U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education 

Washington, DC 20006-8517

Fiscal Year 2015

APPLICATION PACKAGE FOR GRANTS 

UNDER THE 

MINORITY SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (MSEIP)

(CFDA NUMBER: 84.120A)

Form Approved

OMB No. 1840 - 0109, Exp. Date: [XX/XX/2018]

CLOSING DATE: [XX/XX/2015]

4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. Time
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Table	of	Contents

Dear Applicant Letter ......................................................................................................... 4

The Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) - Background... 6

Competition Highlights....................................................................................................... 8

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants............................................ 15

Grants.gov Registration Instructions for Organizations................................................... 18

Application Transmittal Instructions ................................................................................ 21

Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications for FY15.................................................. 23

Authorizing Legislation .................................................................................................... 57

Code of Federal Regulations............................................................................................. 58

Intergovernmental Review................................................................................................ 59

Supplemental Information ................................................................................................ 60

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) ........................................................ 62

Performance Indicators for MSEIP................................................................................... 64

Instructions for Completing the Application Package ...................................................... 65

Instructions for Federal Assistance Form SF424.............................................................. 69

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF424 ...... 72

Instructions for Budget Summary Form ED 524.............................................................. 77

Instructions for Project Narrative...................................................................................... 80

Selection Criteria .......................................................................................................... 80

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427.................................................. 84

Instructions for Completing the MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form ........................... 85

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Four-Year Minority Institutions................. 87

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Two-Year Minority Institutions................. 91

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Nonprofit Science Oriented Organizations 95

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Consortia of Organizations......................... 99

Application Checklist...................................................................................................... 104
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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. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to 

average 40 hours 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. The obligation to respond to this collection is 

required to obtain or retain benefit (Title III of the HEA of 1965, as amended). Send 

comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 

information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to regulations.gov during the 

public comment period for this collection of information. If you have specific questions 

about the form, instrument or survey, please contact the U.S. Department of Education, 

Office of Postsecondary Education, Minority Science and Engineering Improvement 

Program, 1990 K Street, N.W., 6th Floor, Mail Stop K-OPE-6-6055, Washington, DC 

20006. 
4

Dear Applicant Letter

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant under the Minority Science and 

Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). The MSEIP supports the Federal 

government’s effort to improve and expand the scientific and technological capacity of 

the United States by increasing the number of better prepared scientists, engineers, and 

technical experts from underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women.

This letter highlights a few items in the FY 2015 application package that will be 

important to you in applying for grants under this program. You should review the entire 

application package carefully before preparing and submitting your application. 

Information on the MSEIP is accessible at the U.S. Department of Education’s (the 

Department) Website at: 

http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/index.html

This application package includes program background, application instructions, and 

some of the forms needed to submit a complete application to the Department. Applicants 

should pay particular attention to the section entitled “Competition Highlights” that 

outlines the competitive preference and invitational priorities, as well as other program 

and competition details.

The Department strongly encourages all applicants to give consideration to the 

invitational priority. However, applications that meet the invitational priority will not 

receive a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. 

For the FY 2015 grant competition, there is one competitive preference priority and one

invitational priority for this program. For additional information about the priorities, 

refer to the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications (the Notice) in the application 

package.

All applications must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site 

(www.Grants.gov), unless you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 

requirement referenced in the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications. Applicants 

should also pay particular attention to the section entitled “Grants.gov Submission 

Procedures and Tips for Applicants” and follow the instructions to learn how to verify

that Grants.gov and the Department have received your Grants.gov submission on time

and that it was validated successfully. 

For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application 

electronically, please refer to the Notice. You are reminded that the Notice published in 

the Federal Register is the official document detailing the requirements for applying for a 

MSEIP grant. A copy of the Notice is included in this package. You should not rely
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upon information in the application package that is inconsistent with the guidance 

contained within the official Notice. 

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the MSEIP 

Program Managers: Dr. Stacey Slijepcevic by phone at 202-219-7124 or by email at: 

stacey.slijepcevic@ed.gov or Dr. Bernadette Hence by phone at 202-219-7038 or by

email at: bernadette.hence@ed.gov. If you have difficulty with the application 

submission in Grants.Gov, please contact Grants.Gov support.

We appreciate your interest in the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement 

Program and look forward to receiving your application. 

Sincerely, 

Donald E. Watson

Director, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Division

Office of Postsecondary Education
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The Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program 

(MSEIP) - Background

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) is 

to effect long-range improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly 

minority institutions and to increase the flow of underrepresented ethnic minorities, 

particularly minority women, into scientific and technological careers. MSEIP supports 

the Federal Government’s efforts to improve and expand the scientific and technological 

capacity of the United States to support its technological and economic competitiveness. 

PROGRAM

The specific objectives of MSEIP include the following: (a) to improve access of 

minority students in undergraduate and graduate science and engineering through 

community outreach programs conducted through eligible minority institutions, (b) to 

improve the quality of preparation of students for careers in science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and graduate work, (c) to improve the capability

of minority institutions for self-assessment, management, and evaluation of their science 

programs and dissemination of their results, and (d) to improve existing capabilities of 

minority institutions in the areas of planning and implementation of science and 

engineering programs, so they will achieve the ability to compete more effectively in 

assistance programs not specifically intended for minority groups or institutions. 

Eligible applicant institutions include public and private, nonprofit accredited institutions 

of higher education (IHEs) with minority enrollments that exceed 50 percent of the total 

enrollment; professional scientific societies; nonprofit science-oriented organizations; 

and nonprofit four-year accredited colleges and universities that provide needed services 

to a group of eligible minority institutions or that provide special training for project 

directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority institutions. Additionally, 

eligible applicants include two-year public or private non-profit IHEs that award 

associate degrees and are minority institutions that have curricula that include science and 

engineering subjects and enter into a partnership with a four-year minority IHE. A 

minority institution is defined in the regulations at 34 CFR 637.4(b). This program does 

not support scholarships for students.

Awards under MSEIP are for 12 to 36 months to support four types of grants: 

Institutional, Cooperative, Design and Special Project. The term ‘‘design projects’’ 

means projects that assist minority institutions that do not have their own appropriate 

resources or personnel to plan and develop long-range science improvement programs. 

Applicants that receive design grants may not receive an award the following year to 

execute the planned science improvement program. Therefore, the Department decided 

not to award Design grants as of Fiscal Year 2011. The other grants are: 

Institutional Project grants support the implementation of a comprehensive 

science improvement plan, which may include any combination of activities for 
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improving the preparation of minority students, particularly minority women, for 

careers in science. 

Cooperative Project grants assist groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and 

universities working together to conduct a science improvement program. Any

nonprofit accredited college or university may participate in a cooperative grant; 

however, the fiscal agent must be an eligible minority institution. 

Special Project grants are designed to assist minority institutions with activities 

that improve the quality of training in science and engineering at minority

institutions or enhance the minority institution’s general scientific research 

capabilities. A Special Project grant may be given to any applicant supporting 

activities that provide a needed service to a group of eligible minority institutions. 

Special grants may also be used to provide in-service training for project 

directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority institutions.
8

Competition Highlights 

1. In the FY 2015 competition, the Department has established one competitive 

preference priority and one invitational priority. Please note that these priorities 

are explained in detail in the Notice. You are urged to fully review the Notice 

before preparing your application.

Competitive Preference Priority: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement (as defined in the Notice) or other related outcomes by

identifying and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 

improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion of a degree 

in a STEM field.

We will award an additional two points to an application that meets the 

Competitive Preference Priority. 

Invitational Priority: Improving STEM Education in the First Two Years of 

College. Projects designed to improve retention and other student outcomes in 

the first two years of college through strategies including, but not limited to, one 

or more of the following:

(a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting agencies for 

changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation requirements that are 

necessary to improve the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help students 

academically deficient in STEM reach college level proficiency.

We will not give an application that meets this invitational priority additional 

points or a competitive or absolute preference over other applications. 

2. Applications submitted for the FY 2015 Minority Science and Engineering 

Improvement Program competition must be submitted electronically using 

the Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Therefore, you must submit an 

electronic application using procedures outlined in the Federal Register Notice 

Inviting Applications for New Awards for FY 2015 unless you qualify for one of 

the exceptions to the electronic submission requirements described in the Notice.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format, unless you 

qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement 

and submit, no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline 

date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of the 

exceptions.
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3. To submit an application you must have a Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and register both 

your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award Management (SAM), 

which was formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). The System for 

Award Management is the official U.S. Government system that consolidated the 

capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS and is the government’s primary

registrant database. You must also maintain an active SAM registration with 

current information while your application is under review by the Department.

Refer to section ‘Grants.Gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants’ for 

detailed instructions.

The SAM registration process may take approximately one week to 

complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending 

upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM 

database by an applicant. If you are currently registered with the SAM, 

please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is 

correct. Your SAM registration must be updated annually. This may take 

three or more business days to complete. Please do NOT contact the MSEIP 

Program Manager for DUNS or TINS registration.

4. If you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated 

by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); 

and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. More details are available 

in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide. 

Only authorized individuals for your organization can submit an application. 

Please check with your Sponsored Research Office early to minimize problems 

with submission. 

5. Through Grants.gov, you may download a copy of the application package, 

complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You will submit 

the application using the same DUNS number that was used when your 

organization registered with the SAM. 

6. Please note that applications must be submitted by 4:30:00 pm (Washington, D.C. 

time) on or before the application deadline date. Late applications will not be 

accepted. We highly recommend that you submit your application several 

days before the deadline. 

 

7. You should verify that Grants.gov and the U.S. Department of Education received 

your submission on time and that it was validated successfully.

If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by 

Grants.gov. Once the validation process has been completed, the status will 

change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” Please refer to the ‘Grants.gov 

Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants’ section for more details.
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8. The Grants.gov site does not allow applicants to “un-submit” applications. 

Therefore, if you discover that changes or additions are needed once your 

application has been accepted and validated by the Department, you must “resubmit” the application. If the Department receives duplicate applications, then 

we will accept and process the application with the latest “date/time received” 

validation.

9. If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please 

contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or by Email: 

support@grants.gov. Contact information can be found at

http://www.grants.gov/contactus/contactus.jsp, or use the applicant support 

available on the Web site: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp.

If you have difficulty with the application submission in Grants.Gov, please 

contact Grants.Gov support, and not the MSEIP Program Manager.

10. Please note, “.PDF” (Portable Document) files are the only approved file type 

accepted as detailed in the Notice. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF 

files or are password protected files will not be read. If you need assistance 

converting your files to a .PDF format, please refer to the Grants.gov webpage for

links to conversion programs. Please refer to the “Grants.gov Submission 

Procedures and Tips for Applicants” section, found in this application package,

for more details. 

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be 

posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest 

version of Adobe Reader (Grants.Gov recommends at least Adobe Reader 10.1.4). 

Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and 

links to download the latest version are available on Grants.gov. We strongly 

recommend that you review these details on Grants.gov before completing and 

submitting your application.

11. All applicants are required to adhere to the page limit for any narrative 

attachments. The Notice, published in the Federal Register, contains specific 

information governing page limits and formatting instructions. The page limits 

are as follows:

 Institutional Project applications – 40 pages

 Special Project applications – 35 pages

 Cooperative Project applications – 50 pages

If you do not use all of the allowable space on a page, then it will be counted as a 

full page in determining the page count. All documents submitted will be included 

in the page count unless we specifically state that it is not included in the page 
11

count. Applicants are allowed to include resumes of the key personnel which will 

not be included in the page count.

12. An applicant may submit more than one application as long as each application 

describes a different project.

13. Applicants are required to prepare a detailed and comprehensive budget 

narrative for all proposed line items listed in ED Form 524 (Sections A and B). 

Applicants who fail to provide the proper level of detailed narrative as outlined in 

the “Instructions for Budget Summary Form” may lose critical points. This 

narrative should be uploaded under the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form” in 

Grants.gov. This narrative will not be included in the page count.

14. Applicants must submit a one-page abstract. The abstract should briefly describe 

the project goals, target populations, proposed activities, and the anticipated 

results. Applicants must also indicate the competitive preference priority and/or 

the invitational priority that is addressed in the application. 

15. Applicants should review the Instructions for Project Narrative and prepare the 

project narrative into ten sections that correspond to selection criteria (a) through 

(j) as outlined in the Notice and application. Within the maximum allotted page 

limit, the Department expects the applicant to address the Competitive Preference 

Priority and/or Invitational Priority in an integrated response to the selection 

criteria. Please note that the evaluation plan (e) should not only include formative 

and summative measures, but also address the use of appropriate controls and 

techniques that provide for independent evaluation. The evaluation plan should 

shape the development of the project from the beginning of the grant period and 

provide benchmarks for the monitoring and measurement of progress throughout 

the grant award period. The use of an external evaluator is required for the grant.

16. A panel of three peer reviewers will evaluate the application and assign points 

based on their assessment of the applicant’s ability to address the selection 

criteria. The reviewers will be instructed to look closely at the potential of 

applicants to successfully reach their individual project goals, which are driven by

the performance indicators for the MSEIP. The average of the three reviewers’ 

scores will determine an applicant’s final score. The point distribution for each 

selection criteria is included in the Notice. 

17. New MSEIP grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for the following three 

types of grants: Institutional, Cooperative, and Special projects. An applicant 

may apply for more than one type of MSEIP grant. Please note, for FY 2015, we 

will not award new grants under the ‘design project’ category. 

18. The maximum award amount for an Institutional Project application is $250,000 

per single budget period of 12 months. The maximum project period is up to 36 

months, for a total award amount not to exceed $750,000. 
12

The maximum award amount for a Special Project application is $250,000 per 

single budget period of 12 months. The maximum project period is up to 36 

months, for a total award amount not to exceed $750,000.

The maximum award amount for a Cooperative Project application is $300,000 

per single budget period of 12 months. The maximum project period is up to 36 

months, for a total award amount not to exceed $900,000.

We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum 

award amount listed for a single budget period of 12 months. 

19. This program has no cost sharing or matching requirements.

20. This program does not support scholarships or new construction. It does 

support stipends and renovations.

21. The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) limit 

reimbursement to grantees for indirect costs they incur under grants to the 

grantee’s actual indirect costs as determined by the grantee’s negotiated indirect 

cost agreement or a maximum of 8% of a modified total direct cost base, 

whichever is less. 
13

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission 

procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely

manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

ATTENTION – Browser Support

Grants.gov is a Custom Java Application that uses standard web-browsers as the client. 

Grants.gov leverages the latest web technologies such as Ajax which relies extensively on 

JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Grants.gov recommends you use the most up-to-date web 

browser possible for the best User Experience. We strongly recommend ED Staff use 

Firefox or Chrome; we currently do not have the latest version of Microsoft IE here 

at Education. If you are unsure about which version of the browser you are using, please 

check the following places: 

 Microsoft IE – the About Internet Explorer setting under Help on your toolbar 

 Firefox – the About Firefox setting under Help on your toolbar 

 Chrome- the About Google Chrome setting under the Customize and Control 

Google Chrome option (located on the far right ) in your toolbar options for 

your browsers. 

The table below lists supported Web Browsers:

Web Browser Support Comments

Microsoft IE 9/10/11 Supported

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend 

you have the latest version. Legacy versions 

are functional but may experience some issues. 

It is recommended to upgrade to the latest 

version.

Google Chrome Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend 

you have the latest version. Legacy versions 

are functional but may experience some issues. 

It is recommended to upgrade to the latest 

version.

Apple Safari Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend 

you have the latest version. Legacy versions 

are functional but may experience some issues. 

It is recommended to upgrade to the latest 

version.
14

For additional information of updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser Support Page. 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/browsersupport.html

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted 

using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of 

Adobe reader (at least Adobe Reader 10.1.14). (Please note that in early 2013, Grants.gov 

discovered an issue with the newest version of Adobe Reader XI but it was subsequently

resolved.) Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and 

links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov at this link: compatibility

table. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before 

completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their 

application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants 

are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under 

“Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter 

please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-

4726.

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including 

registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to 

complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the 

completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. 

You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, 

but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. 

Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the 

information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application 

through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to 

update its SAM registration annually (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR).]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov . However, to further 

assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or 

updating your existing SAM account the Department of Education has prepared a 

SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/samfaqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the 

last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on 

your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes 

to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the 

size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it 

takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects 
15

your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to 

Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date. 

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your 

application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization 

Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the 

same number used when your organization registered with the SAM 

(formerly CCR -Central Contractor Registry). If you do not enter the same 

DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, 

Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov 

received your application submission on time and that it was validated 

successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to 

Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful 

submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. 

Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: 

Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the 

Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency

Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will 

be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the 

deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of 

“Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is 

complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If 

the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received 

successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be 

found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grantapplication-process/application-statuses.html. For more detailed information on 

troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Error Messages 

document at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technicalsupport/troubleshooting/encountering-error-messages.html. If you discover your 

application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: 

You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the 

status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether 

your application has been received timely and validated successfully. 

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact 

Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html, or access the Grants.gov SelfService web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve 

before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal 
16

instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy 

application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 

4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and 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. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed 

instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working 

offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the 

Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and 

submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that 

was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) 

on Grants.gov.

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html for help with 

Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the 

Grants.gov Submit Application FAQs found on the Grants.gov 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/general-support/faqs.html. 

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take 

significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed 

connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of 

your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant 

submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed 

connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider 

following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application 

deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.) 

MAC Users

For MAC compatibility information, review the Operating System Platform Compatibility

Table at the following Grants.gov link: 

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/recommended-software.html. 

IfError! Hyperlink reference not valid. electronic submission is required and you are 

concerned about your ability to submit electronically as a non-windows user, please 

follow instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application 

deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips
17

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the 

requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their 

application:

1. Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, 

and they must be in a read-only, non-modifiable format. PDF files are the 

only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register 

application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when 

attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept 

any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or 

an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not 

.PDF files or are password protected files will not be read. 

2. Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that 

have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded 

to your application package should have a unique file name.

3. When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by 

Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded files must be less 

than 50 characters, contain no spaces, no special characters (example: -, &, *, 

%, /, #, \) including periods (.), blank spaces and accent marks. Applications 

submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at 

Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department. 

4. Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents 

submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase 

the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. 

For reference, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 

MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before 

submission.
18

Grants.gov Registration Instructions for Organizations

The following instructions provide registration guidance for a company, academic or 

research institution, state, local or tribal government, not-for-profit, or other type of 

organization. Registration is a one-time process that is required before representatives of 

an organization can submit grant application packages electronically through Grants.gov. 

The registration process can take up to four weeks depending on your organization and 

whether all steps are taken in a timely manner. For more information, visit 

http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

Note: If you are an individual applying for a grant on your own behalf and not on behalf of a 

company, academic or research institution, state, local or tribal government, not-for-profit, or 

other type of organization, visit http://www.grants.gov/applicants/individual_registration.jsp. 

If you apply as an individual to a grant designated for organizations, your application will be 

rejected. 

STEP 1: OBTAIN DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBER SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER 

WHY?

 The federal government has adopted the use of DUNS numbers to track how 

federal grant money is allocated. DUNS numbers identify your organization. 

HOW?

 Ask the grant administrator, chief financial officer, or authorizing official of your 

organization to identify your DUNS number. 

 If your organization does not know its DUNS number or needs to register for one, 

visit Dun & Bradstreet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. 

TIME REQUIRED?

 Same day. If requested by phone (1-866-705-5711), DUNS is provided immediately. 

STEP 2: REGISTER WITH SYSTEM FOR AWARD MAINTENANCE (SAM)

WHY?

 Registering with SAM is required for organizations to use Grants.gov. 

HOW?

 Ask the grant administrator, chief financial officer, or authorizing official of your 

organization if your organization has registered with SAM. 

 If your organization is not registered, apply online at www.sam.gov.

 When your organization registers with SAM, you must designate an E-Business 

Point of Contact (E-Biz POC). This person will create a special password called a

Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN). 
19

 This MPIN gives the E-Biz POC authority to designate which staff members from 

your organization are allowed to submit applications electronically through 

Grants.gov. These designated staff members are called Authorized Organization 

Representatives (AORs). 

TIME REQUIRED?

 If your organization already has an Employment Identification Number (EIN) or 

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), allow three to five business days to process 

the SAM registration.

 If your organization does not have an EIN or TIN, then please allow two weeks for 

obtaining the EIN or TIN from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if requested via 

phone or Internet. 

 Your organization needs to renew its SAM registration once a year, which may take up 

to five business days. You will not be able to move on to Step 3 until this step is 

completed.

STEP 3: CREATE GRANTS.GOV USERNAME & PASSWORD 

WHY?

 An AOR (Authorized Organization Representative) username and password 

serves as an "electronic signature" when submitting a Grants.gov application. 

HOW?

 To create a username and password, AORs must complete a profile on Grants.gov 

(using their organization’s DUNS number) at 

https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister. 

TIME REQUIRED?

 Same day. After the AOR has completed the profile, he/she will be prompted to create 

a username and password that will allow the user to log in and check their approval 

status immediately.

STEP 4: AOR AUTHORIZATION 

WHY?

 Only the E-Biz POC can approve AORs, who then have the ability to submit 

applications on behalf of the organization. 

HOW?

 When an AOR registers with Grants.gov, that organization's E-Biz POC is notified 

by email. 
20

 The E-Biz POC must then log in to Grants.gov (using the organization’s DUNS 

number for the username and the MPIN password obtained in Step 2) and approve 

the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. 

 When an E-Biz POC approves an AOR, Grants.gov will send the AOR a 

confirmation email. 

TIME REQUIRED?

 This depends on how long it takes the E-Biz POC to log in and approve the AOR. 

Once the approval is completed, the AOR can immediately submit an application.

STEP 5: TRACK AOR STATUS 

WHY?

 To verify that the organization’s E-Biz POC has approved the AOR. 

HOW?

 AORs can log in using their username and password (obtained in Step 3) to check 

if they have been approved by the E-Biz POC. 

TIME REQUIRED?

 Logging in as an applicant is instantaneous. The approval process depends on how 

long it takes the E-Biz POC to log in and approve the AOR.
21

Application Transmittal Instructions

ATTENTION ELECTRONIC APPLICANTS: Please note that you must follow the 

Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register Notice announcing the grant 

competition. 

This program requires the electronic submission of applications; specific requirements and 

waiver instructions can be found in the Federal Register Notice. 

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, those requesting and qualifying 

for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application via mail, 

commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must meet the 

following deadline requirements:

Applications Submitted Electronically:

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the Grants.gov Apply 

site at www.Grants.gov by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the application 

deadline date.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may submit 

your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial 

carrier). 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 84.120A)

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.
22

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider 

your application.

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.

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 84.120A)

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza

Washington, DC 20202-4260 

Application Control Center Hours of Operation

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 11 

of the SF 424 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.
23

Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications for FY15

The following Notice was published in the Federal Register on XXX. A PDF file of this 

Notice can be obtained using the following link:

The text below is reproduced here for your convenience. The official Notice is the one 

published in the Federal Register. 

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Minority Science and 

Engineering Improvement Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of 

Education

ACTION: Notice.

Overview Information:

Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) 

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year

(FY) 2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

84.120A.

Dates:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE 

FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: [INSERT DATE 60 

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: [INSERT DATE 120 
24

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect longrange improvement in science and engineering education at 

predominantly minority institutions and to increase the flow 

of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority 

women, into scientific and technological careers.

Priorities: This notice contains one competitive preference 

priority and one invitational priority. The competitive 

preference priority is from the Department’s notice of final 

supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary 

grant programs, published in the Federal Register on 

December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425). 

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2015 and any 

subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is 

a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional two points to an 

application that meets this priority.

 The competitive preference priority is:

Competitive Preference Priority -- Promoting Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education (2 

additional points).
25

Priority: Projects that are designed to improve Student 

Achievement (as defined in this notice) or other related 

outcomes by identifying and implementing instructional 

strategies, systems, and structures that improve 

postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in

completion of a degree in a STEM field.

Note: Applicants must indicate in the one-page abstract and 

on the MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form in the 

application package whether they intend to address the 

competitive preference priority.

Note: Through the competitive preference priority, the 

Department encourages applicants to implement strategies to 

improve student outcomes, such as increasing the number of 

students, including High-need Students (as defined in this 

notice), who persist and graduate in a STEM field. For 

example, an institution could implement pedagogies of 

engagement, such as problem-based learning, or provide 

Authentic STEM experiences (as defined in this notice), for 

students in science and engineering programs. Applicants

addressing this priority should demonstrate how their 

proposal will improve STEM education and student outcomes. 

Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year 

in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants 

from this competition, this priority is an invitational 
26

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.

The invitational priority is:

Invitational Priority -- Improving STEM Education in the 

First Two Years of College.

Priority: Projects designed to improve retention and other 

student outcomes in the first two years of college through 

strategies including, but not limited to, one or more of the 

following:

 (a) Obtaining institutional support and support from 

accrediting agencies for changes in curricular, pedagogical, 

and graduation requirements that are necessary to improve 

the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to 

help students academically deficient in STEM reach college 

level proficiency.

Note: Through the invitational priority, the Department 

encourages applicants to address systemic barriers that 

result in high failure and dropout rates during the 

introductory years of science and engineering programs. 

Applicants addressing this priority should demonstrate how 

their proposal will improve STEM education in the first two 

years of college. 
27

Definitions: The following definitions are from the notice 

of final supplemental priorities and definitions for 

discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal

Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425), and apply to 

the priorities in this notice:

Authentic STEM experiences means laboratory, researchbased, or experiential learning opportunities in a STEM 

(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subject 

in informal or formal settings.

High-minority school means a school as that term is 

defined by a local educational agency (LEA), which must 

define the term in a manner consistent with its State’s 

Teacher Equity Plan, as required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of 

the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA). The applicant must provide the 

definition(s) of high-minority schools used in its 

application.

High-need students means students who are at risk of 

educational failure or otherwise in need of special 

assistance and support, such as students who are living in 

poverty, who attend High-minority schools, who are far below 

grade level, who have left school before receiving a regular 

high school diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with 

a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, 
28

who have been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who 

are English learners.

Regular high school diploma means the standard high 

school diploma that is awarded to students in the State and 

that is fully aligned with the State’s academic content 

standards or a higher diploma and does not include a General 

Education Development (GED) credential, certificate of 

attendance, or any alternative award. 

Student achievement means--

 For grades and subjects in which assessments are 

required under section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA): (1) A student’s 

score on such assessments; and, as appropriate (2) other 

measures of student learning, such as those described in the 

subsequent paragraph, provided that they are rigorous and 

comparable across schools within a local educational agency 

(LEA). 

 For grades and subjects in which assessments are not 

required under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA: (1) 

Alternative measures of student learning and performance, 

such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-course tests, 

and objective performance-based assessments; (2) student 

learning objectives; (3) student performance on English 

language proficiency assessments; and (4) other measures of 
29

student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across 

schools within an LEA.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1067-1067k.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department 

General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 

75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The 

Education Department debarment and suspension regulations as 

adopted in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards as adopted in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The 

regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 646. (e) The 

notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for 

discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal

Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425).

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all 

applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86 apply to 

institutions of higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $2,800,918.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the 

quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 

2016 from the list of unfunded applications from this 
30

competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 

$150,000-$250,000. Special Project Grants: $100,000-

$250,000. Cooperative Project Grants: $250,000-$300,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: Institutional Project 

Grants: $200,000. Special Project Grants: $175,000. 

Cooperative Project Grants: $275,000.

Maximum Awards: Institutional Project Grants: $250,000. 

Special Project Grants: $250,000. Cooperative Project 

Grants: $300,000. We will reject any application that 

proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award amount listed 

for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant 

Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum 

amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 

10; Special Project Grants: 1; Cooperative Project Grants: 

1.

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

notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

 1. Eligible Applicants: The eligibility of an 

applicant is dependent on the type of MSEIP grant the 

applicant seeks. There are four types of MSEIP grants: 
31

Institutional project, special project, cooperative 

project, and design project.

Institutional project grants are grants that support 

the implementation of a comprehensive science improvement 

plan, which may include any combination of activities for 

improving the preparation of minority students for careers 

in science.

 There are two types of special project grants. First, 

there are special project grants for which only minority 

institutions are eligible. These special project grants 

support activities that: (1) Improve quality training in 

science and engineering at minority institutions; or (2) 

enhance the minority institutions' general scientific 

research capabilities. There also are special project 

grants for which all applicants are eligible. These special 

project grants support activities that: (1) provide a 

needed service to a group of eligible minority institutions; 

or (2) provide in-service training for project directors, 

scientists, and engineers from eligible minority 

institutions.

 Cooperative project grants assist groups of nonprofit 

accredited colleges and universities to work together to 

conduct a science improvement program.

Design project grants assist minority institutions that 
32

do not have their own appropriate resources or personnel to 

plan and develop long-range science improvement programs. 

We will not award design project grants in the FY 2015 

competition.

 (a) For institutional project grants, eligible 

applicants are limited to:

 (1) Public and private nonprofit institutions of 

higher education that (i) Award baccalaureate degrees; and 

(ii) are minority institutions;

 (2) Public or private nonprofit institutions of higher 

education that (i) award associate degrees; and (ii) are 

minority institutions that (A) have a curriculum that 

includes science or engineering subjects; and (B) enter into 

a partnership with public or private nonprofit institutions 

of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees in 

science and engineering.

 (b) For special project grants for which only minority 

institutions are eligible, eligible applicants are described 

in paragraph (a).

 (c) For special project grants for which all 

applicants are eligible, eligible applicants include those 

described in paragraph (a), and

 (1) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, 

professional scientific societies, and institutions of 
33

higher education that award baccalaureate degrees that: (i) 

provide a needed service to a group of minority 

institutions; or (ii) provide in-service training to project 

directors, scientists, and engineers from minority 

institutions; or

 (2) A consortia of organizations, that provide needed 

services to one or more minority institutions, the 

membership of which may include (i) institutions of higher 

education which have a curriculum in science or engineering; 

(ii) institutions of higher education that have a graduate 

or professional program in science or engineering; (iii) 

research laboratories of, or under contract with, the 

Department of Energy, the Department of Defense or the 

National Institutes of Health; (iv) relevant offices of the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science 

Foundation and National Institute of Standards and 

Technology; (v) quasi-governmental entities that have a 

significant scientific or engineering mission; or (vi) 

institutions of higher education that have State-sponsored 

centers for research in science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics.

 (d) For cooperative project grants, eligible 

applicants are groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and 
34

universities whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible 

minority institution as defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

Note: As defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b), “minority institution” 

means an accredited college or university whose enrollment 

of a single minority group or a combination of minority 

groups exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.

 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not 

require cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can 

obtain an application via the Internet at Grants.gov. If 

you do not have access to the Internet, please contact Dr. 

Stacey Slijepcevic, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 

219-7124 or Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S. Department of 

Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20006-8517. 

Telephone: (202) 219-7038.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the 

application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, 

large print, audiotape, or computer disc) by contacting the 

program contact persons listed in this section.
35

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: 

Requirements concerning the content of an application, 

together with the forms you must submit, are in the 

application package for this competition. 

Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the 

application) is where you, the applicant, address the 

selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We have established a mandatory page limit for 

the application narrative of each type of MSEIP grant 

project application as follows:

Institutional project grant: 40 pages;

Special project grant: 35 pages;

Cooperative project grant: 50 pages.

You must limit the application narrative (Part III) to 

these established page limits, using the following 

standards:

 A “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with 1” 

margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and 

a document identifier may be within the 1” margin.

 Double space (no more than three lines per vertical 

inch) all text in the application narrative, except titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, references, captions, and 

all text in charts, tables, and graphs. These items may be 

single spaced; however, they will count toward the page 
36

limit.

 Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or 

no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). 

However, you may use a 10 point font in charts, tables, 

figures, and graphs.

 Use one of the following fonts: Times New 

Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application 

submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or 

Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

If you use some but not all of the allowable space on a 

page, it will be counted as a full page in determining 

compliance with the page limit.

The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover 

sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the budget 

justification; Part III, the one-page abstract, the table of 

contents, the MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form, required 

letter(s) of commitment, evidence of partnerships; and Part 

IV, the assurances and certifications. If you include any 

attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these 

items will be counted as part of the program narrative (Part 

III) for purposes of the page limit requirement. You must 

include your complete responses to the selection criteria in 

the program narrative.

We will reject your application if you exceed the page 
37

limit, or if you apply other standards and exceed the 

equivalent of the page limit. We will also reject your 

application if you fail to provide the MSEIP Eligibility 

Certification Form.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE 

FEDERAL REGISTER].

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: [INSERT DATE 60 

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

Applications for grants under this program 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 IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of 

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 
38

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.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: [INSERT DATE 120 

DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject 

to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 

79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application 

package for this competition.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations 

outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations

section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer 

Identification Number, and System for Award Management: To 

do business with the Department of Education, you must--

 a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

 b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the 

System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly the Central 

Contractor Registry (CCR)), the Government’s primary 

registrant database;

 c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your 
39

application; and

 d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current 

information while your application is under review by the 

Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the 

project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. 

A DUNS number can be created within one to two business 

days.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 

organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue 

Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN 

from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security 

Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow two to 

five weeks for your TIN to become active. 

The SAM registration process can take approximately

seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, 

depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data 

entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you 

think you might want to apply for Federal financial 

assistance under a program administered by the Department, 

please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your 

DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you 

register early. 

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need 
40

to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available 

in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application 

through Grants.gov. 

If you are currently registered with SAM, you may 

not need to make any changes. However, please make 

certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number 

is correct. Also note that you will need to update 

your registration annually. This may take three or 

more business days. 

Information about SAM is available at www.Sam.gov. 

To further assist you with obtaining and registering 

your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your 

existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip 

Sheet, which you can find at: 

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

In addition, if you are submitting your 

application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated 

by your organization as an Authorized Organization 

Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 

Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are 

outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page: 

www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for 

grants under this competition must be submitted 
41

electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this 

requirement in accordance with the instructions in this 

section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Applications for grants under the MSEIP, CFDA Number 

84.120A, 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 email 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 application for the 

MSEIP at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 

downloadable application package for this competition by the 
42

CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix 

in your search (e.g., search for 84.120, not 

84.120A).

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.
43

 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 

this 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 

system home page at www.G5.gov.

 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: the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 

424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information 

for SF 424, Budget Information--Non- Construction Programs 
44

(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 

certifications.

 You must upload any narrative sections and all 

other attachments to your application as files in a PDF 

(Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. 

Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If 

you upload a file type other than a read-only, nonmodifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we 

will not review that material. Additional, detailed 

information on how to attach files is in the 

application instructions.

 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 
45

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 
46

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 
47

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 prevents 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: Dr. Stacey 

Slijepcevic, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 

NW., Room 6014, Washington, DC 20006-8517. Fax: (202) 502-

7861 or Dr. Bernadette Hence, U.S. Department of Education, 

1990 K Street, NW., Room 6152. Fax: (202) 502-7861.

Your paper application must be submitted in accordance 

with the mail or hand delivery instructions described in 

this notice.

b. 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 
48

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 84.120A)

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.
49

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.

c. 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 84.120A)

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, 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 11 of the SF 424 the 

CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the 

competition under which you are submitting your application; 

and
50

(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.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for 

this program are from 34 CFR 637.32(a) through (j). 

Applicants should address each of the selection criteria. 

The total weight of the selection criteria is 100 points; 

the weight of each criterion is noted in parentheses. 

Please see the application package for a detailed 

explanation of these criteria. The selection criteria are 

as follows:

(a) Identification of need for the project (Total 5 

points).

(b) Plan of operation (Total 20 points).

(c) Quality of key personnel (Total 5 points).

(d) Budget and cost effectiveness (Total 10 points).

(e) Evaluation plan (Total 15 points).

(f) Adequacy of resources (Total 5 points).

(g) Potential institutional impact of the project 

(Total 15 points).
51

(h) Institutional commitment to the project (Total 5 

points).

(i) Expected outcomes (Total 10 points).

(j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed 

project (Total 10 points).

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential 

applicants that in reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, 

under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the 

applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the 

applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, 

and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may 

also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a 

timely performance report or submitted a report of 

unacceptable quality.

 In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the 

Secretary also requires various assurances including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal 

financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 

CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

 Tiebreaker for Institutional, Special Project, and 

Cooperative Grants. If there are insufficient funds for all 

applications with the same total scores, applications will 
52

receive preference in the following manner. The Secretary 

gives priority to applicants which have not previously 

received funding from the program and to previous grantees 

with a proven record of success, as well as to applications 

that contribute to achieving balance among funded projects 

with respect to: (1) Geographic region; (2) Academic 

discipline; and (3) Project type.

 3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the 

Secretary may impose special conditions and, in appropriate 

circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 

applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a 

history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or 

other management system that does not meet the standards in 

2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions 

of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, 

we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send 

you an email containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected 

for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We 
53

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. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this 

competition, you must ensure that you have in place the 

necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting 

requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding 

under the competition. This does not apply if you have an 

exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit 

a final performance report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a 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 
54

requirements on reporting, please go to 

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html. 

 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has 

established the following key performance measures for 

assessing the effectiveness of the MSEIP: (1) The 

percentage of change in the number of full-time, degreeseeking minority undergraduate students at the grantee's 

institution enrolled in the fields of engineering or 

physical or biological sciences, compared to the average 

minority enrollment in the same fields in the three-year 

period immediately prior to the beginning of the current 

grant; (2) the percentage of minority students enrolled at 

four-year minority-serving institutions in the fields of 

engineering or physical or biological sciences who graduate 

within six years of enrollment. Please see the application 

package for details of data collection and reporting 

requirements for these measures.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation 

award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: whether a grantee has made substantial 

progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the 

project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner 

that is consistent with its approved application and budget; 

and, if the Secretary has established performance 
55

measurement requirements, the performance targets in the 

grantee’s approved application. In making a continuation 

grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is 

operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable to Federal civil 

rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 

activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the 

Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contacts

For Further Information Contact: Dr. Stacey Slijepcevic, 

U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6014, 

Washington, DC 20006-8517. Telephone: (202) 219-7124, or by 

e-mail: stacey.slijepcevic@ed.gov or Dr. Bernadette Hence, 

U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., Room 6152. 

Telephone: (202) 219-7038 or by e-mail: 

Bernadette.hence@ed.gov.

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 

1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the application package in an 

accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc) on request to the program contact persons 

listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII 
56

of this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. 

At this site you can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department published in the Federal 

Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). 

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department 

published in the Federal Register by using the article 

search feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced search feature at 

this site, you can limit your search to documents 

published by the Department.

Dated: 

_______________________________________

Ericka M. Miller,

Acting Assistant Secretary for 

Postsecondary Education.
57

Authorizing Legislation 

Title III, Part E, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended:

PART E—MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

SUBPART 1—MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

The legislative authorization for the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement 

Program is Title III, Part E, Subpart 1, Secs. 350-365 of the Higher Education Act of 

1965, as amended. The legislative authorization can be downloaded from the following 

Web site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iduesmsi/legislation.html.
58

Code of Federal Regulations

[Title 34, Volume 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 34CFR637.1]

The Code of Federal Regulations governing the Minority Science and Engineering 

Improvement Program can be downloaded from the following Web site: 

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_04/34cfr637_04.html.
59

Intergovernmental Review 

State Single Point of Contact

Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)

This program falls under the rubric of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review 

of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the 

Executive order is to strengthen federalism--or the distribution of responsibility between 

localities, States, and the Federal government--by fostering intergovernmental 

partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments 

have devised for coordinating and reviewing proposed Federal financial grant 

applications.

The process for doing this requires grant applicants to contact State Single Points of 

Contact for information on how this works. Multi-state applicants should follow 

procedures specific to each state. 

Further information about the State Single Point of Contact process and a list of names by

State can be found at: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the 

Department. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand-delivered by

the date indicated in the actual application notice to the following address: The Secretary, 

EO 12372--CFDA# [84.120A], U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200. 400 

Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 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 4:30:00 p.m. 

(Eastern Standard Time) on the closing date indicated in this notice.

Important note: The above address is not the same address as the one to which the 

applicant submits its completed applications. Do not send applications to the above 

address.
60

Supplemental Information 

General Information

The following information supplements the information provided in the Dear Applicant 

letter and the Notice.

A. Criteria for Funding

All applications for grants under the Minority Science and Engineering 

Improvement Program (MSEIP) must include the MSEIP Eligibility Certification 

Form to be considered for funding. All applications are considered new 

submissions and evaluated using the selection criteria listed in the program 

regulations (34 CFR 637.32) and discussed in the Instructions for Project 

Narrative section of this application package. 

B. Length of New Award

Applicants may apply for a maximum grant performance period up to 36 months 

in duration. Funding for the second and third performance periods are contingent 

upon additional funds being appropriated by Congress and the grantee making 

satisfactory progress.

C. Evaluation of Applications for Awards

Panels comprised of three non-Federal reviewers read each assigned application. 

Each reviewer will prepare an independent written evaluation of the application 

and assign points for each selection criterion. 

D. Selection of Grantees

The Secretary will select an application for funding in rank order, based on the 

application’s total score for the selection criteria and competitive preference 

priority points. If there are insufficient funds to fund all applications with the 

same total score, the Secretary will choose among the tied applications so as to 

serve geographical areas and eligible populations that have been underserved by

the MSEIP (34 CFR 637.31).

E. Applicant Funding

Applicants should pay close attention to the “Maximum Award” section of the 

Notice. The Department may decide not to fund any application at an amount 

exceeding the applicable maximum award level.
61

F. Notice to Successful Applicants

The Department's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs will inform the 

Congress regarding applicants approved for new MSEIP grants. Successful 

applicants will receive award notices by mail and/or email shortly after the 

Congress is notified. No funding information will be released before the 

Congress is notified.

G. Notice to Unsuccessful Applicants

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing following the notice to 

successful applicants. 
62

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

What is GPRA?

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 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 their progress to the 

Congress. In so doing, it is expected that the GPRA will contribute to improvements in 

accountability for the expenditures of public funds, improve Congressional decisionmaking 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 Department of Education Responded to the GPRA Requirements?

As required by GPRA, the Department of Education has prepared a strategic plan for 

2014-2018. 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 U.S. The Department’s goals, as listed in the 

plan, are:

Goal 1: Postsecondary Education, Career and Technical Education, and Adult 

Education.

Increase college access, affordability, quality, and completion by improving postsecondary

education and lifelong learning opportunities for youths and adults.

Goal 2: Elementary and Secondary Education.

Improve the elementary and secondary education system’s ability to consistently deliver 

excellent instruction aligned with rigorous academic standards while providing effective 

support services to close achievement and opportunity gaps, and ensure all students graduate 

high school college- and career-ready.

Goal 3: Early Learning.

Improve the health, social-emotional, and cognitive outcomes for all children from birth 

through 3rd grade, so that all children, particularly those with high needs, are on track for 

graduating from high school college- and career-ready.

Goal 4: Equity.

Increase educational opportunities for and reduce discrimination against underserved students 

so that all students are well-positioned to succeed.

Goal 5: Continuous Improvement of the U.S. Education System.

Enhance the education system’s ability to continuously improve through better and more 

widespread use of data, research and evaluation, evidence, transparency, innovation, and 

technology.
63

Goal 6: U.S Department of Education Capacity.

Improve the organizational capacities of the Department to implement this strategic plan.

What are the performance indicators for the MSEIP?

The performance indicators for the MSEIP are part of the Department’s plan for meeting 

Goal 1. The specific goal for the MSEIP is “to effect long-range improvement in science 

and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions and to increase the flow 

of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and 

technological careers.”
64

Performance Indicators for MSEIP 

The following performance indicators are used to determine the effectiveness of MSEIP 

grants:

1) Minority Enrollment in Science and Engineering: the percentage change in the 

number of full-time, degree-seeking minority undergraduate students at grantee 

institutions enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences, 

compared to the average minority enrollment in the same fields in the three-year 

period immediately prior to the beginning of the current grant. (Source: IPEDS)

2) Persistence of Minority Science and Engineering Undergraduates: the 

percentage of full-time undergraduate minority students who were in their first year 

of postsecondary enrollment in the previous year and are enrolled in the current year 

at the same institution in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences. 

(Source: Annual Performance Reports)

3) Graduation of Minority Science and Engineering Undergraduates: a) in four-year 

grantee institutions, the percentage of minority students who enrolled in the fields of 

engineering or physical or biological sciences who graduate within six years of 

enrollment; or b) in two-year grantee institutions, the percentage of minority students 

enrolled in the fields of engineering or physical or biological sciences who graduate 

within three years of enrollment. (Source: IPEDS)

How does the Department of Education determine whether performance goals have 

been met?

An applicant that receives a grant award will be required to submit annual performance 

reports (APR) and a final report as a condition of the award. The reports will document 

the extent to which project goals and objectives are met.

Detailed information about APR contents and submission guidelines will be sent to 

successful applicants within 60 days after the Grant Award Notifications (GAN) are 

mailed.
65

Instructions for Completing the Application Package 

The MSEIP application consists of four parts. These parts are organized in the same 

manner that the submitted application should be organized. Please note: Grants.gov 

cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same 

name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application 

package should have a unique file name.

PART I GRANTS.GOV 

SECTION NAME

Included in the 

page count?

Instructions

Application

SF424 Forms

Application for 

Federal Assistance 

(SF 424)

No The “Application for Federal 

Assistance (SF 424)” is where the 

applicant will upload the (SF 424) 

form.

ED 424 Forms Department of 

Education 

Supplemental 

Information for SF 

424

No The “Department of Education 

Supplemental Information for SF 

424 Form” is where the applicant will 

upload the SF 424 Supplemental 

Information Form.

PART II GRANTS.GOV 

SECTION NAME

Included in the 

page count?

Instructions

Budget Forms

– ED 524 A and 

B

U.S. Department of 

Education Budget 

Summary ED 524 Form

Section A – Budget 

Summary U.S. 

Department of 

Education Funds

Section B – Budget 

Summary NonFederal Funds

No The “Department of Education 

Budget Information for NonConstruction Programs (ED 524)”

is where the applicant uploads the 

request for federal grant funds. The 

*non-federal funds that will be 

supplied by the institution should be 

included in Section B.

*The use of non-federal funds is not 

required for this grant.

Budget 

Narrative –

Comprehensive 

Budget Details 

for ED form 

524

Budget Narrative 

Attachment Form

No The “Budget Narrative Attachment 

Form” is where applicants will attach 

the budget narrative that describes the 

justifications for Section A and B 

federal and non-federal funds that 

include all costs that are allowable, 

reasonable, and necessary for the 

proposed MSEIP project. This 

includes justifications for the 

personnel, fringe benefits, travel, 

equipment, supplies, other, training 

stipends, indirect costs, and total 

costs.
66

PART III GRANTS.GOV 

SECTION 

NAME

Included 

in the 

page 

count?

Instructions

Abstract ED Abstract 

Form

No The “ED Abstract Form” is where applicants 

will attach a one-page abstract narrative that 

provides an overview of the proposed MSEIP 

project. Applicants must also indicate the 

competitive preference priority and/or the 

invitational priority that is addressed in the 

application.

Table of 

Contents

(optional)

Project 

Narrative 

Attachment 

Form

No Applicants may include the optional Table 

of Contents at the beginning of the Project 

Narrative Attachment Form. 

The Project Plan 

- Response to 

Selection Criteria

Project 

Narrative 

Attachment 

Form

Yes The “Project Narrative Attachment Form” is 

where applicants will attach their narrative 

responses to the ten (10) selection criteria that 

will be used to evaluate applications submitted 

for this competition; load using the “Project 

Narrative Attachment Form.”

For this section the page limits are as follows:

Institutional Project Applications – Maximum 

40 pages

Special Project Applications - Maximum 35 

pages

Cooperative Project Applications - Maximum 

50 pages

Letter(s) of 

Commitment

Other 

Attachments 

Form

*No The “Other Attachments Form” is where 

applicants provide a letter of commitment from 

the institution’s chancellor, president, provost, 

dean, or CEO.

A minimum of one letter is required. Up to 

three letters can be attached and will not be 

included in the page count.

*Any additional letters over three will be 

included in the page count. If you submit more 

than 3 letters of commitment, we will count the 

shortest letters towards the page count.
67

PART III GRANTS.GOV 

SECTION 

NAME

Included 

in the 

page 

count?

Instructions

Evidence of 

Partnerships

Other 

Attachments 

Form

No The “Other Attachments Form” is where 

applicants provide evidence of partnership 

agreement(s) such as articulation agreement(s) 

and/or memorandum of understanding(s) 

(MOUs) with two-year institutions or four-year 

institutions; schools or school districts; nonprofit 

science-oriented organizations; or professional 

scientific societies.

Letter(s) of 

Support

Other 

Attachments 

Form

No The “Other Attachments Form” is where 

applicants provide letters of support outside of 

the required letter of commitment and evidence 

of partnerships. They may include support from 

members of Congress and others and are not 

required.

Resumes Other 

Attachments 

Form

No The “Other Attachments Form” is where 

applicants provide the resume or curriculum 

vitae of the key personnel, particularly the 

project director and co-project director(s).

MSEIP 

Eligibility 

Certification 

Form

Other 

Attachments 

Form

No The “Other Attachments Form” is where 

applicants will attach the required MSEIP 

Eligibility Certification Form.
68

PART IV GRANTS.GOV 

SECTION NAME

Included 

in the 

page 

count?

Instructions: 

All “Assurances, Certifications, and 

Survey Forms” are mandatory and must 

be completed.

Attachment 1 ED GEPA 427 

Form

No Upload in Part IV

Attachment 2 Grants.gov 

Lobbying Form 

(formerly 

Certification 

Regarding 

Lobbying (ED 80-

0013))

No Upload in Part IV

Attachment 3 Disclosure of 

Lobbying Activities 

(SF-LLL)

No Upload in Part IV

Attachment 4 Assurances for 

Non-Construction

Programs

(SF 424 B)

No Upload in Part IV
69

Instructions for Federal Assistance Form SF424

This is a standard form required for use as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications and applications 

and related information under discretionary programs. Some of the items are required and some are optional 

at the discretion of the applicant or the federal agency (agency). Required fields on the form are identified 

with an asterisk (*) and are also specified as “Required” in the instructions below. In addition to these 

instructions, applicants must consult agency instructions to determine other specific requirements.

Item Entry: Item: Entry:

1. Type of Submission: (Required) Select one 

type of submission in accordance with 

agency instructions.

• Pre-application

• Application

• Changed/Corrected Application – Check if 

this submission is to change or correct a 

previously submitted application. Unless 

requested by the agency, applicants may 

not use this form to submit changes after 

the closing date.

10. Name Of Federal Agency: (Required) Enter the 

name of the federal agency from which 

assistance is being requested with this 

application.

11. Catalog Of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Number/Title:

Enter the Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance number and title of the program 

under which assistance is requested, as found 

in the program announcement, if applicable.

2. Type of Application: (Required) Select one 

type of application in accordance with 

agency instructions.

• New – An application that is being 

submitted to an agency for the first time.

• Continuation - An extension for an 

additional funding/budget period for a 

project with a projected completion date. 

This can include renewals.

• Revision - Any change in the federal 

government’s financial obligation or 

contingent liability from an existing 

obligation. If a revision, enter the 

appropriate letter(s). More than one may be 

selected. If "Other" is selected, please 

specify in text box provided.

A. Increase Award B. Decrease

 Award (specify)

C. Increase Duration D. Decrease

 Duration 

E. Other (specify) 

12. Funding Opportunity Number/Title: 

(Required) Enter the Funding Opportunity 

Number (FON) and title of the opportunity 

under which assistance is requested, as found 

in the program announcement. 

13. Competition Identification Number/Title: Enter 

the competition identification number and title 

of the competition under which assistance is 

requested, if applicable.

14. Areas Affected By Project: This data element 

is intended for use only by programs for which 

the area(s) affected are likely to be different 

than the place(s) of performance reported on 

the SF-424 Project/Performance Site 

Location(s) Form. Add attachment to enter 

additional areas, if needed.

3. Date Received: Leave this field blank. This 

date will be assigned by the federal agency.

15. Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: 

(Required) Enter a brief descriptive title of the 

project. If appropriate, attach a map showing 

project location (e.g., construction or real 

property projects). For pre-applications, attach 

a summary description of the project. 

4. Applicant Identifier: Enter the entity 

identifier assigned by the federal agency, if 

any, or the applicant’s control number if 

applicable.

5a. Federal Entity Identifier: Enter the number 

assigned to your organization by the federal 

agency, if any.

16. Congressional Districts Of: 16a. (Required) 

Enter the applicant’s congressional district. 

16b. Enter all district(s) affected by the 

program or project. Enter in the format: 2 

characters state abbreviation – 3 characters 

district number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th 

5b. Federal Award Identifier: For new 

applications, enter NA. For a continuation 

or revision to an existing award, enter the 
70

previously assigned federal award identifier 

number. If a changed/corrected application, 

enter the federal identifier in accordance 

with agency instructions.

district, CA-012 for California 12 district, NC103 for North Carolina’s 103 district. If all 

congressional districts in a state are affected, 

enter “all” for the district number, e.g., MD-all 

for all congressional districts in Maryland. If 

nationwide, i.e. all districts within all states are 

affected, enter US-all. If the program/project 

is outside the US, enter 00-000. This optional 

data element is intended for use only by 

programs for which the area(s) affected are 

likely to be different than place(s) of 

performance reported on the SF-424 

Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. 

Attach an additional list of program/project 

congressional districts, if needed.

6. Date Received by State: Leave this field 

blank. This date will be assigned by the 

state, if applicable. 

7. State Application Identifier: Leave this field 

blank. This identifier will be assigned by the 

state, if applicable.

8. Applicant Information: Enter the following in 

accordance with agency instructions: 

a. Legal Name: (Required) Enter the legal 

name of applicant that will undertake the 

assistance activity. This is the organization 

that has registered with the System for 

Award Management (SAM). Information on 

registering with SAM may be obtained by 

visiting www.Grants.gov. 

17. Proposed Project Start and End Dates: 

(Required) Enter the proposed start date and 

end date of the project.

b. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN): 

(Required) Enter the employer or taxpayer 

identification number (EIN or TIN) as 

assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. 

If your organization is not in the US, enter 

44-4444444.

18. Estimated Funding: (Required) Enter the 

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.

c. Organizational DUNS: (Required) Enter 

the organization’s DUNS or DUNS+4 

number received from Dun and Bradstreet. 

Information on obtaining a DUNS number 

may be obtained by visiting 

www.Grants.gov. 

19. Is Application Subject to Review by State 

Under Executive Order 12372 Process? 

(Required) 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. Select the 

appropriate box. If “a.” is selected, enter the 

date the application was submitted to the 

State. 

d. Address: Enter address: Street 1 

(Required); city (Required); County/Parish, 

State (Required if country is US), Province, 

Country (Required), 9-digit zip/postal code 

(Required if country US). 

20. Is the Applicant Delinquent on any Federal 

Debt?

(Required) Select the appropriate box. This 

question applies to the applicant organization, 

not the person who signs as the authorized 

representative. Categories of federal debt 

include; but, may not be limited to: delinquent 

audit disallowances, loans and taxes. If yes, 

include an explanation in an attachment. 

e. Organizational Unit: Enter the name of 

the primary organizational unit, department 

or division that will undertake the assistance 

activity. 

21. Authorized Representative: To be signed and 

dated by the authorized representative of the 

applicant organization. Enter the first and last 

name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix. 

Enter title, telephone number, email 

(Required); and fax number. A copy of the 

governing body’s authorization for you to sign 

this application as the official representative 

must be on file in the applicant’s office. 

(Certain federal agencies may require that this 

f. Name and contact information of person to 

be contacted on matters involving this 

application: Enter the first and last name 

(Required); prefix, middle name, suffix, title. 

Enter organizational affiliation if affiliated 

with an organization other than that in 7.a. 
71

Telephone number and email (Required); 

fax number. 

authorization be submitted as part of the 

application.)

9. Type of Applicant: (Required) Select up to 

three applicant type(s) in accordance with 

agency instructions. 

A. State 

Government

B. County 

Government

C. City or 

Township 

Government

D. Special 

District 

Government

E. Regional 

Organization

F. U.S. Territory 

or Possession

G. Independent 

School District

H. Public/State 

Controlled 

Institution of 

Higher 

Education

I. Indian/Native 

American 

Tribal 

Government 

(Federally 

Recognized)

J. Indian/Native 

American 

Tribal 

Government 

(Other than 

Federally 

Recognized)

K. Indian/Native 

American 

Tribally 

Designated 

Organization

L. Public/Indian 

Housing 

Authority

M. Nonprofit

N. Private 

Institution of 

Higher 

Education

O. Individual

P. For-Profit 

Organization

(Other than 

Small 

Business)

Q. Small 

Business

R. Hispanicserving 

Institution

S. Historically 

Black 

Colleges and 

Universities 

(HBCUs)

T. Tribally 

Controlled 

Colleges and 

Universities 

(TCCUs)

U. Alaska 

Native and 

Native 

Hawaiian 

Serving 

Institutions

V. Non-US 

Entity

W. Other 

(specify)

[U.S Department of Education note: As of spring, 2010, the FON discussed in Block 12 of the 

instructions can be found via the following URL: 

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp.]
72

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental 

Information for the SF424

1. Project Director. Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the person to be 

contacted on matters involving this application. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

2. Novice Applicant. Check “Yes” if you meet the definition for novice applicants specified in the 

regulations in 34 CFR 75.225 and included on the attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of 

Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424”. By checking “Yes” the applicant certifies that it meets 

these novice applicant requirements. Check “No” if you do not meet the definition for novice applicants.

This novice applicant information will be used by ED to: 1) determine the amount and type of technical 

assistance that a novice might need, if funded, and 2) determine novice applicant eligibility in discretionary 

grant competitions that give special consideration to novice applications. Certain ED discretionary grant 

programs give special consideration to novice applications, either by establishing a special competition for 

novice applicants or by giving competitive preference to novice applicants under the procedures in 34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2). If special consideration is being given to novice applications under a particular discretionary 

grant competition, the application notice for the competition published in the Federal Register will specify 

this information

3. Human Subjects Research. (See I. A. “Definitions” in attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. 

Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”)

3a. 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 3 are then not 

applicable.

3a. 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 U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424.”) 

3b. 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. Check 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 U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.” 

3b. 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 attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of 

Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”

3b. Human Subjects Assurance Number. If the applicant has an approved Federal Wide Assurance 

(FWA) on file 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. (A list of current 

FWAs is available at: http://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/search/asearch.asp#ASUR) If the applicant does not 

have an approved assurance on file with OHRP, enter “None.” In this case, the applicant, by signature on the 

SF-424, 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 
73

designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain the assurance within 30 days after the specific 

formal request.

3c. If applicable, please attach your “Exempt Research” or “Nonexempt Research” narrative to your 

submission of the U.S Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424 form as instructed 

in item II, “Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt Human Subjects Research Narratives” in the attached 

page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.” 

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.

No covered human subjects research can be conducted until the study has ED clearance for 

protection of human subjects in research.

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 1894-0007. The time required to complete this 

information collection is estimated to average between 15 and 45 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 estimate(s) or suggestions 

for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-0170. If 

you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form write directly 

to: (insert program office), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 

20202.

Definitions for U.S. Department of Education 

Supplemental Information for the SF-424

Definitions:

Novice Applicant (See 34 CFR 75.225)

For discretionary grant programs, novice applicant means any applicant for a grant from ED that—

 Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which it seeks funding;

 Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-

75.129, that received a grant under the program from which it seeks funding; and

 Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal government in the five years before the 

deadline date for applications under the program. For the purposes of this requirement, a grant is 

active until the end of the grant’s project or funding period, including any extensions of those 

periods that extend the grantee’s authority to obligate funds.

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.
74

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. 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 directly or indirectly linked to 

that individual, 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. If an educational practice is being introduced to the site and is not widely used 

for similar populations, it is not covered by this exemption.

(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.]
75

(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. [This exemption applies only to retrospective studies using data collected before the initiation 

of the research.]

(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. [The standards of this exemption are rarely met 

because it was designed to apply only to specific research conducted by HHS at the time the regulations 

were established. We will strictly construe this exemption because it was not intended to apply to ED 

research.]

(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 3.b. of the U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information 

for the SF 424, the applicant must attach a human subjects “exempt research” or “nonexempt research” 

narrative to the U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424 form. If you have 

multiple projects and need to provide more than one narrative, be sure to label each set of responses as to 

the project they address.

A. Exempt Research Narrative.

If you marked “Yes” for item 3.b. and designated exemption numbers(s), attach the “exempt research” 

narrative to the U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424. 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 3.b. you must attach the “nonexempt research” narrative to the U.S. 

Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424. 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 
76

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 Office of the Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4331, 

telephone: (202) 245-8090, and on the U.S. Department of Education’s Protection of Human Subjects in 

Research Web Site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

NOTE: The State Applicant Identifier on the SF-424 is for State Use only. Please complete it on the SF424 in the upper right corner of the form (if applicable).
77

Instructions for Budget Summary Form ED 524 

General Instructions

This form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of Education (ED) 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. You may access the 

Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR 74 – 86 and 97-99, on ED’s website 

at:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html

You must consult with your Business Office prior to submitting this form.

Section A - Budget Summary

U.S. Department of Education Funds

All applicants must complete Section A and provide a break-down 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.

Indirect Cost Information: If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this 

information is to be completed by your Business Office. (1): Indicate whether or not your organization has 

an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement that was approved by the Federal government. 

If you checked “no,” ED generally will authorize grantees to use a temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted 

salaries and wages subject to the following limitations: 

(a) The grantee must submit an indirect cost proposal to its cognizant agency within 90 days after 

ED issues a grant award notification; and 

(b) If after the 90-day period, the grantee has not submitted an indirect cost proposal to its 

cognizant agency, the grantee may not charge its grant for indirect costs until it has negotiated an indirect 

cost rate agreement with its cognizant agency.

(2): If you checked “yes” in (1), indicate in (2) the beginning and ending dates covered by the 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. In addition, indicate whether ED, another federal agency (Other) or State 

agency issued the approved agreement. If you check “Other,” specify the name of the Federal or other

agency that issued the approved agreement. 

(3): If you are applying for a grant under a Restricted Rate Program (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563), 

indicate whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that is included on your approved Indirect Cost 

Rate Agreement or whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that complies with 34 CFR 

76.564(c)(2). Note: State or Local government agencies may not use the provision for a restricted indirect 

cost rate specified in 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Check only one response. Leave blank, if this item is not 

applicable.
78

Section B - Budget Summary

Non-Federal Funds

If you are required to provide or volunteer to provide cost-sharing or 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 nonFederal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this space blank.

Section C - Budget Narrative [Attach separate sheet(s)]

Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, 

if attached.

1. Provide an itemized budget breakdown, and justification by project year, for each budget category 

listed in Sections A and B. For grant projects that will be divided into two or more separately 

budgeted major activities or sub-projects, show for each budget category of a project year the 

breakdown of the specific expenses attributable to each sub-project or activity.

2. For non-Federal funds or resources listed in Section B that are used to meet a cost-sharing or matching 

requirement or provided as a voluntary cost-sharing or matching commitment, you must include: 

a. The specific costs or contributions by budget category; 

b. The source of the costs or contributions; and

c. In the case of third-party in-kind contributions, a description of how the value was determined for 

the donated or contributed goods or services.

[Please review ED’s general cost sharing and matching regulations, which include specific limitations, 

in 34 CFR 74.23, applicable to non-governmental entities, and 80.24, applicable to governments, and 

the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles for your entity type regarding 

donations, capital assets, depreciation and use allowances. OMB cost principle circulars are available 

on OMB’s website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html]

3. If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.

4. If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this information is to be completed 

by your Business Office. Specify the estimated amount of the base to which the indirect cost rate is 

applied and the total indirect expense. Depending on the grant program to which you are applying 

and/or your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, some direct cost budget categories in your grant 

application budget may not be included in the base and multiplied by your indirect cost rate. For 

example, you must multiply the indirect cost rates of “Training grants" (34 CFR 75.562) and grants 

under programs with “Supplement not Supplant” requirements ("Restricted Rate" programs) by a 
79

“modified total direct cost” (MTDC) base (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563). Please indicate which costs are 

included and which costs are excluded from the base to which the indirect cost rate is applied. 

When calculating indirect costs (line 10) for "Training grants" or grants under "Restricted Rate" 

programs, you must refer to the information and examples on ED’s website at: 

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html. 

You may also contact (202) 377-3838 for additional information regarding calculating indirect cost 

rates or general indirect cost rate information.

5. Provide other explanations or comments you deem necessary.

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 1894-0008. The time required to complete this information collection is 

estimated to vary from 13 to 22 hours per response, with an average of 17.5 hours per response, including 

the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, 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. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual 

submission of this form, write directly to (insert program office), U.S. Department of Education, 400 

Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202. 
80

Instructions for Project Narrative 

Before preparing the project narrative, applicants should review the Dear Applicant letter, 

the Federal Register Notice, program statute, and program regulations for specific 

guidance and requirements. Note that applications will be evaluated according to the 

specific selection criteria specified in the Federal Register notice and this package. 

Page Limits

Project narrative must not exceed the following page limits:

Institutional Project Applications – 40 pages

Special Project Applications – 35 pages

Cooperative Project Applications – 50 pages

Formatting

The following standards will apply:

 A “page” is 8.5” x 11”, on one side only, with 1” margins at the top, 

bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and a document identifier may be 

within the 1” margin.

 Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, captions, and all text in charts, tables, and graphs. These items 

may be single spaced; however, they will count toward the page limit.

 Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). However, you may use a 10 point font in charts, 

tables, figures, and graphs.

 Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including 

Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

 If you use some but not all of the allowable space on a page, it will be 

counted as a full page in determining compliance with the page limit.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the broad criteria described in 34 

CFR 637.32 of the MSEIP regulations (see “Authorizing Legislation and Regulations”). 

The Project Narrative should provide, in detail, the information that addresses each 

selection criterion. The maximum possible score for each category of selection criterion 

is indicated in parenthesis.
81

Within the maximum allotted page limit, the Department expects the applicant to address 

the Competitive Preference Priority and/or Invitational Priority in an integrated response 

to the selection criteria. To facilitate the review of applications, provide responses to 

each of the following selection criteria in the following order:

(a) Identification of need for the project (Total 5 points).

(b) Plan of operation (Total 20 points).

(c) Quality of key personnel (Total 5 points).

(d) Budget and cost effectiveness (Total 10 points).

(e) Evaluation plan (Total 15 points).

(f) Adequacy of resources (Total 5 points).

(g) Potential institutional impact of the project (Total 15 points).

(h) Institutional commitment to the project (Total 5 points).

(i) Expected outcomes (Total 10 points).

(j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed project (Total 10 points).

The following guidance may assist you in addressing each of the selection criteria:

(a) Identification of need

Describe the specific needs in science and engineering education that you have identified, 

and describe the approach you used in this analysis. Justify your needs with relevant data 

or metrics of evidence used in this assessment. How did these needs lead to formulation 

of the goals for the proposed project?

(b) Plan of operation

Describe the project design comprehensively and in full detail. Provide a clear 

description of how the project objectives relate to the project goals. Discuss the plan for 

managing the grant that ensures proper and efficient administration of the project, 

including methods of coordination across organizational units. Describe how resources 

and personnel will be used to achieve each of the project objectives. 

(c) Quality of key personnel

Describe the qualifications of the project director, co-project director(s) and other key

personnel for the proposed project. Include any evidence of past experience and training, 

in fields related to the objectives of the project, as well as other relevant information. 
82

Indicate the required time commitment of the project director, co-project director(s), and 

other key personnel. 

(d) Budget and cost effectiveness

Demonstrate and justify that the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. 

Explain how the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential 

impact of the proposed project. Explain how the costs will be effective in achieving the 

goals of the MSEIP.

(The Comprehensive Budget Narrative will be reviewed with this response.)

(e) Evaluation plan 

For each proposed objective, describe the methods of evaluation, data collection 

procedures that will be used, the proposed timetable for conducting the evaluations, and 

procedures for analyzing and using both formative and summative data. Identify the 

baseline indicators of progress for each proposed grant year.

Discuss the types of data that you plan to collect to assess the final project outcomes. The 

evaluation plan should address the use of appropriate controls and techniques that provide 

for independent evaluation. The use of an external evaluator is required. If you have 

selected an external evaluator, you may consult him/her to prepare this evaluation plan.

(f) Adequacy of resources

Describe the resources needed in accomplishing the project objectives. Justify the need 

for specific resources, equipment, and supplies in the project, and that these are adequate 

to accomplish the project objectives within the schedule. 

Describe if these resources are available in your institution (or in partner institutions); or 

if you plan to acquire them.

(g) Potential institutional impact

Explain how the proposed project will expand or strengthen the institution’s capacity and 

ability in increasing the number of minority students, especially minority women, 

entering science and math programs in terms of enrollment, retention, persistence, or 

graduation improvements.

(h) Institutional commitment to the project

Provide evidence of institutional commitment for this project. Describe the plans for 

continuing activities after funding ceases. Describe in detail how after federal funding 

ends the grant burden will be absorbed into regular operations of the institution. 

Provide a letter of commitment from the institution’s chancellor, president, provost, dean, 

or CEO of the organization.

(i) Expected outcomes
83

Discuss the assessed likelihood that the expected outcomes will be achieved as a result of 

the project. Explain the anticipated benefits for minority students, especially women, who 

participate in the program. Describe the possibility of long-term benefits to participating 

students, the faculty and the institution resulting from successful completion of the grant. 

(j) Scientific and educational value of the proposed project

In the context of the present state of science and engineering education, especially for 

minority students, particularly women, describe how your project will enhance this 

knowledge. Describe how the project will contribute to the development of effective 

techniques and approaches to science and engineering education. Describe your plans for 

sharing this new knowledge with other institutions.
84

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427

*ALL APPLICANTS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS 

TO ADDRESS THIS PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER 

THIS PROGRAM. 

APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS THIS PROVISION BY ATTACHING 

A STATEMENT TO THE ED GEPA 427 DOWNLOADED FROM GRANTS.GOV

Section 427 requires each applicant 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 section allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The 

statute highlights six barriers that can impede equitable access or participation that you 

may address: gender, race, national origin, color disability, or age.

A general statement of an applicant’s nondiscriminatory hiring policy is not sufficient to 

meet this requirement. Applicants must identify potential barriers and explain steps they 

will take to overcome these barriers.
85

Instructions for Completing the MSEIP Eligibility Certification 

Form

INSTRUCTIONS: All applications must include a completed MSEIP Eligibility 

Certification Form. The lead institution or organization submitting an application must 

identify the appropriate eligibility criteria and complete the applicable MSEIP ELIGIBLITY 

CERTIFICATION FORM.

Applicants must select and complete one of the four forms provided in the next sections of this 

application package. Once the form has been completed and saved, attach the form as a separate 

file to the “Other Attachments Form” with your application in Grants.gov. The document must 

be a PDF (Portable Document) format. Other types of files will not be accepted. 

Follow the steps below in filling out the MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form.

A. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

You are eligible to apply for this MSEIP grant if you qualify as one of the four types of 

institutions described below. You are NOT eligible to apply if you do not qualify as one of 

the four types. 

Identify your institution type from one of the following:

1. A public or private nonprofit institution of higher education that awards

baccalaureate degrees and qualifies as a minority institution as defined in Section 

365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Applicants that meet this eligibility criterion may apply for an Institutional Project; 

Special Project; or Cooperative Project.

2. A public or private nonprofit institution of higher education that awards associate 

degrees and qualifies as a minority institution as defined in Section 365 of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; has a curriculum that includes science or 

engineering subjects; and enters into a partnership with public or private nonprofit 

institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees in science and 

engineering.

Applicants that meet this eligibility criterion may apply for an Institutional Project; 

Special Project; or Cooperative Project.

3. A nonprofit science-oriented organization, professional scientific society, and 

institution of higher education that awards baccalaureate degrees that provide a 

needed service to a group of minority institutions; or provide in-service training to 

project directors, scientists, and engineers from minority institutions.

Applicants that meet this eligibility criterion may apply for a Special Project.

4. A consortium of organizations that provides needed services to one or more 

minority institutions. The consortium membership may include: institutions of higher 

education which have a curriculum in science or engineering; institutions of higher 
86

education that have a graduate or professional program in science or engineering; 

research laboratories of, or under contract with, the Department of Energy; private 

organizations that have science or engineering facilities; or quasi-governmental entities 

that have a sufficient scientific or engineering mission.

Applicants that meet this eligibility criterion may apply for a Special Project.

PROCEED TO STEP B IF YOU QUALIFY AS ONE OF THE FOUR TYPES 

DESCRIBED ABOVE.

B. IDENTIFICATION OF MSEIP PROJECT

Select the type of MSEIP project for this application.

C. ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE

a. Identify all academic disciplines that this MSEIP project will address.

b. If the academic discipline is not listed in the Academic Discipline Table, please fill-in 

the academic discipline.

D. ENROLLMENT FIGURES

Provide the enrollment figures for the ethnic and racial groups. 

E. TOTAL MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Calculate the total minority enrollment from July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014.

F. PERECENTAGE OF MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Calculate the percentage of minority enrollment.

G. PRIORITY ADDRESSED IN YOUR APPLICATION

Check the box indicating the Competitive Preference Priority and/or the Invitational 

Priority that is addressed in your application.
87

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Four-Year Minority 

Institutions

1. By checking the box below, you certify that you are eligible to apply for the 

MSEIP grant under the Eligibility Criteria listed below:

 A public or private nonprofit institution of higher education that awards

baccalaureate degrees and qualifies as a minority institution as defined in 

Section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1969, as amended.

2. Please select the type of MSEIP grant you are applying for:

a. Institutional Project grant

b Special Project grant

c. Cooperative Project grant

3. If you checked “c – Cooperative Project grant,” please provide the contact 

information for the cooperative partnership. 

Notes: 

 Evidence of partnership must be included in the attachments.

 Use an additional sheet to provide information on additional partners and 

attach with this form.

Cooperative Grant Partner 1:

Name of the Institution/Organization:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:
88

MSEIP 4-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 2 of 4

4. Please select from the table below, the academic discipline(s) that this MSEIP 

project will address.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE TABLE

SCIENCE PHYSICAL 

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING 

TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural 

Sciences

Astronomy Chemical 

Engineering

Civil Engineering

Technology

Biological 

Sciences

Chemistry Civil Engineering Mechanical 

Engineering

Technology

Computer 

Sciences

Physics Electrical 

Engineering

Other Technology

Earth, 

Atmospherics, 

and Ocean 

Sciences

Other Physical 

Sciences:

Mechanical 

Engineering

Mathematical 

Sciences

Other 

Engineering

BEHAVIORAL/SOCIAL 

SCIENCES

Psychology

Social Sciences

5. If the discipline is not listed above, then please provide the discipline which may 

include overlapping areas among two or more sciences, technology, or engineering 

disciplines:
89

MSEIP 4-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 3 of 4

6. Please provide the enrollment figures for the LEAD INSTITUTION applying for 

this grant.

Enrollment figures should be based on enrollment from July 1, 2013 through 

June 30, 2014 and must be verifiable using IPEDS data and should include fulltime and part-time students in credit and non-credit courses.

Number of 

students enrolled 

by ethnic/racial 

group

ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

HISPANIC/LATINO OF ANY RACE AND

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NON-HISPANIC/LATINO

ONLY

{line 1} SUBTOTAL (ETHNICITY MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

{line 2} AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE

{line 3} BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN

{line 4} NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER

{line 5} SUBTOTAL (RACE MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 2+3+4)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

{line 6} ASIAN 

{line 7} WHITE

{line 8} TWO OR MORE RACES

{line 9} ETHNICITY OR RACE UNKNOWN

{line 10} SUBTOTAL (RACE NON-MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 6+7+8+9)

{line 11} TOTAL ENROLLMENT : ADD LINES (1) + (5)+(10)

{line 12} TOTAL MINORITY ENROLLMENT: ADD LINES 

(1) + (5)

7. Please calculate the percentage of minority enrollment.

___________ / __________ X 100 = _____________________

TOTAL MINORITY TOTAL ENROLLMENT TOTAL % OF MINORITY

ENROLLMENT {line 11} ENROLLMENT

{line 12} 
90

MSEIP 4-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 4 of 4

The term “minority” means Hispanic/Latino of any race, American Indian, Alaskan 

Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or other ethnic 

group underrepresented in science and engineering.

The term “minority institution” means an institution of higher education whose 

enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities (as defined above)

exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.

Note: The enrollment will be verified by the U.S. Department of Education using 

the most current version of IPEDS data to determine eligibility.

8. Please indicate the Competitive Preference Priority and/or the Invitational 

Priority that is addressed in your application. We will award an additional two 

points to an application that meets the Competitive Preference Priority. 

Applications that address the Invitational Priority will NOT receive additional 

points. Check all that apply. 

 Competitive Preference Priority: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement (as defined in the Notice) or other related outcomes by

identifying and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 

improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion of a degree 

in a STEM field.

 Invitational Priority: Improving STEM Education in the First Two Years of 

College. Projects designed to improve retention and other student outcomes in the 

first two years of college through strategies including, but not limited to, one or 

more of the following:

(a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting agencies 

for changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation requirements that 

are necessary to improve the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help students 

academically deficient in STEM reach college level proficiency.

WARNING: Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation 

on this form is subject to penalties, which may include fines, imprisonment, or both, 

under the United States Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
91

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Two-Year Minority 

Institutions

1. By checking the box below, you certify that you are eligible to apply for the 

MSEIP grant under the Eligibility Criteria listed below:

 A public or private nonprofit institution of higher education that awards 

associate degrees and qualifies as a minority institution as defined in Section 

365 of the Higher Education Act of 1969, as amended; has a curriculum that 

includes science or engineering subjects; and enters into a partnership with public 

or private nonprofit institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate 

degrees in science and engineering.

2. Please select the type of MSEIP grant you are applying for:

a. Institutional Project grant

b Special Project grant

c. Cooperative Project grant

3. REQUIRED PARTNESHIPS FOR TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS:

a) Please provide the name of the institution and contact information for the required 

partnership with a public or private nonprofit institution of higher education that 

award baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering.

NOTES: 

 The institution listed below does not have to be a minority institution.

 Evidence of partnership must be included in the attachments.

 Use an additional sheet to provide information on additional partners and 

attach with this form.

Contact Information:

Name of the 4-year institution:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:
92

MSEIP 2-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 2 of 4

4. Please select from the table below, the academic discipline(s) that this MSEIP 

project will address.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE TABLE

SCIENCE PHYSICAL 

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING 

TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural 

Sciences

Astronomy Chemical 

Engineering

Civil Engineering 

Technology

Biological 

Sciences

Chemistry Civil Engineering Mechanical 

Engineering 

Technology

Computer 

Sciences

Physics Electrical 

Engineering

Other Technology

Earth, 

Atmospherics, 

and Ocean 

Sciences

Other Physical 

Sciences:

Mechanical 

Engineering

Mathematical 

Sciences

Other 

Engineering

BEHAVIORAL/SOCIAL 

SCIENCES

Psychology

Social Sciences

5. If the discipline is not listed above, then please provide the discipline which may 

include overlapping areas among two or more sciences, technology, or engineering 

disciplines: 
93

MSEIP 2-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 3 of 4

6. Please provide the enrollment figures for the LEAD INSTITUTION applying for 

this grant.

Enrollment figures should be based on enrollment from July 1, 2013 through 

June 30, 2014 and must be verifiable using IPEDS data and should include fulltime and part-time students in credit and non-credit courses.

Number of 

students enrolled 

by ethnic/racial 

group

ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

HISPANIC/LATINO OF ANY RACE AND

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NON-HISPANIC/LATINO

ONLY

{line 1} SUBTOTAL (ETHNICITY MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

{line 2} AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE

{line 3} BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN

{line 4} NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER

{line 5} SUBTOTAL (RACE MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 2+3+4)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

{line 6} ASIAN 

{line 7} WHITE

{line 8} TWO OR MORE RACES

{line 9} ETHNICITY OR RACE UNKNOWN

{line 10} SUBTOTAL (RACE NON-MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 6+7+8+9)

{line 11} TOTAL ENROLLMENT : ADD LINES (1) + (5)+(10)

{line 12} TOTAL MINORITY ENROLLMENT: ADD LINES 

(1) + (5)

7. Please calculate the percentage of minority enrollment.

___________ / __________ X 100 = _____________________

TOTAL MINORITY TOTAL ENROLLMENT TOTAL % OF MINORITY

ENROLLMENT {line 11} ENROLLMENT

{line 12} 
94

MSEIP 2-Year Minority Institution Eligibility Page 4 of 4

The term “minority” means Hispanic/Latino of any race, American Indian, Alaskan 

Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or other ethnic 

group underrepresented in science and engineering.

The term “minority institution” means an institution of higher education whose 

enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities (as defined above) 

exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.

Note: The enrollment will be verified by the U.S. Department of Education using 

the most current version of IPEDS data to determine eligibility.

8. Please indicate the Competitive Preference Priority and/or the Invitational 

Priority that is addressed in your application. We will award an additional two 

points to an application that meets the Competitive Preference Priority. 

Applications that address the Invitational Priority will NOT receive additional 

points. Check all that apply. 

 Competitive Preference Priority: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement (as defined in the Notice) or other related outcomes by 

identifying and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 

improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion of a degree 

in a STEM field.

 Invitational Priority: Improving STEM Education in the First Two Years of 

College. Projects designed to improve retention and other student outcomes in the 

first two years of college through strategies including, but not limited to, one or 

more of the following:

(a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting agencies 

for changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation requirements that 

are necessary to improve the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help students 

academically deficient in STEM reach college level proficiency.

WARNING: Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation 

on this form is subject to penalties, which may include fines, imprisonment, or both, 

under the United States Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
95

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Nonprofit Science Oriented 

Organizations

1. By checking the box below, you certify that you are eligible to apply for the 

MSEIP grant under the Eligibility Criteria listed below:

 A nonprofit science-oriented organization, professional scientific society, and 

institution of higher education that awards baccalaureate degrees that-provide a 

needed service to a group of minority institutions; or provide in-service training to 

project directors, scientists, and engineers from minority institutions.

2. By checking the box below, you certify that you are applying for the following 

MSEIP grant:

 Special Project grant

3. Please provide the names of the minority institutions that you will provide 

services/training to for this grant. 

 You must provide services to at least two minority institutions.

 Evidence of partnership must be included in the attachments.

MINORITY INSTITUTION 1:

Name of the 4-year institution:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:

MINORITY INSTITUTION 2:

Name of the 4-year institution:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:
96

MSEIP Nonprofit Science-Oriented Organization Eligibility Page 2 of 4

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:

Note: Use an additional sheet to provide information on additional partners and attach 

with this form.

4. Please select from the table below, the academic discipline(s) that this MSEIP project 

will address.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE TABLE

SCIENCE PHYSICAL 

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING 

TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural 

Sciences

Astronomy Chemical 

Engineering

Civil Engineering 

Technology

Biological 

Sciences

Chemistry Civil Engineering Mechanical 

Engineering 

Technology

Computer 

Sciences

Physics Electrical 

Engineering

Other Technology

Earth, 

Atmospherics, 

and Ocean 

Sciences

Other Physical 

Sciences:

Mechanical 

Engineering

Mathematical 

Sciences

Other 

Engineering

BEHAVIORAL/SOCIAL 

SCIENCES

Psychology

Social Sciences

5. If the discipline is not listed above, then please provide the discipline which may 

include overlapping areas among two or more sciences, technology, or engineering 

disciplines:
97

MSEIP Nonprofit Science-Oriented Organization Eligibility Page 3 of 4

6. Please provide the enrollment figures for the LEAD INSTITUTION applying for this 

grant.

Enrollment figures should be based on enrollment from July 1, 2013 through 

June 30, 2014 and must be verifiable using IPEDS data and should include fulltime and part-time students in credit and non-credit courses.

Number of 

students enrolled 

by ethnic/racial 

group

ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

HISPANIC/LATINO OF ANY RACE AND

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NON-HISPANIC/LATINO

ONLY

{line 1} SUBTOTAL (ETHNICITY MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

{line 2} AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE

{line 3} BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN

{line 4} NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER

{line 5} SUBTOTAL (RACE MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 2+3+4)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

{line 6} ASIAN 

{line 7} WHITE

{line 8} TWO OR MORE RACES

{line 9} ETHNICITY OR RACE UNKNOWN

{line 10} SUBTOTAL (RACE NON-MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 6+7+8+9)

{line 11} TOTAL ENROLLMENT : ADD LINES (1) + (5)+(10)

{line 12} TOTAL MINORITY ENROLLMENT: ADD LINES 

(1) + (5)

7. Please calculate the percentage of minority enrollment.

___________ / __________ X 100 = _____________________

TOTAL MINORITY TOTAL ENROLLMENT TOTAL % OF MINORITY

ENROLLMENT {line 11} ENROLLMENT

{line 12} 
98

MSEIP Nonprofit Science-Oriented Organization Eligibility Page 4 of 4 

The term “minority” means Hispanic/Latino of any race, American Indian, Alaskan 

Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or other ethnic 

group underrepresented in science and engineering.

The term “minority institution” means an institution of higher education whose 

enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities (as defined above) exceeds 

50 percent of the total enrollment.

Note: The enrollment will be verified by the U.S. Department of Education using the 

most current version of IPEDS data to determine eligibility.

8. Please indicate the Competitive Preference Priority and/or the Invitational 

Priority that is addressed in your application. We will award an additional two 

points to an application that meets the Competitive Preference Priority. 

Applications that address the Invitational Priority will NOT receive additional 

points. Check all that apply. 

 Competitive Preference Priority: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement (as defined in the Notice) or other related outcomes by

identifying and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 

improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion of a degree 

in a STEM field.

 Invitational Priority: Improving STEM Education in the First Two Years of 

College. Projects designed to improve retention and other student outcomes in the 

first two years of college through strategies including, but not limited to, one or 

more of the following:

(a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting agencies 

for changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation requirements that 

are necessary to improve the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help students 

academically deficient in STEM reach college level proficiency.

WARNING: Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation 

on this form is subject to penalties, which may include fines, imprisonment, or both, 

under the United States Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
99

MSEIP Eligibility Certification Form for Consortia of Organizations

1. By checking the box below, you certify that you are eligible to apply for the 

MSEIP grant under the Eligibility Criteria listed below:

 A consortia of organizations that provides needed services to one or more 

minority institutions. The consortia membership may include: institutions of 

higher education which have a curriculum in science or engineering; institutions 

of higher education that have a graduate or professional program in science or 

engineering; research laboratories of, or under contract with, the Department of 

Energy; private organizations that have science or engineering facilities; or quasigovernmental entities that have a sufficient scientific or engineering mission.

2. By checking the box below, you certify that you are applying for the following 

MSEIP grant:

 Special Project grant

3. Please provide the names of the minority institutions that you will provide 

services/training to for this grant. 

Notes:

 You must provide services to at least two minority institutions.

 Evidence of partnership must be included in the attachments.

MINORITY INSTITUTION 1:

Name of the 4-year institution:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:

MINORITY INSTITUTION 2:

Name of the 4-year institution:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:
100

MSEIP Consortia Eligibility Page 2 of 5

Email:

Phone:

Fax:

4. Please provide the contact information and member type for each consortia 

organization.

Notes:

 Evidence of participation must be attached.

 Use an additional sheet to provide information on additional consortia 

partners and attach with this form.

Consortia Organization 1:

Name of the 4-year institution/Organization:

Contact Name:

Title of Contact Person:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Email:

Phone:

Fax:

5. Consortia Type:

Please select membership type for the consortia organization listed above.

Note: Use an additional sheet to provide information on additional consortium 

partner types and attach with this form.

(1) institutions of higher education which have a curriculum in science or 

engineering;

(2) institutions of higher education that have a graduate or professional 

program in science or engineering;

(3) research laboratories of, or under contract with, the Department of Energy;

(4) private organizations that have science or engineering facilities; or

(5) quasi-governmental entities that have a sufficient scientific or engineering 

mission.
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MSEIP Consortia Eligibility Page 3 of 5

6. Please select from the table below, the academic discipline(s) that this MSEIP 

project will address.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE TABLE

SCIENCE PHYSICAL 

SCIENCES

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING 

TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural 

Sciences

Astronomy Chemical 

Engineering

Civil Engineering 

Technology

Biological 

Sciences

Chemistry Civil Engineering Mechanical 

Engineering 

Technology

Computer 

Sciences

Physics Electrical 

Engineering

Other Technology

Earth, 

Atmospherics, 

and Ocean 

Sciences

Other Physical 

Sciences:

Mechanical 

Engineering

Mathematical 

Sciences

Other 

Engineering

BEHAVIORAL/SOCIAL 

SCIENCES

Psychology

Social Sciences

7. If the discipline is not listed above, then please provide the discipline which may 

include overlapping areas among two or more sciences, technology, or engineering 

disciplines:
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MSEIP Consortia Eligibility Page 4 of 5

8. Please provide the enrollment figures for the LEAD INSTITUTION applying for 

this grant.

Enrollment figures should be based on enrollment from July 1, 2013 through 

June 30, 2014 and must be verifiable using IPEDS data and should include fulltime and part-time students in credit and non-credit courses.

Number of 

students enrolled 

by ethnic/racial 

group

ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

ETHNICITY

(MINORITY)

HISPANIC/LATINO OF ANY RACE AND

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NON-HISPANIC/LATINO

ONLY

{line 1} SUBTOTAL (ETHNICITY MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

RACE

(MINORITY)

{line 2} AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE

{line 3} BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN

{line 4} NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER

{line 5} SUBTOTAL (RACE MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 2+3+4)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

RACE

(NON-MINORITY)

{line 6} ASIAN 

{line 7} WHITE

{line 8} TWO OR MORE RACES

{line 9} ETHNICITY OR RACE UNKNOWN

{line 10} SUBTOTAL (RACE NON-MINORITY)

(ADD LINES 6+7+8+9)

{line 11} TOTAL ENROLLMENT : ADD LINES (1) + (5)+(10)

{line 12} TOTAL MINORITY ENROLLMENT: ADD LINES 

(1) + (5)

9. Please calculate the percentage of minority enrollment.

___________ / __________ X 100 = _____________________

TOTAL MINORITY TOTAL ENROLLMENT TOTAL % OF MINORITY

ENROLLMENT {line 11} ENROLLMENT

{line 12} 
103

MSEIP Consortia Eligibility Page 5 of 5

The term “minority” means Hispanic/Latino of any race, American Indian, Alaskan 

Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or other ethnic 

group underrepresented in science and engineering.

The term “minority institution” means an institution of higher education whose 

enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities (as defined above) exceeds 

50 percent of the total enrollment.

Note: The enrollment will be verified by the U.S. Department of Education using the 

most current version of IPEDS data to determine eligibility.

10. Please indicate the Competitive Preference Priority and/or the Invitational 

Priority that is addressed in your application. We will award an additional two 

points to an application that meets the Competitive Preference Priority. 

Applications that address the Invitational Priority will NOT receive additional 

points. Check all that apply. 

 Competitive Preference Priority: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Projects that are designed to improve 

Student Achievement (as defined in the Notice) or other related outcomes by

identifying and implementing instructional strategies, systems, and structures that 

improve postsecondary learning and retention, resulting in completion of a degree 

in a STEM field.

 Invitational Priority: Improving STEM Education in the First Two Years of 

College. Projects designed to improve retention and other student outcomes in the 

first two years of college through strategies including, but not limited to, one or 

more of the following:

(a) Obtaining institutional support and support from accrediting agencies 

for changes in curricular, pedagogical, and graduation requirements that 

are necessary to improve the first two years of STEM coursework.

(b) Developing early intervention tutorial programs to help students 

academically deficient in STEM reach college level proficiency.

WARNING: Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or misrepresentation 

on this form is subject to penalties, which may include fines, imprisonment, or both, 

under the United States Criminal Code and 20 U.S.C. 1097.
104

Application Checklist 

PART I GRANTS.GOV SECTION NAME Check

Application

SF424 Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 

424)

ED 424 Forms Department of Education Supplemental 

Information for SF 424

PART II GRANTS.GOV SECTION NAME Check

Budget Forms – ED 

524 A and B

U.S. Department of Education Budget 

Summary ED 524 Form

Section A – Budget Summary - U.S. 

Department of Education Funds

Section B – Budget Summary - NonFederal Funds

Budget Narrative –

Comprehensive 

Budget Details for 

ED Form 524

Budget Narrative Attachment Form
105

PART III GRANTS.GOV SECTION NAME Check

Abstract ED Abstract Form

Table of Contents

(optional)

Project Narrative Attachment Form

The Project Plan -

Response to 

Selection Criteria

Project Narrative Attachment Form

Letter(s) of 

Commitment

Other Attachments Form

Evidence of 

Partnerships

Other Attachments Form

Letter(s) of 

Support

Other Attachments Form

Resumes Other Attachments Form

MSEIP Eligibility 

Certification Form

Other Attachments Form

PART IV GRANTS.GOV SECTION NAME Check

Attachment 1 ED GEPA 427 Form

Attachment 2 Grants.gov Lobbying Form (formerly 

Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-

0013))

Attachment 3 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Attachment 4 Assurances for Non-Construction 

Programs

(SF 424 B)