4024 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

requirements, the performance targets in 

the grantee’s approved application. 

In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or 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. 

Frank T. Brogan, 

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00725 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Graduate Assistance in Areas of 

National Need 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2021 for the Graduate 

Assistance in Areas of National Need 

(GAANN) Program, Assistance Listing 

Number 84.200A. This notice relates to 

the approved information collection 

under OMB control number 1840–0604. 

DATES: Applications Available: January 

15, 2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 1, 2021. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: April 30, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on February 13, 2019 

(84 FR 3768), and available at 

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR–2019– 

02–13/pdf/2019–02206.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rebecca Ell, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 2B–214, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: (202) 453–6348. Email: 

OPE_GAANN_Program@ed.gov; or 

ReShone Moore, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 2B–214, Washington, DC 20202– 

4260. Telephone (202) 453–7624. Email: 

reshone.moore@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The GAANN 

Program provides grants to academic 

departments and programs of 

institutions of higher education (IHEs) 

to support graduate fellowships for 

students with excellent academic 

records who demonstrate financial need 

and plan to pursue the highest degree 

available in their course of study at the 

institution. 

Priorities: This notice contains one 

absolute priority and one competitive 

preference priority. In accordance with 

34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute 

priority is from the regulations for this 

program (34 CFR 648.33(a) and 

Appendix to part 648—Academic 

Areas). Please note that the codes next 

to selected academic areas under the 

absolute priority are from the Appendix 

to part 648—Academic Areas of the 

program regulations and can be found in 

the application booklet as well as on 

www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=

f8ad0cf4f75cd9841b2bc

1adb98c5739&mc=

true&node=pt34.3.648&rgn=div5. The 

competitive preference priority is from 

the notice of final administrative 

priorities for discretionary grant 

programs published in the Federal 

Register on March 9, 2020 (85 FR 

13640) (Administrative Priorities). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2021 and 

any subsequent year for which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

The absolute priority is: 

Graduate Assistance in Areas of 

National Need. 

A project must provide fellowships in 

one or more of the following areas of 

national need, in an interdisciplinary 

program of study involving at least two 

of these areas, or for a multidisciplinary 

project. A multidisciplinary project is 

one that requests fellowships for more 

than a single academic department in 

one or more of the following areas, and 

in which each department’s program of 

study is independent. 

A. For the following academic areas, 

the project must provide fellowships for 

programs that lead either to a 

Professional Science Master’s (PSM) 

degree, master’s degree or a doctoral 

degree, whichever is the highest degree 

awarded in the area of need at the 

institution. 

1. Computer and Information 

Sciences. A degree or a degree with 

specialization in one or more of the 

following areas: 

• Cybersecurity (the interdiscipline of 

‘‘11.01 Computer and Information 

Sciences, General’’ and ‘‘11.05 

Computer Systems Analysis’’). 

• Secure computer programming (the 

interdiscipline of ‘‘11.01 Computer and 

Information Sciences, General’’ and 

‘‘11.02 Computer Programming’’). 

• Artificial Intelligence (the 

interdiscipline of ‘‘11.02 Computer 

Programming,’’ ‘‘11.04 Information 

Sciences and Systems,’’ and ‘‘14.09 

Computer Engineering’’). 

2. 14. Engineering. 

14.01 Engineering, General 

14.02 Aerospace, Aeronautical, and 

Astronautical Engineering 

14.03 Agricultural Engineering 

14.04 Architectural Engineering 

14.05 Bioengineering and 

Biomedical Engineering 

14.06 Ceramic Sciences and 

Engineering 

14.07 Chemical Engineering 

14.08 Civil Engineering 

14.09 Computer Engineering 

14.10 Electrical, Electronic, and 

Communications Engineering 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4025 

14.11 Engineering Mechanics 

14.12 Engineering Physics 

14.13 Engineering Science 

14.14 Environmental/Environmental 

Health Engineering 

14.15 Geological Engineering 

14.16 Geophysical Engineering 

14.17 Industrial/Manufacturing 

Engineering 

14.18 Materials Engineering 

14.19 Mechanical Engineering 

14.20 Metallurgical Engineering 

14.21 Mining and Mineral 

Engineering 

14.22 Naval Architecture and 

Marine Engineering 

14.23 Nuclear Engineering 

14.24 Ocean Engineering 

14.25 Petroleum Engineering 

14.27 Systems Engineering 

14.28 Textile Sciences and 

Engineering 

14.29 Engineering Design 

14.30 Engineering/Industrial 

Management 

14.31 Materials Science 

14.32 Polymer/Plastics Engineering 

B. For the following academic areas, 

the project must provide fellowships in 

programs that lead either to a PSM 

degree, master’s degree, or a doctoral 

degree, whichever is the highest degree 

awarded in the area of need at the 

institution. Students pursuing a degree 

in one of these areas are planning a 

career in either teaching or research. 

• 26. Biological Sciences/Life 

Sciences. 

26.01 Biology, General 

26.02 Biochemistry and Biophysics 

26.03 Botany 

26.04 Cell and Molecular Biology 

26.05 Microbiology/Bacteriology 

26.06 Miscellaneous Biological 

Specializations 

26.07 Zoology 

• 42. Psychology. 

42.01 Psychology 

42.02 Clinical Psychology 

42.03 Cognitive Psychology and 

Psycholinguistics 

42.04 Community Psychology 

42.06 Counseling Psychology 

42.07 Developmental and Child 

Psychology 

42.08 Experimental Psychology 

42.09 Industrial and Organizational 

Psychology 

42.11 Physiological Psychology/ 

Psychobiology 

42.16 Social Psychology 

42.17 School Psychology 

• 51.16 Nursing. Applications from 

nursing programs must focus on the 

preparation of nursing scholars for 

educational leadership roles. Graduates 

will become teachers preparing students 

for careers in nursing and will 

disseminate to the public new 

knowledge gained from disciplined 

inquiry related to nursing and nursing 

education. 

Note: Not for clinical degrees. 

Competitive Preference Priority: For 

FY 2021 and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition, this priority is a 

competitive preference priority. Under 

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an 

additional one point to an application 

that meets this priority. 

This priority is: 

Applications from New Potential 

Grantees (1 point). 

Under this priority, an applicant must 

demonstrate that the applicant does not, 

as of the deadline date for submission 

of applications, have an active grant, 

including through membership in a 

group application submitted in 

accordance with 34 CFR 75.127–75.129, 

under the program from which it seeks 

funds. 

Note: For the purpose of this priority, a 

grant or contract is active until the end of the 

grant’s or contract’s project or funding 

period, including any extensions of those 

periods that extend the grantee’s or 

contractor’s authority to obligate funds. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135– 

1135e. 

Note: Projects must be awarded and 

operated in a manner consistent with the 

nondiscrimination requirements contained in 

the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil 

rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 

99. (b) The Office of Management and 

Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) 

The regulations for this program in 34 

CFR part 648. (e) The Administrative 

Priorities. 

Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 

CFR 3474.20 does not apply to this program. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants, 

including funds redistributed as 

graduate fellowships to individual 

fellows. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$20,425,000. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in 

subsequent years from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$101,460–$405,840. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$275,000. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 72. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

Stipend Level: For the 2021–22 

academic year, the institution must pay 

the fellow a stipend at a level of support 

equal to that provided by the National 

Science Foundation Graduate Research 

Fellowship Program, except that this 

amount must be adjusted as necessary 

so as not to exceed the fellow’s 

demonstrated level of financial need as 

stated under part F of title IV of the 

Higher Education Act of 1965, as 

amended. 

Institutional Payment: For the 2021– 

22 academic year, the estimated 

institutional payment is $16,730 per 

fellow. This amount was determined by 

adjusting the previous academic year’s 

institutional payment of $16,370 per 

fellow by the U.S. Department of Labor’s 

Consumer Price Index for the 2020 

calendar year. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: (a) Any 

academic department of an IHE that 

provides a course of study that— 

(i) Leads to a graduate degree in an 

area of national 

need; and 

(ii) Has been in existence for at least 

four years at the time of an application 

for a grant under this competition; or 

(b) An academic department of an IHE 

that— 

(i) Satisfies the requirements of 

paragraph (a) of this section; and 

(ii) Submits a joint application with 

one or more eligible non-degree-granting 

institutions that have formal 

arrangements for the support of doctoral 

dissertation research with one or more 

degree-granting institutions. 

Note: Students are not eligible to apply for 

grants under this program. 

Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, 

under 34 CFR 75.51, you may demonstrate 

your nonprofit status by providing: (1) Proof 

that the Internal Revenue Service currently 

recognizes the applicant as an organization to 

which contributions are tax deductible under 

section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 

Code; (2) a statement from a State taxing 

4026 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

body or the State attorney general certifying 

that the organization is a nonprofit 

organization operating within the State and 

that no part of its net earnings may lawfully 

benefit any private shareholder or individual; 

(3) a certified copy of the applicant’s 

certificate of incorporation or similar 

document if it clearly establishes the 

nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any 

item described above if that item applies to 

a State or national parent organization, 

together with a statement by the State or 

parent organization that the applicant is a 

local nonprofit affiliate. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: An 

institution must provide, from nonFederal funds, an institutional matching 

contribution equal to at least 25 percent 

of the grant amount received. (See 34 

CFR 648.7.) 

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This 

competition involves supplement-notsupplant funding requirements. (See 34 

CFR 648.20(b)(5).) 

c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: We 

specify unallowable costs under IV. 

Application and Submission 

Information. 

d. Administrative Cost Limitation: We 

specify unallowable costs under IV. 

Application and Submission 

Information. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

4. Other: For requirements relating to 

selecting fellows, see 34 CFR 648.40. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application Submission 

Instructions: Applicants are required to 

follow the Common Instructions for 

Applicants to Department of Education 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and 

available at www.govinfo.gov/content/ 

pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019– 

02206.pdf, which contain requirements 

and information on how to submit an 

application. 

2. 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 

program. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We specify 

unallowable costs in 34 CFR 648.64. We 

reference additional regulations 

outlining funding restrictions in the 

Applicable Regulations section of this 

notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: 

Applications that do not follow the page 

limit and formatting recommendations 

will not be penalized. The application 

narrative is where you, the applicant, 

address the selection criteria that 

reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend the 

following page limits and standards: 

• A project narrative in a single 

discipline or for an interdisciplinary 

course of study should be limited to no 

more than 40 pages. 

• A project narrative for a 

multidisciplinary project should be 

limited to no more than 40 pages for 

each academic department. 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins. 

• Double-space all text in the 

application project narrative, and singlespace titles, headings, footnotes, 

quotations, references, and captions. 

• Use a 12-point font. 

• Use an easily readable font such as 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

• Limit appendices to the following: 

Two-page version of a curriculum vitae, 

per faculty member; a course listing; 

letters of commitment showing 

institutional support; a bibliography; 

and one additional optional appendix 

relevant to the support of the proposals, 

recommended not to exceed five pages. 

The recommended page limit does not 

include the Application for Federal 

Assistance (SF 424) and the Department 

of Education Supplemental Information 

for the SF 424 Form; the one-page 

abstract; the GAANN Statutory 

Assurances Form; the GAANN Budget 

Spreadsheet(s) Form; the Appendices; 

the Assurances and Certifications; or an 

optional two-page table of contents. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 

648.31 and are as follows: 

(a) Meeting the purposes of the 

program (7 points). The Secretary 

reviews each application to determine 

how well the project will meet the 

purposes of the program, including the 

extent to which— 

(1) The applicant’s general and 

specific objectives for the project are 

realistic and measurable; 

(2) The applicant’s objectives for the 

project seek to sustain and enhance the 

capacity for teaching and research at the 

institution and at State, regional, or 

national levels; 

(3) The applicant’s objectives seek to 

institute policies and procedures to 

ensure the enrollment of talented 

graduate students from traditionally 

underrepresented backgrounds; and 

(4) The applicant’s objectives seek to 

institute policies and procedures to 

ensure that it will award fellowships to 

individuals who satisfy the 

requirements of 34 CFR 648.40. 

(b) Extent of need for the project (5 

points). The Secretary considers the 

extent to which a grant under the 

program is needed by the academic 

department by considering— 

(1) How the applicant identified the 

problems that form the specific needs of 

the project; 

(2) The specific problems to be 

resolved by successful realization of the 

goals and objectives of the project; and 

(3) How increasing the number of 

fellowships will meet the specific and 

general objectives of the project. 

(c) Quality of the graduate academic 

program (20 points). The Secretary 

reviews each application to determine 

the quality of the current graduate 

academic program for which project 

funding is sought, including— 

(1) The course offerings and academic 

requirements for the graduate program; 

(2) The qualifications of the faculty, 

including education, research interest, 

publications, teaching ability, and 

accessibility to graduate students; 

(3) The focus and capacity for 

research; and 

(4) Any other evidence the applicant 

deems appropriate to demonstrate the 

quality of its academic program. 

(d) Quality of the supervised teaching 

experience (10 points). The Secretary 

reviews each application to determine 

the quality of the teaching experience 

the applicant plans to provide fellows 

under this program, including the extent 

to which the project— 

(1) Provides each fellow with the 

required supervised training in 

instruction; 

(2) Provides adequate instruction on 

effective teaching techniques; 

(3) Provides extensive supervision of 

each fellow’s teaching performance; and 

(4) Provides adequate and appropriate 

evaluation of the fellow’s teaching 

performance. 

(e) Recruitment plan (5 points). The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the quality of the applicant’s 

recruitment plan, including— 

(1) How the applicant plans to 

identify, recruit, and retain students 

from traditionally underrepresented 

backgrounds in the academic program 

for which fellowships are sought; 

(2) How the applicant plans to 

identify eligible students for 

fellowships; 

(3) The past success of the academic 

department in enrolling talented 

graduate students from traditionally 

underrepresented backgrounds; and 

(4) The past success of the academic 

department in enrolling talented 

graduate students for its academic 

program. 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4027 

(f) Project administration (8 points). 

The Secretary reviews the quality of the 

proposed project administration, 

including— 

(1) How the applicant will select 

fellows, including how the applicant 

will ensure that project participants 

who are otherwise eligible to participate 

are selected without regard to race, 

color, national origin, religion, gender, 

age, or disabling condition; 

(2) How the applicant proposes to 

monitor whether a fellow is making 

satisfactory progress toward the degree 

for which the fellowship has been 

awarded; 

(3) How the applicant proposes to 

identify and meet the academic needs of 

fellows; 

(4) How the applicant proposes to 

maintain enrollment of graduate 

students from traditionally 

underrepresented backgrounds; and 

(5) The extent to which the policies 

and procedures the applicant proposes 

to institute for administering the project 

are likely to ensure efficient and 

effective project implementation, 

including assistance to and oversight of 

the project director. 

(g) Institutional commitment (15 

points). The Secretary reviews each 

application for evidence that— 

(1) The applicant will provide, from 

any funds available to it, sufficient 

funds to support the financial needs of 

the fellows if the funds made available 

under the program are insufficient; 

(2) The institution’s social and 

academic environment is supportive of 

the academic success of students from 

traditionally underrepresented 

backgrounds on the applicant’s campus; 

(3) Students receiving fellowships 

under this program will receive stipend 

support for the time necessary to 

complete their courses of study, but in 

no case longer than five years; and 

(4) The applicant demonstrates a 

financial commitment, including the 

nature and amount of the institutional 

matching contribution, and other 

institutional commitments that are 

likely to ensure the continuation of 

project activities for a significant period 

of time following the period in which 

the project receives Federal financial 

assistance. 

(h) Quality of key personnel (5 

points). The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine the quality of 

key personnel the applicant plans to use 

on the project, including— 

(1) The qualifications of the project 

director; 

(2) The qualifications of other key 

personnel to be used in the project; 

(3) The time commitment of key 

personnel, including the project 

director, to the project; and 

(4) How the applicant, as part of its 

nondiscriminatory employment 

practices, will ensure that its personnel 

are selected without regard to race, 

color, national origin, religion, gender, 

age, or disabling condition, except 

pursuant to a lawful affirmative action 

plan. 

(i) Budget (5 points). The Secretary 

reviews each application to determine 

the extent to which— 

(1) The applicant shows a clear 

understanding of the acceptable uses of 

program funds; and 

(2) The costs of the project are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives 

of the project. 

(j) Evaluation plan (15 points). The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the quality of the evaluation 

plan for the project, including the extent 

to which the applicant’s methods of 

evaluation— 

(1) Relate to the specific goals and 

measurable objectives of the project; 

(2) Assess the effect of the project on 

the students receiving fellowships 

under this program, including the effect 

on persons of different racial and ethnic 

backgrounds, genders, and ages, and on 

persons with disabilities who are served 

by the project; 

(3) List both process and product 

evaluation questions for each project 

activity and outcome, including those of 

the management plan; 

(4) Describe both the process and 

product evaluation measures for each 

project activity and outcome; 

(5) Describe the data collection 

procedures, instruments, and schedules 

for effective data collection; 

(6) Describe how the applicant will 

analyze and report the data so that it can 

make adjustments and improvements on 

a regular basis; and 

(7) Include a time-line chart that 

relates key evaluation processes and 

benchmarks to other project component 

processes and benchmarks. 

(k) Adequacy of resources (5 points). 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine the adequacy of the 

resources that the applicant makes 

available to graduate students receiving 

fellowships under this program, 

including facilities, equipment, and 

supplies. 

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 requires 

various assurances, including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

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

For this competition, a panel of nonFederal reviewers will review each 

application in accordance with the 

selection criteria in 34 CFR 648.31 and 

the competitive preference priority, if 

that applies. The individual scores of 

the reviewers will be added and the sum 

divided by the number of reviewers to 

determine the peer review score 

received in the review process. 

Additional factors we consider in 

selecting an application for an award are 

in 34 CFR 648.32. 

3. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.205, before awarding grants under 

this program the Department conducts a 

review of the risks posed by applicants. 

Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 

impose specific 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. 

4. Integrity and Performance System: 

If you are selected under this 

competition to receive an award that 

over the course of the project period 

may exceed the simplified acquisition 

threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 

CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a 

judgment about your integrity, business 

ethics, and record of performance under 

Federal awards—that is, the risk posed 

by you as an applicant—before we make 

an award. In doing so, we must consider 

any information about you that is in the 

integrity and performance system 

(currently referred to as the Federal 

Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System (FAPIIS)), 

accessible through the System for 

Award Management. You may review 

and comment on any information about 

yourself that a Federal agency 

previously entered and that is currently 

in FAPIIS. 

Please note that, if the total value of 

your currently active grants, cooperative 

4028 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

agreements, and procurement contracts 

from the Federal Government exceeds 

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, 

require you to report certain integrity 

information to FAPIIS semiannually. 

Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant 

plus all the other Federal funds you 

receive exceed $10,000,000. 

5. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with— 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

2019 (Pub. L. 115—232) (2 CFR 

200.216); 

(c) Promoting the freedom of speech 

and religious liberty in alignment with 

Promoting Free Speech and Religious 

Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free 

Inquiry, Transparency, and 

Accountability at Colleges and 

Universities (E.O. 13864) (2 CFR 

200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 

200.341); 

(d) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(e) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

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 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 multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

(c) Grantees will be required to submit 

a supplement to the Final Performance 

Report two years after the expiration of 

their GAANN grant. The purpose of this 

supplement is to identify and report the 

educational outcome of each GAANN 

fellow. 

4. Performance Measures: Under the 

Government Performance and Results 

Act of 1993, the following measures will 

be used by the Department in assessing 

the performance of the GAANN Program 

and for Department reporting under 34 

CFR 75.110: 

(1) The percentage of GAANN fellows 

completing the terminal degree in the 

designated areas of national need. 

(2) The median time to completion of 

master’s and doctoral degrees for 

GAANN fellows. 

(3) The percentage of GAANN fellows 

who have placements in faculty or 

professional positions in the area of 

their studies within one year of 

completing the degree. 

If funded, you will be required to 

collect and report data in your project’s 

annual performance report (34 CFR 

75.590) on those measures and steps 

taken toward improving performance 

toward those outcomes. Consequently, 

applicants are advised to include these 

outcome measures in conceptualizing 

the design, implementation, and 

evaluation of their proposed projects. 

These outcome measures should be 

included in the project evaluation plan, 

in addition to measures of your progress 

toward the goals and objectives specific 

to your project. 

All grantees will be expected to 

submit an annual performance report 

documenting their success in addressing 

these performance 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 measurement 

requirements, the performance targets in 

the grantee’s approved application. 

In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact persons listed under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or 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 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4029 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Christopher J. McCaghren, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00766 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Notice Inviting Applications for Funds 

Under the Higher Education 

Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), 

Section 314(a)(1); Coronavirus 

Response and Relief Supplemental 

Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Secretary is announcing 

the availability of new HEERF grant 

funding under section 314(a)(1) of the 

CRRSAA and inviting applications from 

public and nonprofit institutions that 

did not previously receive funding 

under section 18004(a)(1) of the 

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 

Security Act (CARES Act). This notice 

relates to the approved information 

collections under OMB control numbers 

1801–0005 and 1840–0842. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: January 15, 

2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: Applications will be 

accepted on a rolling basis until April 

15, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on February 13, 2019 

(84 FR 3768) and available at 

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019- 

02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Epps, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 250–64, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: The Department of 

Education HEERF Call Center at (202) 

377–3711. Email: HEERF@ed.gov. Please 

also visit our HEERF website at: https:// 

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/ 

crrsaa.html. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

Background: On December 27, 2020, 

the President signed into law the 

Coronavirus Response and Relief 

Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 

(CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116–260). This law 

makes available approximately $22.7 

billion for institutions of higher 

education under the Higher Education 

Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), with 

funding appropriated for the existing 

(a)(1), (a)(2) and (a)(3) programs 

previously authorized under the CARES 

Act, as well as funding for a new (a)(4) 

program authorized under the CRRSAA. 

With this notice, the Secretary is 

announcing the availability of HEERF 

grant funds under the CRRSAA section 

314(a)(1) programs (CFDAs 84.425E and 

84.425F). These programs, with some 

changes, are a continuation of the 

CARES Act section 18004(a)(1) program 

which the Department implemented as 

two funding streams: the Student Aid 

Portion (CFDA 84.425E) for financial 

grants to students, and the Institutional 

Portion (CFDA 84.425F) for institutional 

uses of funds related to the coronavirus. 

Eligible institutions are institutions of 

higher education, as defined in sections 

101 and 102(c) of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 

U.S.C. 1001, 1002(c). Allocations for 

these programs will be calculated 

according to the formula in section 

314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA. Under 

CRRSAA section 314(c), grant awards 

under these programs may be used to (1) 

defray expenses associated with 

coronavirus (including lost revenue, 

reimbursement for expenses already 

incurred, technology costs associated 

with a transition to distance education, 

faculty and staff trainings, and payroll); 

(2) carry out student support activities 

authorized by the HEA that address 

needs related to coronavirus; or (3) 

provide financial aid grants to students 

(including students exclusively enrolled 

in distance education), which may be 

used for any component of the student’s 

cost of attendance or for emergency 

costs that arise due to coronavirus, such 

as tuition, food, housing, health care 

(including mental health care), or child 

care. In making financial aid grants to 

students, an institution of higher 

education must prioritize grants to 

students with exceptional need, such as 

students who receive Pell Grants. 

Given section 314(d)(8) of the 

CRRSAA not requiring institutions of 

higher education that previously 

received grants under section 

18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to submit 

new or revised applications to receive 

this funding, the Department will be 

automatically awarding supplemental 

funds to eligible institutions that 

previously received a section 

18004(a)(1) Student Aid Portion or 

Institutional Portion award under the 

CARES Act. No action is required by 

eligible institutions to receive these 

supplemental awards. The Project 

Director identified on the most current 

Grant Award Notification (GAN) will 

automatically receive an email 

indicating a supplement award has been 

made to your institution. Please note 

that drawing down any amount of these 

supplemented funds constitutes an 

institution’s acceptance of the new 

terms and conditions under the 

CRRSAA and a new Supplemental 

Agreement, which are included as 

attachments to this notice for reference. 

Not every institution that received 

grants under CARES Act section 

18004(a)(1) will receive a supplement. 

First, the CRRSAA prohibits proprietary 

institutions from receiving 

supplemental funding under section 

314(a)(1) and creates a new program for 

these institutions under section 

314(a)(4). More information, including 

instructions on how to apply for (a)(4) 

funding, is provided in a separate 

notice. 

Second, institutions that have not yet 

complied with the reporting 

requirements of the CARES Act may 

receive delayed supplemental (a)(1) 

awards and/or may receive awards with 

a restriction on the ability to drawdown 

those awarded funds (stop payment 

status) until the institution has satisfied 

its CARES Act HEERF reporting 

obligations. 

Institutions that did not receive a 

CARES Act section 18004(a)(1) award 

but are on the Department’s published 

section 314(a)(1) allocation table for 

CRRSAA may apply for and receive 

section 314(a)(1) Student Aid Portion 

(CFDA 84.425E) and Institutional 

Portion (CFDA 84.425F) grant awards. 

Pursuant to CRRSAA section 314(f), an 

institution must apply for funds within 

90 days of the publication of this notice. 

Finally, for an institution that paid or 

will be required to pay the endowment 

excise tax in tax year 2019 

(‘‘endowment tax institutions’’), the 

institution’s CRRSAA section 314(a)(1) 

allocation will be reduced by 50% 

under section 314(d)(6) of the CRRSAA. 

Endowment tax institutions must only 

use their allocations for financial aid 

grants to students under section 

314(c)(3) or for sanitation, personal 

protective equipment, or other expenses 

associated with the general health and 

safety of the campus environment 

related to the coronavirus emergency. A 

limited exception to this requirement is 

provided for any endowment tax