE LIMITS:
If you are an applicant, Part III of an application submitted under this
notice, the application narrative, is where an applicant addresses the selection
criteria that are used by reviewers to evaluate the application. You must limit Part III to the
equivalent of no more than 30 pages, using the following
standards:
· A "page" is 8.5" x 11", (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
· Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
· Use a font that is either 12-point or larger and no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The 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, references, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject any application if --
· You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
·
You apply
other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: (a) Projects funded under this notice must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities in project activities (see section 606 of IDEA); and
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects (see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA);
APPLICABLE REGULATIONS: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The selection criteria for this program are drawn from EDGAR in 34 CFR 75.210.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs); other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
For further information about this priority contact:
Beverly Brightly,
Competition Manager
Research to Practice
Division
Office of Special Education Programs
Telephone: (202)
205-9567
FAX: (202) 205-8105
Internet: Beverly.Brightly@ed.gov
TDD:
1-800-877-8339
<!-- p
align="center"><a href="../egApplication.asp?AppId=">Return to
Application Start Page</a -->SELECTION CRITERIA AND FORMAT FOR THE
INITIAL CAREER AWARDS (CFDA 84.324N) COMPETITION
Part III of the application form requires a narrative that addresses the selection criteria that will be used by reviewers in evaluating individual proposals. Applications are more likely to receive favorable reviews by panels when they are organized according to the format suggested below. This format addresses all the selection criteria used to evaluate applications required by regulations. If you prefer to use a different format, you may wish to cross-reference the sections of your application to the selection criteria to be sure that reviewers are able to find all relevant information.
The selection
criteria that will be used to evaluate applications submitted to the projects
for the Initial Career Awards (CFDA 84.324N) competition are the selection
criteria for new grants required by the EDGAR general selection criteria
menu. The maximum score for all of
the criteria is 100 points.
A one-page abstract should precede the application narrative. The application narrative should
include the
following sections in this order:
(a) Significance (20 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the proposed project;
(ii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increase knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or effective strategies;
(iii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the field of study; and
(iv) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the information or strategies.
(b) Quality of the project design (35 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of that framework;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed research design includes a thorough, high‑quality review of the relevant literature, a high‑quality plan for research activities, and the use of appropriate theoretical and methodological tools, including those of a variety of disciplines, if appropriate;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental involvement; and
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project encourages consumer involvement.
(c) Quality of project personnel (20 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages 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.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel; and
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
(d) Quality of the management plan (15 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks;
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project; and
(iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead applicant organization;
(ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project;
(iii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project; and
(iv) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
ON
COMPLETING
AN
APPLICATION
GENERAL INFORMATION ON COMPLETING
AN APPLICATION |
Potential applicants
frequently direct questions to officials of the Department regarding application
notices and programmatic and administrative regulations governing various direct
grant programs. To assist potential
applicants, the Office of Special Education Programs staff have assembled the
following most commonly raised issues.
In general, this information applies to the grant competitions covered by
this application package.
• EXTENSION OF DEADLINES
Waivers for individual
applications are not granted, regardless of the circumstances. Under very extraordinary circumstances a
closing date may be changed. Such
changes are announced in the Federal Register.
• COPIES OF THE
APPLICATION
Current Government‑wide
policy is that only an original and two copies need to be submitted. OSEP would appreciate receiving three
additional copies to facilitate the peer review process. This would mean an original and two
copies need to be submitted and we would appreciate your voluntarily submitting
an additional three copies (six applications in all). Copies of the application may be bound,
but it is not necessary or required.
If bound, one copy should be left unbound to facilitate electronic
scanning and any necessary reproduction.
Applicants should not use colored paper, foldouts, photographs, or other
materials that are hard to duplicate.
• MAKING APPLICATIONS
MORE ACCESSIBLE TO REVIEWERS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW
VISION
The Department will accept
one copy of the application in an accessible format (i.e., IBM PC compatible
WordPerfect or ASCII code diskette) along with the original and two print copies
of the application. The accessible
format copy can be used with available software to convert the text of the
application into Braille, or with text to voice applications. If there are any differences in the
print original provided on the disk and in print, the print original is assumed
to be the correct version. Please
note that it is not a requirement that one copy of the application be in an
accessible format.
• MISSED DEADLINES AND
SUBMISSION UNDER OTHER COMPETITIONS
Should an application miss
the deadline for a particular competition, it may be submitted to another
competition. However, if an
application is properly prepared to meet the specifications of one competition,
it is extremely unlikely that it would be favorably evaluated under a different
competition.
• SUBMISSION TO MORE THAN ONE
PROGRAM
Applications may be
submitted to more than one Federal program if you are unsure of the most
appropriate program. Each
application should be prepared following the instructions for that particular
program as closely as possible (which may require some reformulation). It is very helpful if each program is
notified that an identical or similar application is being submitted to another
program.
• HELP PREPARING
APPLICATIONS
We
are happy to provide general program information. Clearly it would not be
appropriate for staff to participate in the actual writing of an application,
but we can respond to specific questions about our application requirements and
evaluation criteria, or about the announced priorities. Applicants should understand that such
previous contact is not required, nor does it guarantee the success of an
application.
• NOTIFICATION OF FUNDING
The
time required to complete the evaluation of applications is variable. Once applications have been received
staff must determine the areas of expertise needed to appropriately evaluate the
applications, identify and contact potential reviewers, convene peer review
panels, and summarize and review the recommendations of the review panels. You can expect to receive notification
within 3 to 6 months of the application closing date, depending on the number of
applications received and the number of competitions with closing dates at about
the same time. The requested start
date should therefore be a minimum of 6 months after the application closing
date.
• POSSIBILITY OF LEARNING
THE OUTCOME OF REVIEW PANELS PRIOR TO OFFICIAL
NOTIFICATION
Every year we are called
by a number of applicants who have legitimate reasons for needing to know the
outcome of the review prior to official notification. Some applicants need to make job
decisions, some need to notify a local school district, etc. Regardless of the reason, we cannot
share information about the review with anyone until the Assistant
Secretary has approved a slate of projects recommended for funding. You will be notified as quickly as
possible either by telephone (if
your application is recommended for funding), or through a letter (if your
application is not successful).
• FORMAT FOR APPLICATIONS
The application narrative
(Part III of the application form) should be organized to follow the exact
sequence of the components in the selection criteria used to evaluate
applications. (The selection
criteria for the competitions covered by this packet are listed following the
specific competition information in section “B” of this packet.) A table of contents, list of priority
requirements, and a one-page abstract summarizing the objectives, activities,
project participants, and expected outcomes of the proposed project should
precede the application narrative.
If you prefer to use a different format, you may wish to cross-reference
the sections of your application to the selection criteria to be sure that
reviewers are able to find all relevant information.
To aid in screening and
reviewing the application, applicants should list in Part II and prior to the
abstract, all general, special, and other requirements for the priority and
corresponding page number (s) where requirements are addressed within the
application. Page limits do
not
apply to this list. (All requirements are found in each
priority description included in this application package.) The format included below is an example
of how you might provide this information in your
application.
Page
#
Requirements
______
(a) Projects funded under this notice must make positive efforts to
employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities in
project activities. (See Section
606 of IDEA)
______
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must involve
individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities in
planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects.
(See Section 661(f)(1)(A)
of IDEA)
______
(c) Applicant must describe steps to ensure equitable access to, and
participation in, its program for students, teachers, and other program
beneficiaries with special needs.
(See Section 427, GEPA)
______
(d) Projects funded under these priorities must budget for a two-day
Project’s Directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year of the
project.
• BEST WAY TO PREPARE
PROGRAM ABSTRACT
The program abstract
should be one page in length. It
would be helpful if it included; the title of the program, the name of the
Absolute Priority, and the CFDA Number (e.g., 84.324N, etc.).
• PAGE
LIMITS
Please note that all
applications submitted under the competition in this application package must
adhere to the Part III - Application Narrative page limit requirements that are
specified under each priority/competition description. Your application should provide enough
information to allow the review panel to evaluate the importance and impact of
the project as well as to make knowledgeable judgments about the methods you
propose to use (design, subjects, sampling procedures, measures, instruments,
data analysis strategies, etc.). It
is often helpful to have:
(l) Staff
Vitae‑‑They should include each person's title and role in the proposed
project and contain only information that is relevant to
this proposed project's activities and/or publications. Vitae for consultants and Advisory
Council members should be similarly brief.
(2)
Instruments‑‑except in the case of generally available and
well known instruments.
(3)
Agreements‑‑when the participation of an agency other than the
applicant is critical to the project.
This is particularly critical when an intervention will be implemented
within an agency, or when subjects will be drawn from particular agencies. Letters of cooperation should be
specific, indicating agreement to implement a particular intervention or to
provide access to a particular group of students.
The items listed above are not included under page
limits.
• MAKING SURE APPLICATION
IS ASSIGNED TO THE CORRECT COMPETITION
Applicants should clearly
indicate in Item 3 on the application (ED Form 424) the CFDA number of the
program priority (e.g., 84.324N, etc.) representing the competition in which the
application should be considered.
If this information is not provided, your application may inadvertently
be assigned and reviewed under a different competition from the one you
intended.
• RETURN OF NON-FUNDED
APPLICATIONS
We do not return original
copies of applications. Thus,
applicants should retain at least one copy of the application. Copies of reviewer comments will be
mailed to all applicants.
• PROPOSED STAFF
AVAILABILITY TO PROJECT
For each staff person
named in the application, please provide documentation of all internal and
external time commitments. In
instances where a staff person is committed on a federally supported project,
please provide the project name, Federal office, program title, the project
Federal award number, and the amount of committed time by each project
year. This information (e.g.,
Staff: Jane Doe; Project
Name: Succeeding in the General Curriculum; Federal office: Office of Special Education Programs;
Program title: Field
Initiated Research; Award number:
H324C980624; Time commitments: Year 1—30%; Year 2—25% and Year 3—40%)
can be provided as an Appendix to the application.
In general, we will not
reduce time commitments on currently funded grants from the time proposed in the
original application. Therefore, we
will not consider for funding any application where key staff are bid above a
time commitment level that staff have available to bid. Further, the time commitments stated in
newly submitted applications will not be negotiated down to permit the applicant
to receive a new grant award.
• USE OF PERSON LOADING
CHARTS
It is important for
applicants to include proposed time commitments for all project personnel. Also, program officials and applicants
often find person loading charts useful formats for showing project personnel
and their time commitments to individual activities. A person loading chart is a tabular
representation of major evaluation activities by number of days spent by each
key person involved in each activity, as shown in the following
example.
Table #
Person Loading Chart - Time in Day(s) by Person*
Activity |
Time in Day(s) by
Person | |||
Person
A |
Person
B |
Person C |
Person
D | |
Library
Research |
15 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
Hire
Staff Prepare
Materials |
0 5 |
0 25 |
0 0 |
5 0 |
Train
Raters |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Data
Collection |
60 |
60 |
0 |
0 |
Data
Analysis |
0 |
0 |
25 |
5 |
Dissemination
(manuscripts, etc.) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
*Note: All figures represent FTE for the
academic year.
• DELIVERING/SENDING
APPLICATIONS TO THE COMPETITION MANAGER
Applications can be mailed
or hand delivered, or submitted electronically but in either case must go
to the Application Control Center at the address listed in the Application
Transmittal Instructions.
Delivering or sending the application to the competition manager in the
program office may prevent it from being logged in on time to the appropriate
competition and may result in the application not being reviewed.
• ALLOWED TRAVEL UNDER
THESE PROJECTS
Travel is allowed if the
travel specifically relates to the expressed goals of the project. Travel by students to further their
education under the project's goals is also allowed. Travel to conferences is the travel item
that is most likely to be questioned during negotiations. Such travel is sometimes allowed when it
is for purposes of dissemination, when there will be results to be disseminated,
and when it is clear that a conference presentation or workshop is an effective
way of reaching a particular target group.
• FUNDING OF APPROVED
APPLICATIONS
It is often the case that
the number of applications recommended for approval by the reviewers exceeds the
dollars available for funding projects under a particular competition. When the panel reviews are completed for
a particular competition, the individual reviewer scores and applications are
ranked. The higher ranked, approved
applications are funded first, and there are often lower ranked, approved
applications that do not receive funding.
Sometimes, one or two applications that are approved and fall next in
rank order (after those projects selected for funding) are placed on hold. If dollars become available as a result
of negotiations, or if a higher ranked applicant declines the award, the
projects on hold may receive funding. If you receive a letter stating that you
will not receive funding, then your project has neither been selected for
funding nor placed on hold.
• INDIRECT COST
RATE
There is no maximum
indirect cost for the competitions in this application package. An organization’s current effective
indirect cost rate is the rate that should be reflected in your proposed
budget.
• ISSUES RAISED
DURING DISCUSSIONS PRIOR TO AWARD
If your application is
recommended for funding, discussions may be held prior to award to clarify
technical or budget issues. These
are issues that have been identified during panel and staff review. Generally, technical issues are minor
issues that require clarification.
Alternative approaches may be presented for your consideration, or you
may be asked to provide additional information or rationale for something you
have proposed to do. Sometimes,
concerns are stated as "conditions".
These are concerns that have been identified as so critical that the
award cannot be made unless those conditions are met. Questions are also raised about the
proposed budget during the discussion phase. Generally, budget issues are raised
because there is inadequate justification or explanation of the particular
budget item, or because the budget item does not seem critical to the successful
completion of the project. A
Federal project officer will present the issues to you and ask you to
respond. If you do not understand
the question, you should ask for clarification. In responding to discussion items you
should provide any additional information or clarification requested. You may feel that an issue was addressed
in the application. It may not,
however, have been explained in enough detail to make it understood by
reviewers, and more information should be provided. If you are asked to make changes that
you feel could seriously affect the project's success, you may provide reasons
for not making the changes, or provide alternative suggestions. Similarly, if proposed budget reductions
will, in your opinion, seriously affect the proposed activities, you may want to
explain why and provide additional justification for the proposed expenses. Your changes, explanations, and
alternative suggestions will be carefully evaluated by staff. In some instances, an applicant may
again be contacted for additional information. An award cannot be made until all issues
have been resolved and conditions met.
•
TREATING A PRIORITY AS TWO SEPARATE COMPETITIONS. In the past, there have been problems in
finding peer reviewers without conflicts of interest where applications are made
by many entities throughout the country.
The Standing Panel requirements under the IDEA Amendments of 1997 have
also placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, The Department has determined
that, for some discretionary priorities, applications may be ranked and selected
for funding in two or more groups, which will ensure the availability of a much
larger group of reviewers without conflicts of interest. This procedure will increase the
quality, independence and fairness of the review process and will permit panel
members to review applications under discretionary priorities to which they have
also submitted applications.
• SUCCESSFUL
APPLICATIONS AND ESTIMATED/PROJECTED BUDGET AMOUNTS IN SUBSEQUENT
YEARS
There is a maximum award
amount specified for the priority/competitions included in this package. The Department rejects and does not
consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount for
any single budget period of 12 months for the priorities included in this
package. Please refer to the
priority description to determine the maximum award for any one particular
competition. Since the yearly
budgets for multi-year projects will be negotiated at the time of the initial
award, applicants must include detailed budgets for each year of their proposed
project. Generally, out-year
funding levels most likely will not exceed 1st year budgets. However, budget modifications during the
negotiation process, the findings from the previous year, or needed changes in
the study design can affect your budget requirements in subsequent years, but in
no case will out-year budgets exceed the maximum award amount.
• REQUIREMENT TO
REPORT THE RESULTS OF GRANT ACTIVITIES
The Department shall,
where appropriate, require recipients of all grants, contracts and cooperative
agreements under Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to
prepare reports describing their procedures, findings, and other relevant
information. The Department shall
require their delivery to the Department of Education and to the ERIC
Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, and other networks as The
Department may determine appropriate.
(20 U.S.C. 1461)
• DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND A GRANT
A cooperative agreement is
similar to a grant in that its principal purpose is to accomplish a public
purpose of support or stimulation as authorized by a Federal statute. It differs from a grant in the sense
that in a cooperative agreement substantial involvement is anticipated between
the executive agency (in this case the Department of Education) and the
recipient during the performance of the contemplated activity.
• DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY, AN INVITATIONAL PRIORITY, AND A COMPETITIVE
PRIORITY
An absolute priority is a
priority that an applicant must address in order to receive an award. If an applicant does not address an
absolute priority, their application will be returned as being non-responsive to
the priority.
An invitational priority
is a priority that reflects a particular interest of the Department, and an
applicant is encouraged to address the invitational priority along with the
required
absolute priority. However, an applicant choosing to
address an invitational priority, will not receive any competitive preference
over other applications.
A competitive priority is
like an invitational priority in that it reflects a particular interest of the
Department, and an applicant is encouraged to address the competitive priority
along with the required absolute priority.
A competitive priority may be handled in one of two ways: (1) an application may be awarded
additional points depending on how effectively it addresses the competitive
priority; or (2) an application that meets a competitive priority may be
selected over an application of comparable merit that does not address the
competitive priority. The type of
competitive priority for a particular competition is always included in the
FEDERAL REGISTER announcement.
• OBTAINING COPIES OF THE
FEDERAL REGISTER, PROGRAM REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL STATUTES
Copies of these materials
can usually be found at your local library. If not, they can be obtained by writing
to:
Superintendent of
Documents
U.S. Government Printing
Office
Washington, D.C.
20402
Telephone: (202) 512-1800.
Information about the
Department's funding opportunities, including copies of application notices for
discretionary grant competitions, can be viewed on the Department's grant
information web page which can be accessed on the INTERNET
at:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/gcsindex.html
However, the official
application notice for a discretionary grant competition is the notice published
in the FEDERAL REGISTER.
APPLICATION
TRANSMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
AND
REQUIREMENTS
FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW
Application
Transmittal Instructions
An original and two copies of an application for an
award must be mailed or hand-delivered by the application deadline date unless
it is submitted electronically.
You must submit your grant application through the
Internet using the software provided on the Grants.gov Web site
(http://www.grants.gov) by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the application
deadline date.
We
recommend all files uploaded via Grants.gov be in .DOC or .RTF format. Note: If other file formats are used, we
cannot guarantee that the Department will be able to open them.
If you
submit your application through the Internet via the Grants.gov Web site, you
will receive an automatic acknowledgment when we receive your
application.
For more
information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the Notice Inviting
Applications that was published in the Federal Register, or visit
http://www.grants.gov
Applications
sent by mail must be addressed to:
U.S.
Department of Education
Application
Control Center
Room 3671
Regional Office Building 3
400
Maryland Avenue, SW.
Applicants
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 U.S. Secretary of Education
If an
application is sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the Secretary does not
accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered
postmark, or
(2)
A mail
receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service
Applicants
should note that 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.
If you send
your application by mail or if you or your courier deliver it by hand, the
Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgment
to you. If you do not receive the
notification of application receipt within 15 days from the mailing of the
application, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application
Control Center at (202) 708-9493.
You must
indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 4 of the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424 (exp. 11/30/2004)) the CFDA
number – and suffix letter, if any – of the competition under which you are
submitting your application.
If your
application is late, we will notify you that we will not consider the
application.
An
application that is hand-delivered must be taken to:
U.S.
Department of Education
Application
Control Center
Room
3671
Regional
Office Building 3
7th & D
Streets, SW.
Washington,
D.C. 20202-4725
The
Application Control Center accepts deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. (Washington, D.C. time), except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal
holidays.
The Center accepts application
deliveries through the D Street entrance only. A person
delivering an application must show identification to enter the
building.
Appendix
Intergovernmental Review
of Federal Programs
This appendix applies to each program that is subject to the requirements
of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the
regulations in 34 CFR
part
79.
The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental
partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes
for State and local government coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to
find out about, and to comply with, the State's process under Executive Order
12372. Applicants proposing to
perform activities in more than one State should immediately contact the Single
Point of Contact for each of those States and follow the procedure established
in each of those States under the Executive order. A listing containing the Single Point of
Contact for each State is included in this appendix.
In States that have not established a process or chosen a program for
review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit comments
directly to the Department.
Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a State
Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and
local entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in the
actual application notice to the following address:
The
Secretary
EO 12372--CFDA# [commenter
must insert number--including suffix letter, if any]
U.S. Department of
Education Room 7W301
400 Maryland Avenue,
SW.
Washington, D.C. 20202
Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications
(see 34 CFR 75.102).
Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m.
(Washington, DC time) on the date indicated in the actual application
notice.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE
ADDRESS IS NOT THE SAME ADDRESS AS THE ONE TO WHICH THE APPLICANT SUBMITS ITS
COMPLETED APPLICATION.
DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS
TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.
This
publication by the U.S. Department of Education is an unofficial version of the
State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) List published by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB). This publication
incorporates the most recent revisions made by OMB. The Department has made
every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
unofficial version. However, the only official version of the State Single Point
of Contact (SPOC) List is posted on the Grants Management section of the OMB web
site http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. You may save a text version of this
document at the aforementioned site. Please note it will be necessary to put a
row of space between each state listing.
STATE SINGLE POINTS OF
CONTACT (SPOCs)
Executive
Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” was issued with the
desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by
relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed
Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The Order allows
each State to designate an entity to perform this function. Below is the
official list of those entities. For those States that have a home page for
their designated entity, a direct link has been provided on the official version
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
States
that are not listed on this page have chosen not to participate in the
intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are
located within one of these States, you may still send application material
directly to a Federal awarding agency.
Contact information for Federal agencies that award grants can be found
in Appendix IV of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
[http://www.cfda.gov/public/cat-app4-index.htm]
ARKANSAS
Tracy
L. Copeland Manager,
State Clearinghouse Office
of Intergovernmental Services Department
of Finance and Administration 1515
7th Street, Room 412 Little
Rock, Arkansas 72203 Telephone:
(501) 682-1074 FAX:
(501) 682-5206 |
CALIFORNIA Grants
Coordination State
Clearinghouse Office
of Planning and Research P.O.
Box 3044, Room 222 Sacramento,
California 95812-3044 Telephone:
(916) 445-0613 FAX:
(916) 323-3018 |
DELAWARE
Sandra
R. Stump Executive
Department Office
of the Budget 540 S.
Dupont Highway, 3rd Floor Dover,
Delaware 19901 Telephone:
(302) 739-3323 FAX:
(302) 739-5661 |
DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA
Luisa
Montero-Diaz Office
of Partnerships and Grants Development Executive
Office of the Mayor District
of Columbia Government 414 4th Street, NW, Suite
530 South Washington,
DC 20001 Telephone:
(202) 727-8900 FAX:
(202) 727-1652 |
FLORIDA Lauren
P. Milligan Florida
State Clearinghouse Florida
Department of Environmental Protection 3900
Commonwealth Blvd., Mail Station 47 Tallahassee,
Florida 32399-3000 Telephone:
(850) 245-2161 FAX:
(850) 245-2190 |
GEORGIA Barbara
Jackson Georgia
State Clearinghouse 270
Washington Street, SW Atlanta,
Georgia 30334 Telephone: (404)
656-3855 FAX:
(404) 656-7901 |
ILLINOIS Roukaya
McCaffrey Department
of Commerce and Community Affairs 620
East Adams, 6th Floor Springfield,
Illinois 62701 Telephone:
(217) 524-0188 FAX:
(217) 558-0473 |
IOWA Steven
R. McCann Division
of Community and Rural Development Iowa
Department of Economic Development 200
East Grand Avenue
Des
Moines, Iowa 50309 Telephone:
(515) 242-4719 FAX:
(515) 242-4809 |
KENTUCKY Ron
Cook Department
for Local Government 1024
Capital Center Drive, Suite 340 Frankfort,
Kentucky 40601 Telephone:
(502) 573-2382 FAX:
(502) 573-2512 |
MAINE
Joyce
Benson State
Planning Office 184
State Street 38
State House Station Augusta,
Maine 04333 Telephone:
(207) 287-3261 Telephone:
(207) 1461 (direct) FAX:
(207) 287-6489 |
MARYLAND
Linda
Janey Manager,
Clearinghouse and Plan Review Unit Maryland
Office of Planning 301
West Preston Street – Room 1104 Baltimore,
Maryland 21201-2305 Telephone:
(410) 767-4490 FAX:
(410) 767-4480 |
MASSACHUSETTS Grants
Management Governor’s
Legislative & Intergovernment Affairs
Office State
House Room 280 Boston,
MA
02133 Phone:
(617) 725-4020 x35215 Fax:
(617) 727-8136 Bradley.crate@state.ma.us |
MICHIGAN
Richard
Pfaff Southeast
Michigan Council of Governments 535
Griswold, Suite 300 Detroit,
Michigan 48226 Telephone:
(313) 961-4266 FAX:
(313) 961-4869 |
MISSISSIPPI Cathy
Mallette Clearinghouse
Officer Department
of Finance and Administration 1301
Woolfolk Building, Suite E 501
North West Street Jackson,
Mississippi 39201 Telephone:
(601) 359-6762 FAX:
(601) 359-6758 |
MISSOURI Angela
Boessen Federal
Assistance Clearinghouse Office
of Administration P.O.
Box 809 Truman
Building, Room 840 Jefferson
City, Missouri 65102 Telephone:
(573) 751-4834 FAX:
(573) 522-4395 |
NEVADA
Heather
Elliott Department
of Administration State
Clearinghouse 209 E.
Musser Street, Room 200 Carson
City, Nevada 89701-4298 Telephone:
(775) 684-0209 FAX:
(775) 684-0260 |
NEW
HAMPSHIRE
New
Hampshire Office of State Planning Attn:
Intergovernmental Review Process Mike
Blake 2½
Beacon Street Concord,
New Hampshire 03301 Telephone:
(603) 271-2155 FAX:
(603) 271-1728 |
NEW
MEXICO
Ken
Hughes Local
Government Division Room
201, Bataan Memorial Building Santa
Fe, New Mexico 87503 FAX:
(505) 827-4948 |
NEW
YORK Linda
Shkeli Office
of Public Security Homeland
Security Grants Coordination 633
#rd Street New
York, NY
10017 Telephone:
(212) 867-1289 FAX:
(212) 867-1725 |
NORTH
DAKOTA Jim
Boyd Division
of Community Services 600
East Boulevard Ave, Dept 105 Bismarck,
North Dakota 58505-0170 Telephone:
(701) 328-2094 FAX:
(701) 328-2308 |
RHODE
ISLAND
Kevin
Nelson Department
of Administration Statewide
Planning Program One
Capitol Hill Providence
Rhode Island 02908-5870 Telephone:
(401) 222-2093 FAX:
(401) 222-2083 |
SOUTH
CAROLINA
SC
Clearinghouse Budget
and Control Board Office
of State Budget 1122
Ladies Street – 12th Floor Columbia,
South Carolina 29201 Telephone:
(803) 734-0494 FAX:
(803) 734-0645 |
TEXAS Denise
S. Francis Director,
State Grants Team Governor’s
Office of Budget and Planning P.O.
Box 12428 Austin,
Texas 78711 Telephone:
(512) 305-9415 FAX:
(512) 936-2681 |
UTAH
Clare
Walters Utah
State Clearinghouse Governor’s
Office of Planning and Budget State
Capitol, Room 114 Salt
Lake City, Utah 84114 Telephone:
(801) 538-1555 FAX:
(801) 538-1547 |
WEST
VIRGINIA
Fred
Cutlip, Director Community
Development Division West
Virginia Development Office Building
#6, Room 553 Charleston,
West Virginia 25305 Telephone:
(304) 558-4010 FAX:
(304) 558-3248 |
WISCONSIN Jeff
Smith Section
Chief, Federal/State Relations Wisconsin
Department of Administration 101
East Wilson Street – 6th Floor P.O.
Box 7868 Madison,
Wisconsin 53707 Telephone:
(608) 266-0267 FAX:
(608) 267-6931 |
AMERICAN
SAMOA Pat M.
Galea'i |
GUAM
Director Bureau
of Budget and Management Research Office
of the Governor P.O.
Box 2950 Agana, Guam 96910 Telephone:
011-671-472-2285 FAX:
011-671-472-2825 |
PUERTO
RICO Jose
Caballero / Mayra Silva Puerto
Rico Planning Board Federal
Proposals Review Office Minillas
Government Center P.O.
Box 41119 San
Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-1119 Telephone:
(787) 723-6190 FAX:
(787) 722-6783 |
NORTHERN
MARIANA ISLANDS
Ms.
Jacoba T. Seman Federal
Programs Coordinator Office
of Management and Budget Office
of the Governor Saipan,
MP 96950 Telephone:
(670) 664-2289 FAX:
(670) 664-2272 mailto:omb.villagomez@saipan.com |
VIRGIN
ISLANDS Ira
Mills Director, Office of Management &
Budget # 41
Norre Gade Emancipation Garden Station, Second Floor Saint
Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802 Telephone:
(340) 774-0750 FAX:
(787) 776-0069 |
|
Changes to
this list can be made only after OMB is notified by a State’s officially
designated representative. E-mail messages can be sent to grants@omb.eop.gov. If you prefer, you may
send correspondence to the following postal address:
Attn: Grants
Management
Office of
Management and Budget
New
Executive Office Building, Suite 6025
725
17th Street, NW
Washington,
DC 20503
Please note: Inquiries about obtaining a
Federal grant should not be sent to the OMB e-mail or postal address shown
above. The best source for this information is the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) [http://www.cfda.gov/].
NOTICE
TO ALL APPLICANTS
(ENSURING
EQUITABLE ACCESS)
AND
APPLICATION
FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS
OMB
Control No. 1801-0004 (Exp.
9/30/2004)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS
The
purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the
Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies
to applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This provision is Section 427 of GEPA,
enacted as part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Pub. L.
103-382).
To
Whom Does This Provision Apply?
Section
427 of GEPA affects applicants for new grant awards under this program. ALL APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST
INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER
TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
(If
this program is a State-formula grant program, a State needs to provide this
description only for projects or activities that it carries out with funds
reserved for State-level uses. In
addition, local school districts or other eligible applicants that apply to the
State for funding need to provide this description in their applications to the
State for funding. The State would
be responsible for ensuring that the school district or other local entity has
submitted a sufficient section 427 statement as described
below.)
What
Does This Provision Require?
Section
427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to
include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to
take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted
program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special
needs.
This provision allows
applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of
barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race,
national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local circumstances, you should
determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students, teachers,
etc. from such access or participation in, the Federally-funded project or
activity. The description in your
application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy;
you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address
those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be
provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in
connection with related topics in the application.
Section
427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but
rather to ensure that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds
address equity concerns that may affect the ability of certain potential
beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve to high
standards. Consistent with program
requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the Federal
funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.
What
are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This
Provision?
The
following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with Section
427.
(1)
An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among
others, adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its
application how it intends to distribute a brochure about the proposed project
to such potential participants in their native language.
(2)
An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for classroom use
might describe how it will make the materials available on audio tape or in
braille for students who are blind.
(3)
An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for secondary
students and is concerned that girls may be less likely than boys to enroll in
the course, might indicate how it intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to
girls, to encourage their enrollment.
We
recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective steps to
ensure equity of access and participation in their grant programs, and we
appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of this
provision.
Estimated Burden Statement
for GEPA Requirements
The
time required to complete this information collection is estimated to vary from
1 to 3 hours per response, with an average of 1.5 hours, including the time to
review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the
data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the
accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please
write to: U.S. Department of
Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651.
E-2
APPLICATION FORMS AND
INSTRUCTIONS
The
application is divided into four parts.
These parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted
application should be organized.
These parts are as follows:
Part
I: Federal Assistance
Application Face Page
Instructions.
Part II: Budget Information -- Non-Construction
Programs (ED Form 524) and Instructions.
Part III: Application
Narrative.
Part IV: Assurances and Certifications
--
Assurances -- Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form
424B).
Certifications
Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and
Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED Form 80-0013).
Certification
Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion -- Lower
Tier Covered Transactions (ED Form 80-0014) and
Instructions.
Disclosure
of Lobbying Activities.
Important
Notice to Prospective Participants in USDE Contract and Grant
Programs.
An applicant may submit
information on a photostatic copy of the application and budget forms, the
assurances, and the certifications.
However, the application form, the assurances, and the certifications
must each have an original signature. No grant may be awarded unless a
completed application form has been received.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SF-424
Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45
minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing
and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget,
Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0043), Washington, DC 20503.
PLEASE DO
NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. SEND IT
TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED BY THE SPONSORING
AGENCY.
This is a standard form used
by applicants as a required face sheet for pre-applications and applications
submitted for Federal assistance. It will be used by Federal agencies to obtain
applicant certification that States which have established a review and comment
procedure in response to Executive Order 12372 and have selected the program to
be included in their process, have been given an opportunity to review the
applicant’s submission.
Item: |
Entry: |
Item: |
Entry: | |
1. |
Select
Type of Submission. |
11. |
Enter
a brief descriptive title of the project. If more than one program is
involved, you should append an explanation on a separate sheet. If
appropriate (e.g., construction or real property projects), attach a map
showing project location. For preapplications, use a separate sheet to
provide a summary description of this project. | |
2. |
Date
application submitted to Federal agency (or State if applicable) and
applicant’s control number (if applicable). |
12. |
List
only the largest political entities affected (e.g., State, counties,
cities). | |
3. |
State
use State use
only (if applicable). |
13 |
Enter
the proposed start date and end date of the
project. | |
4. |
Enter
Date Received by Federal Agency Federal
identifier number: If this
application is a continuation or revision to an existing award, enter the
present Federal Identifier number.
If for a new project, leave blank. |
14. |
List
the applicant’s Congressional District and any District(s) affected by the
program or project | |
5. |
Enter
legal name of applicant, name of primary organizational unit (including
division, if applicable), which
will undertake the assistance activity, enter the organization’s DUNS
number (received from Dun and Bradstreet), enter the complete address of
the applicant (including country), and name, telephone number, e-mail and
fax of the person to contact on matters related to this
application. |
15 |
Amount
requested or to be contributed during the first funding/budget period by
each contributor. Value of in kind contributions should be included on
appropriate lines as applicable. If the action will result in a dollar
change to an existing award, indicate only
the
amount of the change. For decreases, enclose the amounts in parentheses.
If both basic and supplemental amounts are included, show breakdown on an
attached sheet. For
multiple program funding, use totals and show breakdown using same
categories as item 15. | |
6. |
Enter
Employer Identification Number (EIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue
Service. |
16. |
Applicants
should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal
Executive Order 12372 to determine whether the application is subject to
the State intergovernmental review process. | |
7. |
Select
the appropriate letter in the space provided. A.
State
Government B.
County
Government C.
Local
Government D.
City
or Township Government G.
Special
District H.
Independent
School District I.
Public/State
Controlled Institution of Higher Education J.
Private
University Institution of Higher Education K.
Native
American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized) |
L.
Individual M.
For-Profit
Organization (Other than small business) N.
Other
(Specify) O.
Nonprofit
Organization (Other than Institution of Higher
Education) P.
Native American Tribal Government
(Other than Federally Recognized) Q.
Public/Indian
Housing Authority R.
Small
Business |
17. |
This
question applies to the applicant organization, not the person who signs
as the authorized representative. Categories of debt include delinquent
audit disallowances, loans and taxes. |
8. |
Select
the type from the following list: · "New"
means a new assistance award. · “Continuation”
means an extension for an additional funding/budget period for a project
with a projected completion date. · “Revision”
means any change in the Federal Government’s financial obligation or
contingent liability from an existing obligation. If a revision enter the
appropriate letter: A.
Increase Award
B. Decrease Award C.
Increase Duration D.
Decrease Duration |
18 |
To
be signed by the authorized representative of the applicant. A copy of the
governing body’s authorization for you to sign this application as
official representative must be on file in the applicant’s office.
(Certain Federal agencies may require that this authorization be submitted
as part of the application.) | |
9. |
Name
of Federal agency from which assistance is being requested with this
application.
|
|
| |
10. |
Use
the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title of the program
under which assistance is requested.
|
|
| |
SF-424 (Rev. x-xx) Back
Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424
1. Project
Director. Name, address, telephone and fax
numbers, and e-mail address of the person to be contacted on matters involving
this application.
2.Novice
Applicant. Check “Yes” or “No” only if assistance
is being requested under a program that gives special consideration to novice
applicants. Otherwise, leave blank.
Check “Yes” if you
meet the requirements for novice applicants specified in the regulations in 34
CFR 75.225 and included on the attached page entitled “Definitions for Form ED
424.” By checking “Yes” the
applicant certifies that it meets these novice applicant requirements. Check “No” if you do not meet the
requirements for novice applicants.
3. Human Subjects Research. (See I. A. “Definitions” in attached
page entitled “Definitions for Form ED 424.”)
If Not Human Subjects
Research. Check “No” if research activities involving human subjects are
not planned at any time during the proposed
project period. The remaining parts
of Item 12 are then not applicable.
If Human Subjects
Research. Check “Yes” if research
activities involving human subjects are planned at any time during the proposed
project period, either at the applicant organization or at any other performance
site or collaborating institution.
Check “Yes” even if the research is exempt from the regulations
for the protection of human subjects. (See I. B. “Exemptions” in attached page
entitled “Definitions for Form ED 424.”)
·
If Human Subjects Research
is Exempt from the Human Subjects Regulations. Check “Yes” if all the research
activities proposed are designated to be exempt from the regulations. Insert the exemption number(s)
corresponding to one or more of the six exemption categories listed in I. B.
“Exemptions.” In addition, follow
the instructions in II. A. “Exempt Research Narrative” in the attached page
entitled “Definitions for Form ED 424.”
Insert this narrative immediately following the ED 424 face
page.
·
If Human Subjects Research
is Not Exempt from Human Subjects Regulations. Check “No” if some or all of the
planned research activities are covered (not exempt). In addition, follow the instructions in
II. B. “Nonexempt Research Narrative” in the page entitled “Definitions for Form
ED 424.” Insert this narrative
immediately following the ED 424 face page.
·
Human Subjects Assurance
Number. If the applicant has an approved Federal
Wide (FWA) or Multiple Project Assurance (MPA) with the Office for Human
Research Protections (OHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that
covers the specific activity, insert the number in the space provided. If the applicant does not have an
approved assurance on file with OHRP, enter “None.” In this case, the applicant, by
signature on the face page, is declaring that it will comply with 34 CFR 97 and
proceed to obtain the human subjects assurance upon request by the designated ED
official. If the application is
recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED official will request that
the applicant obtain the assurance within 30 days after the specific formal
request.
Note about Institutional
Review Board Approval. ED does not require certification of
Institutional Review Board approval with the application. However, if an application that involves
non-exempt human subjects research is recommended/selected for funding, the
designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain and send the
certification to ED within 30 days after the formal
request.
Definitions:
Novice Applicant (See 34 CFR
75.225). For discretionary grant programs under
which the Secretary gives special consideration to novice applications, a novice
applicant means any applicant for a grant from ED that—
In
the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR
75.127-75.129, a group includes only parties that meet the requirements listed
above.
PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS
IN RESEARCH
I. Definitions and
Exemptions
A. Definitions.
A research activity
involves human subjects if the activity is research, as defined in the
Department’s regulations, and the research activity will involve use of human
subjects, as defined in the regulations.
—Research
The
ED Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, Title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 97, define research as “a systematic investigation, including
research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute
to generalizable knowledge.” If
an activity follows a deliberate plan whose purpose is to develop or contribute
to generalizable knowledge it is research. Activities, which meet this definition,
constitute research whether or not they are conducted or supported under a
program that is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and
service programs may include research activities.
—Human
Subject
The
regulations define human subject as “a living individual about whom an
investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1)
data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2)
identifiable private information.”
(1) If an activity involves obtaining information about a living
person by manipulating that person or that person’s environment, as might occur
when a new instructional technique is tested, or by communicating or interacting
with the individual, as occurs with surveys and interviews, the definition of
human subject is met. (2) If an
activity involves obtaining private information about a living person in such a
way that the information can be linked to that individual (the identity of the
subject is or may be readily determined by the investigator or associated with
the information), the definition of human subject is met. [Private information includes
information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can
reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and
information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and
which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example,
a school health record).]
B. Exemptions.
Research activities in which
the only involvement of human subjects will be in one or more of the
following six categories of exemptions are not covered by the
regulations:
(1)
Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings,
involving normal educational practices, such as (a) research on regular and
special education instructional strategies, or (b) research on the effectiveness
of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom
management methods.
(2)
Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic,
aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation
of public behavior, unless: (a) information obtained is recorded in such a
manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers
linked to the subjects; and (b) any disclosure of the human subjects’ responses
outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or
civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing,
employability, or reputation. If
the subjects are children, exemption 2 applies only to research involving
educational tests and observations of public behavior when the investigator(s)
do not participate in the activities being observed. Exemption 2 does not apply if children
are surveyed or interviewed or if the research involves observation of public
behavior and the investigator(s) participate in the activities being
observed. [Children are
defined as persons who have not attained the legal age for consent to treatments
or procedures involved in the research, under the applicable law or jurisdiction
in which the research will be conducted.]
(3)
Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic,
aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation
of public behavior that is not exempt under section (2) above, if the human
subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public
office; or federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the
confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained
throughout the research and thereafter.
(4)
Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records,
pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly
available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in a manner that
subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the
subjects.
(5)
Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the
approval of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study,
evaluate, or otherwise examine: (a)
public benefit or service programs; (b) procedures for obtaining benefits or
services under those programs; (c) possible changes in or alternatives to those
programs or procedures; or (d) possible changes in methods or levels of payment
for benefits or services under those programs.
(6)
Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (a) if
wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (b) if a food is consumed that
contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe,
or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level
found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the
Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
II. Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt
Human Subjects Research Narratives
If
the applicant marked “Yes” for Item 12 on the ED 424, the applicant must provide
a human subjects “exempt research” or “nonexempt research” narrative and insert
it immediately following the ED 424 face page.
A. Exempt Research
Narrative.
If
you marked “Yes” for item 12 a. and designated exemption numbers(s), provide the
“exempt research” narrative. The
narrative must contain sufficient information about the involvement of human
subjects in the proposed research to allow a determination by ED that the
designated exemption(s) are appropriate.
The narrative must be succinct.
B. Nonexempt Research
Narrative.
If
you marked “No” for item 12 a. you must provide the “nonexempt research”
narrative. The narrative must
address the following seven points.
Although no specific page limitation applies to this section of the
application, be succinct.
(1)
Human Subjects Involvement and Characteristics: Provide a detailed
description of the proposed involvement of human subjects. Describe the characteristics of the
subject population, including their anticipated number, age range, and health
status. Identify the criteria for
inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation. Explain the rationale for the
involvement of special classes of subjects, such as children, children with
disabilities, adults with disabilities, persons with mental disabilities,
pregnant women, prisoners, institutionalized individuals, or others who are
likely to be vulnerable
(2)
Sources of Materials: Identify the sources of
research material obtained from individually identifiable living human subjects
in the form of specimens, records, or data. Indicate whether the material or data
will be obtained specifically for research purposes or whether use will be made
of existing specimens, records, or data.
(3)
Recruitment and Informed Consent:
Describe plans for the recruitment of subjects and the consent procedures
to be followed. Include the
circumstances under which consent will be sought and obtained, who will seek it,
the nature of the information to be provided to prospective subjects, and the
method of documenting consent.
State if the Institutional Review Board (IRB) has authorized a
modification or waiver of the elements of consent or the requirement for
documentation of consent.
(4)
Potential Risks: Describe potential risks (physical, psychological,
social, legal, or other) and assess their likelihood and seriousness. Where appropriate, describe alternative
treatments and procedures that might be advantageous to the
subjects.
(5)
Protection Against Risk: Describe the procedures for protecting against
or minimizing potential risks, including risks to confidentiality, and assess
their likely effectiveness. Where
appropriate, discuss provisions for ensuring necessary medical or professional
intervention in the event of adverse effects to the subjects. Also, where appropriate, describe the
provisions for monitoring the data collected to ensure the safety of the
subjects.
(6)
Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained: Discuss the importance of the
knowledge gained or to be gained as a result of the proposed research. Discuss why the risks to subjects are
reasonable in relation to the anticipated benefits to subjects and in relation
to the importance of the knowledge that may reasonably be expected to
result.
(7)
Collaborating Site(s): If research involving human subjects will take
place at collaborating site(s) or other performance site(s), name the sites and
briefly describe their involvement or role in the research.
Copies of the Department of
Education’s Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, 34 CFR Part 97 and
other pertinent materials on the protection of human subjects in research are
available from the Grants Policy and Oversight Staff, Office of the Chief
Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4248,
telephone: (202) 708-8263, and on the U.S. Department of Education’s Protection
of Human Subjects in Research Web Site at
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/humansub.html
Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to vary from 13
to 22 hours per response, with an average of 17.5 hours per response, including
the time reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S.
Department of Education, Information Management and Compliance Division,
Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork
Reduction Project 1875-0102, Washington DC 20503.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ED FORM 524
General
Instructions
This
form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of Education discretionary
grant programs. Unless directed otherwise, provide the same budget information
for each year of the multi-year funding request. Pay attention to applicable program
specific instructions, if attached.
Section A - Budget Summary
U.S. Department of Education Funds
All
applicants must complete Section A and provide a breakdown by the applicable
budget categories shown in lines 1-11.
Lines
1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each
project year for which funding is requested, show the total amount requested for
each applicable budget category.
Lines
1-11, column (f): Show the
multi-year total for each budget category. If funding is requested for only one
project year, leave this column blank.
Line
12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total
budget request for each project year for which funding is
requested.
Line
12, column (f): Show the total
amount requested for all project years. If funding is requested for only one
year, leave this space blank.
Section B - Budget Summary
Non-Federal Funds
If
you are required to provide or volunteer to provide matching funds or other
non-Federal resources to the project, these should be shown for each applicable
budget category on lines 1-11 of Section B.
Lines
1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each
project year for which matching funds or other contributions are provided, show
the total contribution for each applicable budget
category.
Lines
1-11, column (f): Show the
multi-year total for each budget category.
If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this
column blank.
Line
12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total
matching or other contribution for each project year.
Line
12, column (f): Show the total
amount to be contributed for all years of the multi-year project. If
non-Federal
contributions are provided for only one year, leave this space
blank.
Section C - Other Budget Information
Pay
attention to applicable program specific instructions, if
attached.
1. Provide an itemized budget
breakdown, by project year, for each budget category listed in Sections A and
B.
2. If applicable to this program,
enter the type of indirect rate (provisional, predetermined, final or fixed)
that will be in effect during the funding period. In addition, enter the estimated amount
of the base to which the rate is applied, and the total indirect
expense.
3. If applicable to this program,
provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are
calculated.
4. Provide other explanations or
comments you deem necessary.
This
narrative section of the application requires applicants to address the
selection criteria that will be used by reviewers in evaluating individual
applications. Please refer to the
“Selection Criteria and Format” sections in this package for the competition to
which you wish to submit an application.
Also, all of
the competitions covered by this package have page limitations for the
application narrative. Please refer
to the “Page Limits” information for the competition to which you wish to submit
an application.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION
OF SF-LLL, DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES
This disclosure form shall
be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime Federal
recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a
material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section
1352. The filing of a form is
required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity
for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency,
a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a
Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both
the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance
published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional
information.
1.
Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying activity
is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered Federal
action.
2.
Identify the status of the covered Federal action.
3.
Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this is a followup report caused by a
material change to the information previously reported, enter the year and
quarter in which the change occurred.
Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by this reporting
entity for this covered Federal action.
4.
Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the reporting
entity. Include Congressional
District, if known. Check the
appropriate classification of the reporting entity that designates if it is, or
expects to be, a prime or subaward recipient. Identify the tier of the subawardee,
e.g., the first subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are not limited to
subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under grants.
5.
If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks “Subawardee,” then
enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the prime Federal
recipient. Include Congressional
District, if known.
6.
Enter the name of the federal agency making the award or loan
commitment. Include at least one
organizational level below agency name, if known. For example, Department of
Transportation, United States Coast Guard.
7.
Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered Federal
action (item 1). If known, enter
the full Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants,
cooperative agreements, loans, and loan commitments.
8.
Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for the
Federal action identified in item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal (RFP) number;
Invitations for Bid (IFB) number; grant announcement number; the contract,
grant, or loan award number; the application/proposal control number assigned by
the Federal agency). Included
prefixes, e.g., “RFP-DE-90-001.”
9.
For a covered Federal action where there has been an award or loan
commitment by the Federal agency, enter the Federal amount of the award/loan
commitment for the prime entity identified in item 4 or 5.
10.
(a) Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the
lobbying registrant under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 engaged by the
reporting entity identified in item 4 to influence the covered Federal
action.
(b) Enter the full names of
the individual(s) performing services, and include full address if different
from 10(a). Enter Last Name, First
Name, and Middle Initial (MI).
11.
The certifying official shall sign and date the form, print his/her name,
title, and telephone number.
According to the Paperwork
Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a valid OMB control Number. The valid OMB control number for this
information collection is OMB No. 0348-0046. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response,
including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. Send
comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0046), Washington, DC
20503
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE
PARTICIPANTS
IN U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
GRANT AND CONTRACT
PROGRAMS
Applicants for grants from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) have to compete for limited funds. Deadlines assure all applicants that they will be treated fairly and equally, without last minute haste. For these reasons, ED must set strict deadlines for grant applications. Prospective applicants can avoid disappointment if they understand that:
Failure to meet a deadline will mean that
an applicant will be rejected without any consideration.
The rules, including the deadline, for
applying for each grant are published, individually, in the Federal
Register. Six-month or one-year
subscriptions to the daily, official Federal Register may be ordered from the U.
S. Government Printing Office at the following url:
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/regulatory/fed-reg.html. The Federal Register
Complete Service is also available in microfiche on the same web page. In
addition, the Federal Register is available on-line for free on Government
Printing Office (GPO) Access: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. Depository
Library location and Federal Register services:
http://www.nara.archives.gov
The instructions in the Federal Register must be followed exactly. Do not accept any other advice you may receive. No ED employee is authorized to extend any deadline published in the Register. No ED employee is authorized to extend any deadline published in the Federal Register. Questions regarding submission of applications may be addressed to:
U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center
Washington, D.C. 20202-4725
Competitive procurement actions
undertaken by the ED are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations and
implementing Department of Education Acquisition
Regulations.
Generally,
prospective competitive procurement actions are synopsized in the Commerce
Business Daily (CBD). Prospective
offerors are therein advised of the nature of the procurement and where to apply
for copies of the Request for Proposals (RFP). All of ED’s RFP’s are now
available on-line for downloading at the following url:
http://www.ed.gov/fund/contract/apply/currrfp.html
Offerors are advised to be guided solely by the contents of the CBD synopsis and the instructions contained in the RFP. Questions regarding the submission of offers should be addressed to the Contracts Specialist identified on the face page of the RFP. Offers are judged in competition with others, and failure to conform with any substantive requirements of the RFP will result in rejection of the offer without any consideration whatever.
Do not accept any advice you receive that is contrary to instructions contained in either the CBD synopsis or the RFP. No ED employee is authorized to consider a proposal, which is non-responsive to the RFP. Six-month or one-year subscriptions to the CBD may be ordered from the U.S. Government Printing Office at the following url: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/regulatory/cbd.html. Information included in the Federal Acquisition Regulation is contained in Title 48, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1. The foregoing publication may be obtained by sending your check or money order only, no cash or stamps, to:
Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402-9371
In addition, the Commerce Business Daily
is available on-line for free at the following url:
http://cbdnet.access.gpo.gov/. The Federal Acquisition Regulations are
available on-line at the following url: http://www.arnet.gov/far/.
ED FORM 5348, 10/01
NOTICE
TO ALL APPLICANTS: Program
Performance Measures Under The Government Performance And Results Act
(GPRA) |
The
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 is a straightforward statute that
requires all Federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the
consequences of those activities.
Each agency is to clearly state what it intends to accomplish, identify
the resources required, and periodically report it’s progress to the
Congress. In doing so, it is
expected that GPRA will contribute to improvements in accountability for the
expenditures of public funds, improve Congressional decision-making through more
objective information on the effectiveness of Federal programs, and promote a
new government focus on results, service delivery, and customer
satisfaction.
How
has the United States Department of Education responded to the GPRA
Requirements?
As
required by GPRA, the United States Department of Education (the Department) has
prepared a strategic plan for 2002-2007.
This plan reflects the Department’s priorities and integrates them with
its mission and program authorities and describes how the Department will work
to improve education for all children and adults in the United States. The Department’s goals, as listed in the
plan, are:
Goal
1:
Create
a Culture of Achievement:
Create a culture of achievement throughout the nation's education system by
effectively implementing the new law, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and
by basing all federal education programs on its principles: accountability,
flexibility, expanded parental options and doing what works.
Goal
2:
Improve
Student Achievement:
Improve student achievement for all groups of students by putting reading first,
expanding high-quality mathematics and science teaching, reforming high schools,
and boosting teacher and principal quality, thereby closing the achievement
gap.
Goal
3:
Develop
Safe Schools and Strong Character:
Establish disciplined and drug-free education environments that foster the
development of good character and citizenship.
Goal
4:
Transform
Education into an Evidence-based Field:
Strengthen the quality of education research.
Goal
5:
Enhance
the Quality of and Access to Postsecondary and Adult
Education:
Increase opportunities for students and the effectiveness of
institutions.
Goal
6:
Establish
Management Excellence:
Create a culture of accountability throughout the Department of
Education.
What
are the Performance Indicators for the IDEA: Research and Innovation to Improve
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program which is included in
this announcement?
The
program included in this announcement is authorized under Part D of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, titled "National Activities to
Improve Education of Children with Disabilities". The Department's specific goal for the
IDEA National Activities programs is "to
link best scientifically-based practices to states, school systems, and families
to improve results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities." The
goal, objectives and performance indicators for this program is as follows:
Goal
8: To produce and advance the use
of knowledge to improve services provided under IDEA and results for children
with disabilities.
Objective
8.1: Improve the quality of
research and development projects.
Indicator
8.1.1: HIGH QUALITY PROJECTS: By 2013, all research and development
projects will be deemed to be of high quality.
Indicator
8.1.2: RANDOMIZED DESIGNS: By 2013, all projects that address
causal questions will employ randomized experimental
designs.
Objective
8.2: Increase the relevance of
research and development projects to the needs of children with
disabilities.
Indicator
8.2.1: RELEVANCE JUDGED BY SCIENTISTS: By 2013, scientist will judge all
research and development projects to be of high relevance to the needs of
children with disabilities.
Indicator
8.2.2: RELEVANCE JUDGED BY STAKEHOLDERS: By 2013, stakeholders will judge all
research and development projects to be of high relevance to the needs of
children with disabilities.
PROGRAM
STRATEGIES:
12. Enhance the
capacity of States to improve results for children with disabilities.
Objective
8.3: Produce high quality products
and communicate information for appropriate audiences.
Indicator
8.3.1: HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS: By 2013, the percentage of projects that
produce high quality products appropriate for the target audience will increase
to 95 percent (all projects) and 85 percent (projects addressing long-term
strategies).
Indicator
8.3.2: PUBLISHED
FINDINGS: By 2013, the
percentage of research projects that have findings published in peer-refereed
journals will increase to 90 percent (all projects) and 85 percent (projects
addressing long-term strategies).
The Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) will collect information to assess progress and performance by
requiring the applicant to report evaluation data in the projects' annual
performance reports (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590). See Performance Measures
on page B-4 of the Priority Description section of this application package.
D‑U‑N‑S No.: Please provide the applicant's D‑U‑N‑S Number.
You can obtain your D‑U‑N‑S Number at no charge by calling 1‑800‑333‑0505 or by
completing a D‑U‑N‑S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via the
Internet at the following URL:
http://www.dnb.com/dbis/aboutdb/intlduns.htm
The D‑U‑N‑S Number is a unique nine‑digit number that does
not convey any information about the recipient. A built in check digit helps
assure the accuracy of the D‑U‑N‑S Number. The ninth digit of each number is the
check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets
computer systems determine if a D‑U‑N‑S Number has been entered
correctly.
Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services
provider, has assigned D‑U‑N‑S numbers to over 43 million companies
worldwide.
GRANT
APPLICATION RECEIPT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT__________
If
you fail to receive the notification of application within fifteen (15) days
from the closing date, call:
U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center
(202) 708-9493
GRANT
AND CONTRACT FUNDING INFORMATION
The
Department of Education provides information about grant and contract
opportunities electronically in several ways:
ED
Internet Home Page
http://www.ed.gov/
(WWW address)