Institute of Education Sciences; Overview Information; Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, CFDA Numbers 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, 84.305E, 84.324A, 84.324B, and 84.324C [IES]

FR Doc E9-6320[Federal Register: March 23, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 54)]
[Notices]
[Page 12205-12212]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr09-108]

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Part III

Department of Education

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Institute of Education Sciences; Overview Information; Education
Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010; Notice

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Institute of Education Sciences; Overview Information; Education
Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.305A,
84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, 84.305E, 84.324A, 84.324B, and 84.324C.

Summary: The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences
(Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2010 competitions for grants
to support education research and special education research. The
Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of
2002, title I of Public Law 107-279. The intent of these grants is to
provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and
understanding of education from early childhood education through
postsecondary and adult education.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The central purpose of the Institute's research
grant programs is to provide parents, educators, students, researchers,
policymakers, and the general public with reliable and valid
information about education practices that support learning and improve
academic achievement and access to education opportunities for all
students. In carrying out its grant programs, the Institute provides
support for programs of research in areas of demonstrated national
need.
Competitions in this Notice: The Institute will conduct 11 research
competitions in FY 2010 through two of its National Education Centers.
The National Center for Education Research (NCER) will hold seven
competitions: two competitions for education research; one competition
for education research training; one competition for education research
and development centers; one competition for research on statistical
and research methodology in education; and two competitions for
evaluation of State and local education programs and policies.
The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) will
hold four competitions: Two competitions for special education
research, one competition for special education research training, and
one competition for special education research and development centers.

NCER Competitions

Education Research. Under the two education research competitions,
NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following
education research topics:
Reading and Writing
Mathematics and Science Education
Cognition and Student Learning
Teacher Quality--Reading and Writing
Teacher Quality--Mathematics and Science Education
Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning
Education Leadership
Education Policy, Finance, and Systems
Early Childhood Programs and Policies
Middle and High School Reform
Interventions for Struggling Adolescent and Adult Readers
and Writers
English Language Learners
Postsecondary Education
Education Technology
Education Research Training. Under the education research training
competition, NCER will consider only applications for Postdoctoral
Research Training.
Education Research and Development Centers. Under the education
research and development centers competition, NCER will consider only
applications that address one of the following education research
topics:
Scaling Up Effective Schools
Mathematics Standards and Assessments
Cognition and Mathematics Instruction
Research on Statistical and Research Methodology in Education.
Under the research on statistical and research methodology in education
competition, NCER will consider only applications that address research
on statistical and research methodology in education.
Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies.
Under the two evaluations of State and local education programs and
policies competitions, NCER will consider only applications that
address the evaluation of State and local education programs and
policies.

NCSER Competitions

Special Education Research. Under the two special education
research competitions, NCSER will consider only applications that
address one of the following special education research topics:
Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education
Reading, Writing, and Language Development
Mathematics and Science Education
Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning
Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary
Students
Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education
Teacher Quality
Related Services
Special Education Systems, Finance, and Policies
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Special Education Research Training. Under the special education
research training competition, NCSER will consider only applications
for Postdoctoral Research Training.
Special Education Research and Development Centers. Under the
special education research and development centers competition, NCSER
will consider only applications that address one of the following
research topics:
Improving Mathematics Instruction for Students with
Mathematics Difficulties
Assessment and Accountability
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 77, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. In addition, 34 CFR part 75 is applicable,
except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103,
75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217,
75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230.

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

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
Fiscal Information: Although the Administration has not yet
submitted a detailed budget request to Congress for FY 2010, the
Institute is inviting applications for these competitions now so that
it may give applicants adequate time to prepare their applications
before the first round of competitions takes place this summer. If
additional funds are requested by the Administration for research in
areas not announced in this notice, the Department may announce
additional topics for the second round of competitions in the Fall. The
actual award of grants will depend on the availability of funds. The
number of awards made under each competition will depend on the quality
of the applications received for that

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competition. The size of the awards will depend on the scope of the
projects proposed.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants that have the ability and
capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to
apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit
and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and
institutions, such as colleges and universities.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Request for Applications and Other Information: Information
regarding program and application requirements for the competitions
will be contained in the NCER and NCSER Request for Applications (RFA)
packages, which will be available at the following Web sites:
http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/programs.html.
2. RFA Packages Available: The RFA packages for the education
research, special education research, education research training,
special education research training, education research and development
centers, special education research and development centers, research
on statistical and research methodology in education, and evaluation of
State and local education programs and policies competitions will be
available at the Web sites listed above on or before March 23, 2009.
The dates on which the RFA packages for these competitions will be
available are also indicated in the chart at the end of this notice.
Information regarding selection criteria, requirements concerning
the content of an application, and review procedures for the
competitions are in the RFA packages.
3. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: The deadline dates for
transmittal of applications invited under this notice are indicated in
the chart at the end of this notice and in the RFA packages for the
competitions.
4. Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under these
competitions must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times)
about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format
by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the
electronic submission requirement, please refer to section V. 1.
Electronic Submission of Applications in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

V. Submission of Applications

1. Electronic Submission of Applications

Applications for grants under the Education Research, Education
Research Training, Education Research and Development Centers, Research
on Statistical and Research Methodology in Education, and Evaluation of
State and Local Education Programs and Policies competitions, CFDA
Numbers 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, and 84.305E, and for grants
under the Special Education Research, Special Education Research
Training, and Special Education Research and Development Centers
competitions, CFDA Numbers 84.324A, 84.324B, and 84.324C must be
submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a
copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload
and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a
grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant applications for the Education
Research, Education Research Training, Education Research and
Development Centers, Research on Statistical and Research Methodology
in Education, Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and
Policies, Special Education Research, Special Education Research
Training, and Special Education Research and Development Centers
competitions at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for each competition by the CFDA number. Do not
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for
84.324, not 84.324A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your
application if it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the
Grants.gov system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does
not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your
application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting
your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for the competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov at
http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1)
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes
registration with the Central Contractor

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Registry (CCR); (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your
organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-
Step Registration Guide (see
www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424 Research & Related (R&R))
and the other R&R forms including, Project Performance Site Locations,
Other Project Information, Senior/Key Person Profile, Research and
Related Budget (Total Federal and Non-Federal), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
You must attach any narrative sections of your application
as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file
type other than the file type specified in this paragraph or submit a
password-protected file, the Institute may choose not to review that
material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.

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

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Elizabeth Payer, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 602C,
Washington, DC 20208. FAX: (202) 219-1466.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

2. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if
any, for the competition under which you are submitting an
application.]) LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.

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

3. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number: [Identify the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if
any, for the competition under which you are submitting an
application.]) 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 10 of the SF 424 (R&R) the CFDA number,
including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you
are submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for a three-day
meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its
education research program, the Institute annually assesses the quality
and relevance of newly funded research projects, as well as the quality
of research publications that result from its funded research projects.
External panels of qualified scientists review the quality of new
research applications, and the percentage of newly funded projects that
receive an average panel score of excellent or higher is determined. A
panel of experienced education practitioners and administrators reviews
descriptions of a randomly selected sample of newly funded projects and
rates the degree to which the projects are relevant to educational
practice. An external panel of eminent scientists reviews the quality
of a randomly selected sample of new publications, and the percentage
of new publications that are deemed to be of high quality is
determined.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: The contact person associated with
a particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of
this notice and in the RFA package. The date on which applications will
be available, the deadline for transmittal of applications, the
estimated range of awards, and the project period are also listed in
the chart and in the RFA package that will be posted at the following
Web sites: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/programs.html.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the RFA package in an accessible format (e.g.,
braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to
the program contact person listed in the chart at the end of this
notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

Dated: March 18, 2009.
Sue Betka,
Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
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