Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4017 

3. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee or 

subgrantee that is awarded competitive 

grant funds must have a plan to 

disseminate these public grant 

deliverables. This dissemination plan 

can be developed and submitted after 

your application has been reviewed and 

selected for funding. For additional 

information on the open licensing 

requirements please refer to 2 CFR 

3474.20. 

4. 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. 

5. Performance Measures: The 

Department has established the 

following Government Performance and 

Results Act of 1993 performance 

measures for the AAE program: (1) The 

number of grantees that attain or exceed 

the targets for a majority of the outcome 

indicators for their projects; (2) The 

percentage of AAE participants (e.g., 

arts educators, teachers, principals, and 

other support staff) who complete 75 

percent or more of the total hours of 

professional development offered; and 

(3) The number of accessible, arts-based 

instructional materials that are 

developed. 

All grantees will be expected to 

submit an annual performance report 

that includes data addressing these 

performance measures to the extent that 

they apply to the grantee’s project. 

6. 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 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. 2021–00705 Filed 1–14–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; FullService Community Schools Program 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for 

the Full-Service Community Schools 

(FSCS) program, Assistance Listing 

Number 84.215J. This notice relates to 

the approved information collection 

under OMB control number 1894–0006. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: January 15, 

2021. 

Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: 

February 1, 2021. 

Date of Pre-Application Meetings: The 

Department will hold pre-application 

meetings via webinars for prospective 

applicants. Detailed information 

regarding these webinars will be 

provided on the FSCS website at https:// 

oese.ed.gov/offices/office-ofdiscretionary-grants-support-services/ 

school-choice-improvement-programs/ 

full-service-community-schoolsprograms/. 

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: 

Elson Nash, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 4E246, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: (202) 260–2655. Email: 

FSCS@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 FSCS 

program is authorized by sections 4621– 

4623 and 4625 of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA). This program 

4018 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

1Maier, A., Daniel, J., Oakes, J., & Lam, L. 

(December 2017). Community Schools as an 

Equitable School Improvement Strategy: A Review 

of the Evidence. Learning Policy Institute. 

2Horn, M. B., Freeland, J., Butler, S. M., & 

Brookings Institution. (2015). Schools as 

Community Hubs: Integrating Support Services to 

Drive Educational Outcomes. A Series of Discussion 

Papers on Building Healthy Neighborhoods. No. 3. 

In Brookings Institution. Brookings Institution. 

3 Ibid. 

4 Johnston, W., Engberg, J., Opper, I., SontagPadilla, L., and Xenakis, L. (2020). Illustrating the 

Promise of Community Schools: An Assessment of 

the Impact of the New York City Community 

Schools Initiative. City of New York, www.rand.org/ 

pubs/research_reports/RR3245.html. 

provides support for the planning, 

implementation, and operation of fullservice community schools that improve 

the coordination, integration, 

accessibility, and effectiveness of 

services for children and families, 

particularly for children attending highpoverty schools, including high-poverty 

rural schools. 

Background: Full-service community 

schools provide comprehensive 

academic, social, and health services for 

students, students’ family members, and 

community members that are designed 

to improve education outcomes for 

children. The growing interest at the 

State and local level in community 

schools,1 also known as full-service 

community schools, coupled with this 

competition, present an opportunity for 

nationwide school improvement. The 

ESEA offers flexibilities at the State and 

local levels to implement strategies 

supported by community schools, such 

as coordination of school and 

community resources (ESEA sections 

1114(b)(5) and 1115(b)(2)) and 

afterschool programming and support 

for a community school coordinator 

(ESEA section 4108(a)(5)(H)). If a State 

educational agency (SEA) or local 

educational agency (LEA) (as defined in 

this notice) lacks the resources to 

implement community schools at scale, 

it can productively begin in 

neighborhoods where community 

schools are most needed and, therefore, 

students are most likely to benefit.2 The 

Department, through the FSCS program, 

provides catalytic support for the 

planning, implementation, operation, 

and coordination of effective services 

for children and families, particularly in 

high-poverty urban and rural areas, at 

the local level. 

According to a 2017 report, 

comprehensive community school 

interventions that incorporate most or 

all of four features, or pillars (integrated 

student supports; expanded learning 

time and opportunities; family and 

community engagement; collaborative 

leadership and practice), are associated 

with a range of positive student 

outcomes. 

‘‘A well-implemented community 

school leads to improvement in student 

and school outcomes and contributes to 

meeting the educational needs of lowachieving students in high-poverty 

schools. Strong research reinforces the 

efficacy of integrated student supports, 

expanded learning time and 

opportunities, and family and 

community engagement as intervention 

strategies.’’ 3

Over the last decade, the field has 

observed a wide range of practices 

coordinated and implemented in fullservice community schools. In a January 

2020 study of New York City 

community schools by the Rand 

Corporation, assuming strong social 

capital, stable leadership, and a strong 

instructional program, community 

schools have been associated with 

improved attendance, on-time grade 

progression, student achievement in 

math, and fewer disciplinary incidents.4

This year we encourage applicants to 

consider where possible the option to 

give families the choice to apply for 

services beyond the project’s required 

services to meet the unique needs of 

students and their families. In order to 

offer families expanded options, 

applicants may need to engage in greater 

collaboration with partners who can 

meet those unique needs. 

Priorities: This notice contains one 

absolute priority, four competitive 

preference priorities, and one 

invitational priority. In accordance with 

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

priority is from section 4625(b)(1)(A) of 

the ESEA. The competitive preference 

priorities are from ESEA sections 

4625(b)(1)(B), 4625(b)(2), and 

4625(b)(3), and 34 CFR 75.226(c). 

Absolute 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 an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Eligible entities that will serve a 

minimum of two or more full-service 

community schools eligible for a 

schoolwide program (as defined in this 

notice) under section 1114(b) of the 

ESEA as part of a community- or 

district-wide strategy. 

Competitive Preference Priorities: For 

FY 2021, and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition, these priorities are 

competitive preference priorities. Under 

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

additional two points to an application 

that meets Competitive Preference 

Priority 1, and we award an additional 

point to an application that meets 

Competitive Preference Priority 2. We 

award an additional point to an 

application that meets Competitive 

Preference Priority 3, and an additional 

five points to an application that meets 

Competitive Preference Priority 4. An 

applicant may receive a maximum of 

nine competitive preference priority 

points. Applicants may apply under 

any, all, or none of the competitive 

preference priorities. Applicants must 

identify under Quality of the Project 

Design the priorities they are addressing 

in order to receive those points. 

These priorities are: 

Competitive Preference Priority 1— 

Rural Districts-Small and Rural or Rural 

and Low-Income. (0 or 2 points) 

The Secretary gives priority to eligible 

entities that include an LEA that 

satisfies the requirements of the Small 

Rural School Achievement (SRSA) 

program (ESEA section 5211(b)(1)(A), 

(B), or (C)) or the Rural and Low-Income 

School (RLIS) program (ESEA section 

5221(b)(1)(A), (B), or (C)). 

Note: Applicants may determine whether a 

particular LEA is eligible for these programs 

by referring to information on the following 

Department website: https://oese.ed.gov/ 

offices/office-of-formula-grants/rural-insularnative-achievement-programs/ruraleducation-achievement-program/. 

Note: An LEA includes a public charter 

school that operates as an LEA. 

Competitive Preference Priority 2— 

Broadly Representative Consortiums. (0 

or 1 point) 

The Secretary gives priority to an 

eligible entity that is a consortium 

comprised of a broad representation of 

stakeholders. 

Competitive Preference Priority 3— 

History of Effectiveness. (0 or 1 point) 

The Secretary gives priority to an 

eligible entity that is a consortium 

demonstrating a history of effectiveness. 

Competitive Preference Priority 4— 

Evidence-Based Activities, Strategies, or 

Interventions. (0 or 5 points) 

The Secretary gives priority to an 

application that is supported by 

evidence that meets the definition of 

promising evidence (as defined in this 

notice). 

Invitational 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 an invitational priority. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not 

give an application that meets this 

invitational priority a competitive or 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4019 

absolute preference over other 

applications. 

This priority is: 

Empowering Families With the 

Delivery of On-Demand Support 

Services that Meet the Unique Needs of 

Students. 

Projects that allow families to choose 

up to two service options that are in 

addition to the five required services 

under the FSCS program. 

Definitions: The definitions of 

‘‘Community-based organization,’’ 

‘‘Eligible entity,’’ ‘‘Full-service 

community school,’’ ‘‘Local educational 

agency,’’ ‘‘Pipeline services,’’ and ‘‘State 

educational agency’’ are from sections 

4622 and 8101 of the ESEA. The 

definitions of ‘‘Baseline,’’ 

‘‘Experimental study,’’ ‘‘Nonprofit,’’ 

‘‘Performance measure,’’ ‘‘Performance 

target,’’ ‘‘Project,’’ ‘‘Project component,’’ 

‘‘Promising evidence,’’ ‘‘Quasiexperimental design study,’’ ‘‘Relevant 

outcome,’’ and ‘‘What Works 

Clearinghouse Handbook’’ are from 34 

CFR 77.1. The definition of ‘‘School 

eligible for a schoolwide program’’ is 

from 34 CFR 200.25(b). 

Baseline means the starting point 

from which performance is measured 

and targets are set. 

Community-based organization 

means a public or private nonprofit (as 

defined in this notice) organization of 

demonstrated effectiveness that— 

(a) Is representative of a community 

or significant segments of a community; 

and 

(b) Provides educational or related 

services to individuals in the 

community. 

Eligible entity means a consortium of 

one or more LEAs; or the Bureau of 

Indian Education; and one or more 

community-based organizations, 

nonprofit organizations, or other public 

or private entities. 

Experimental study means a study 

that is designed to compare outcomes 

between two groups of individuals 

(such as students) that are otherwise 

equivalent except for their assignment 

to either a treatment group receiving a 

project component or a control group 

that does not. Randomized controlled 

trials, regression discontinuity design 

studies, and single-case design studies 

are the specific types of experimental 

studies that, depending on their design 

and implementation (e.g., sample 

attrition in randomized controlled trials 

and regression discontinuity design 

studies), can meet What Works 

Clearinghouse (WWC) standards 

without reservations as described in the 

WWC Handbooks (as defined in this 

notice): 

(a) A randomized controlled trial 

employs random assignment of, for 

example, students, teachers, classrooms, 

or schools to receive the project 

component being evaluated (the 

treatment group) or not to receive the 

project component (the control group). 

(b) A regression discontinuity design 

study assigns the project component 

being evaluated using a measured 

variable (e.g., assigning students reading 

below a cutoff score to tutoring or 

developmental education classes) and 

controls for that variable in the analysis 

of outcomes. 

(c) A single-case design study uses 

observations of a single case (e.g., a 

student eligible for a behavioral 

intervention) over time in the absence 

and presence of a controlled treatment 

manipulation to determine whether the 

outcome is systematically related to the 

treatment. 

Full-service community school means 

a public elementary school or secondary 

school that— 

(a) Participates in a community-based 

effort to coordinate and integrate 

educational, developmental, family, 

health, and other comprehensive 

services through community-based 

organizations and public and private 

partnerships; and 

(b) Provides access to such services in 

school to students, families, and the 

community, such as access during the 

school year (including before- and afterschool hours and weekends), as well as 

during the summer. 

Local educational agency (LEA) 

means: 

(a) In General. A public board of 

education or other public authority 

legally constituted within a State for 

either administrative control or 

direction of, or to perform a service 

function for, public elementary schools 

or secondary schools in a city, county, 

township, school district, or other 

political subdivision of a State, or of or 

for a combination of school districts or 

counties that is recognized in a State as 

an administrative agency for its public 

elementary schools or secondary 

schools. 

(b) Administrative Control and 

Direction. The term includes any other 

public institution or agency having 

administrative control and direction of 

a public elementary school or secondary 

school. 

(c) Bureau of Indian Education 

Schools. The term includes an 

elementary school or secondary school 

funded by the Bureau of Indian 

Education but only to the extent that 

including the school makes the school 

eligible for programs for which specific 

eligibility is not provided to the school 

in another provision of law and the 

school does not have a student 

population that is smaller than the 

student population of the LEA receiving 

assistance under the ESEA with the 

smallest student population, except that 

the school shall not be subject to the 

jurisdiction of any State educational 

agency (as defined in this notice) other 

than the Bureau of Indian Education. 

(d) Educational Service Agencies. The 

term includes educational service 

agencies and consortia of those 

agencies. 

(e) State Educational Agency. The 

term includes the State educational 

agency in a State in which the State 

educational agency is the sole 

educational agency for all public 

schools. 

Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, 

organization, or institution, means that 

it is owned and operated by one or more 

corporations or associations whose net 

earnings do not benefit, and cannot 

lawfully benefit, any private 

shareholder or entity. 

Performance measure means any 

quantitative indicator, statistic, or 

metric used to gauge program or project 

performance. 

Performance target means a level of 

performance that an applicant would 

seek to meet during the course of a 

project or as a result of a project. 

Pipeline services means a continuum 

of coordinated supports, services, and 

opportunities for children from birth 

through entry into and success in 

postsecondary education, and career 

attainment. Such services shall include, 

at a minimum, strategies to address 

through services or programs (including 

integrated student supports) the 

following: 

(a) High-quality early childhood 

education programs. 

(b) High-quality school and out-ofschool-time programs and strategies. 

(c) Support for a child’s transition to 

elementary school, from elementary 

school to middle school, from middle 

school to high school, and from high 

school into and through postsecondary 

education and into the workforce, 

including any comprehensive readiness 

assessment determined necessary. 

(d) Family and community 

engagement and supports, 

which may include engaging or 

supporting families at 

school or at home. 

(e) Activities that support 

postsecondary and workforce readiness, 

which may include job training, 

internship opportunities, and career 

counseling. 

(f) Community-based support for 

students who have attended the schools 

4020 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

in the area served by the pipeline, or 

students who are members of the 

community, facilitating their continued 

connection to the community and 

success in postsecondary education and 

the workforce. 

(g) Social, health, nutrition, and 

mental health services and supports. 

(h) Juvenile crime prevention and 

rehabilitation programs. 

Project means the activity described 

in an application. 

Project component means an activity, 

strategy, intervention, process, product, 

practice, or policy included in a project. 

Evidence may pertain to an individual 

project component or to a combination 

of project components (e.g., training 

teachers on instructional practices for 

English learners and follow-on coaching 

for these teachers). 

Promising evidence means that there 

is evidence of the effectiveness of a key 

project component in improving a 

relevant outcome, based on a relevant 

finding from one of the following: 

(a) A practice guide prepared by 

WWC reporting a ‘‘strong evidence 

base’’ or ‘‘moderate evidence base’’ for 

the corresponding practice guide 

recommendation; 

(b) An intervention report prepared by 

the WWC reporting a ‘‘positive effect’’ 

or ‘‘potentially positive effect’’ on a 

relevant outcome with no reporting of a 

‘‘negative effect’’ or ‘‘potentially 

negative effect’’ on a relevant outcome; 

or 

(c) A single study assessed by the 

Department, as appropriate, that— 

(i) Is an experimental study, a quasiexperimental design study, or a welldesigned and well-implemented 

correlational study with statistical 

controls for selection bias (e.g., a study 

using regression methods to account for 

differences between a treatment group 

and a comparison group); and 

(ii) Includes at least one statistically 

significant and positive (i.e., favorable) 

effect on a relevant outcome. 

Quasi-experimental design study 

means a study using a design that 

attempts to approximate an 

experimental study by identifying a 

comparison group that is similar to the 

treatment group in important respects. 

This type of study, depending on design 

and implementation (e.g., establishment 

of baseline equivalence of the groups 

being compared), can meet WWC 

standards with reservations, but cannot 

meet WWC standards without 

reservations, as described in the WWC 

Handbooks. 

Relevant outcome means the student 

outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key 

project component is designed to 

improve, consistent with the specific 

goals of the program. 

School eligible for a schoolwide 

program means any school eligible 

under 34 CFR 200.25(b) to operate a 

schoolwide program. 

State educational agency (SEA) means 

the agency primarily responsible for the 

State supervision of public elementary 

schools and secondary schools. 

What Works Clearinghouse 

Handbooks (WWC Handbooks) means 

the standards and procedures set forth 

in the WWC Standards Handbook, 

Versions 4.0 or 4.1, and WWC 

Procedures Handbook, Versions 4.0 or 

4.1, or in the WWC Procedures and 

Standards Handbook, Version 3.0 or 

Version 2.1 (all incorporated by 

reference, see § 77.2). Study findings 

eligible for review under WWC 

standards can meet WWC standards 

without reservations, meet WWC 

standards with reservations, or not meet 

WWC standards. WWC practice guides 

and intervention reports include 

findings from systematic reviews of 

evidence as described in the WWC 

Handbooks documentation. 

Application Requirements: The 

following requirements are from section 

4625(a) of the ESEA. In order to receive 

funding, an applicant must include the 

following in its application: 

(a) A description of the eligible entity. 

(b) A memorandum of understanding 

among all partner entities in the eligible 

entity that will assist the eligible entity 

to coordinate and provide pipeline 

services and that describes the roles the 

partner entities will assume. 

(c) A description of the capacity of the 

eligible entity to coordinate and provide 

pipeline services at two or more fullservice community schools. 

(d) A comprehensive plan that 

includes descriptions of the following: 

(1) The student, family, and school 

community to be served, including 

demographic information. 

(2) A needs assessment that identifies 

the academic, physical, nonacademic, 

health, mental health, and other needs 

of students, families, and community 

residents. 

(3) Annual measurable performance 

objectives and outcomes, including an 

increase in the number and percentage 

of families and students targeted for 

services each year of the program, in 

order to ensure that children are— 

(i) Prepared for kindergarten; 

(ii) Achieving academically; and 

(iii) Safe, healthy, and supported by 

engaged parents. 

(4) Pipeline services, including 

existing and additional pipeline 

services, to be coordinated and provided 

by the eligible entity and its partner 

entities, including an explanation of— 

(i) Why such services have been 

selected; 

(ii) How such services will improve 

student academic achievement; and 

(iii) How such services will address 

the annual measurable performance 

objectives and outcomes described 

above under (d)(3). 

(5) Plans to ensure that each fullservice community school site has a 

full-time coordinator of pipeline 

services at such school, including a 

description of the applicable funding 

sources, plans for professional 

development for the personnel 

managing, coordinating, or delivering 

pipeline services, and plans for joint 

utilization and management of school 

facilities. 

(6) Plans for annual evaluation based 

upon attainment of the performance 

objectives and outcomes described 

above under (d)(3). 

(7) Plans for sustaining the programs 

and services described in the 

application after the grant period. 

(e) An assurance that the eligible 

entity and its partner entities will focus 

services on schools eligible for a 

schoolwide program under section 

1114(b) of the ESEA. 

Applications that do not address the 

application requirements are not eligible 

for funding and will not be reviewed. 

Program Authority: as amended sections 

4621–4623 and 4625 of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 (20 

U.S.C. 7275). 

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. Projects serving children with 

disabilities must be operated consistent with 

the requirements of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 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) 

34 CFR 200.25. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 

apply to all applicants except federally 

recognized Indian Tribes. 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4021 

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: 

$13,700,000. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$275,000–$500,000 for each 12-month 

budget period; $1,375,000–$2,500,000 

for the entire project period. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$450,000 for each 12-month period. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $2,500,000 for the 

entire project period. 

Minimum Award: The Secretary is 

prohibited by section 4625(d) of the 

ESEA from making a grant under the 

FSCS program in an amount that is less 

than $75,000 for each year of the grant. 

Therefore, we will reject any application 

that proposes an amount that is less 

than $75,000 for any budget period. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 30. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: A consortium 

of— 

(a)(i) One or more LEAs; or 

(ii) The Bureau of Indian Education; 

and 

(b) One or more community-based 

organizations, nonprofit organizations, 

or other public or private entities. 

A consortium must comply with the 

provisions governing group applications 

in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. 

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 

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: To be 

eligible for an award, an applicant shall 

provide matching funds through nonFederal contributions, either in cash or 

in-kind donations. The applicant must 

propose the amount of cash or in-kind 

resources to be contributed for each year 

of the grant. 

The Bureau of Indian Education may 

meet the matching requirement using 

funds from other Federal sources. 

The Secretary does not, as a general 

matter, anticipate waiving the matching 

requirement in the future. Furthermore, 

given the importance of matching funds 

to the long-term success of the project, 

eligible entities must identify 

appropriate matching funds in the 

proposed budget. 

b. Supplement not Supplant: This 

program is subject to supplement-notsupplant funding requirements. 

Grantees must use FSCS grant funds to 

supplement, and not supplant, any 

other Federal, State, and local funds that 

would otherwise have been available to 

carry out activities authorized under 

section 4625 of the ESEA. 

c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses a restricted indirect cost 

rate. For more information regarding 

indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated 

indirect cost rate, please see 

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

intro.html. 

d. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

4. Planning: Interagency collaborative 

efforts are highly complex undertakings 

that require extensive planning and 

communication among partners and key 

stakeholders. Partnerships should be 

based on identified needs and organized 

around a set of mutually defined results 

and outcomes. Under section 4625(c) of 

the ESEA, applicants under this 

program may not use more than 10 

percent of the total amount of grant 

funds for planning purposes during the 

first year of the grant. Funding received 

by grantees during the remainder of the 

project period must be devoted to 

program implementation. 

5. Use of Funds: Under section 

4625(e) of the ESEA, grantees must use 

FSCS grant funds to: (1) Coordinate not 

less than three existing pipeline 

services, as of the date their grants are 

awarded, and provide not less than two 

additional pipeline services, at two or 

more public elementary schools or 

secondary schools; (2) to the extent 

practicable, integrate multiple pipeline 

services into a comprehensive and 

coordinated continuum to achieve the 

annual measurable performance 

objectives and outcomes under section 

4625(a)(4)(C) of the ESEA to meet the 

holistic needs of children; and (3) if 

applicable, coordinate and integrate 

services provided by community-based 

organizations and government agencies 

with services provided by specialized 

instructional support personnel. 

6. Evaluation: Under section 4625(g) 

of the ESEA, grantees must conduct an 

annual evaluation of their project’s 

progress in meeting the purpose of the 

FSCS program set out in section 4621(2) 

of the ESEA and use those evaluations 

to refine and improve activities carried 

out under the grant and the annual 

measurable performance objectives and 

outcomes in section 4625(a)(4)(C) of the 

ESEA. Grantees must make the results of 

their annual evaluation publicly 

available, including by providing public 

notice of the availability of such results. 

Note: Nothing in section 4625 of the ESEA 

shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect 

the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded 

school or LEA employees under Federal, 

State, or local laws (including applicable 

regulations or court orders) under the terms 

of collective bargaining agreements, 

memoranda of understanding, or other 

agreements between such employees and 

their employers. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application Submission 

Instructions: For information on how to 

submit 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, 

which contains requirements and 

information on how to submit an 

application. 

2. Submission of Proprietary 

Information: Given the types of projects 

that may be proposed in applications for 

the FSCS program, your application 

may include business information that 

you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 

5.11, we define ‘‘business information’’ 

and describe the process we use in 

determining whether any of that 

information is proprietary and, thus, 

protected from disclosure under 

Exemption 4 of the Freedom of 

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 

amended). 

Because we plan to make successful 

applications available to the public, you 

may wish to request confidentiality of 

business information. 

4022 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 

Consistent with Executive Order 

12600, please designate in your 

application any information that you 

believe is exempt from disclosure under 

Exemption 4. In the appropriate 

Appendix section of your application, 

under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’ 

please list the page number or numbers 

on which we can find this information. 

For additional information please see 34 

CFR 5.11(c). 

3. 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. 

4. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

5. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative is where you, the 

applicant, address the selection criteria 

that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend that you (1) 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 150 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

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

only, with 1’’ margins at the top, 

bottom, and both sides. 

• Double space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions, as well as all 

text in charts, tables, figures, and 

graphs. 

• Use a font that is either 12 point or 

larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to the cover sheet; the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; or the one-page abstract, 

the resumes, the bibliography, or the 

letters of support. However, the 

recommended page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative. 

6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The 

Department will be able to develop a 

more efficient process for reviewing 

grant applications if it has a better 

understanding of the number of entities 

that intend to apply for funding under 

this competition. Therefore, the 

Secretary strongly encourages each 

potential applicant to notify the 

Department of the applicant’s intent to 

submit an application for funding by 

sending a short email message 

indicating the applicant’s intent to 

submit an application for funding. The 

email need not include information 

regarding the content of the proposed 

application, only the applicant’s intent 

to submit it. This email notification 

should be sent to FSCS@ed.gov with 

‘‘INTENT TO APPLY’’ in the subject 

line by February 1, 2021. Applicants 

that do not notify us of their intent to 

apply may still apply for funding. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all 

of the selection criteria is 100 points. 

The maximum score for each criterion is 

included in parentheses following the 

title of the specific selection criterion. 

Each criterion also includes the factors 

that reviewers will consider in 

determining the extent to which an 

applicant meets the criterion. 

Points awarded under these selection 

criteria are in addition to any points an 

applicant earns under the competitive 

preference priorities in this notice. The 

maximum score that an application may 

receive under the competitive 

preference priorities and the selection 

criteria is 109 points. 

The selection criteria are as follows: 

(a) Quality of the Project Design (up 

to 25 points). 

The Secretary considers the quality of 

the design of the proposed project. In 

determining the quality of the design of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers— 

(1) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. 

(2) The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project is appropriate to, 

and will successfully address, the needs 

of the target population or other 

identified needs. 

(b) Quality of the Project Services (up 

to 25 points). 

The Secretary considers the quality of 

the services to be provided by the 

proposed project. In determining the 

quality of project services, the Secretary 

considers the quality and sufficiency of 

strategies for ensuring equal access and 

treatment for eligible project 

participants who are members of groups 

that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability. In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following— 

(1) The likely impact of the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

on the intended recipients of those 

services. 

(2) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

involve the collaboration of appropriate 

partners for maximizing the 

effectiveness of project services. 

(c) Adequacy of Resources (up to 15 

points). 

The Secretary considers the adequacy 

of resources for the proposed project. In 

determining the adequacy of resources 

for the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors— 

(1) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(2) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the number of 

persons to be served and to the 

anticipated results and benefits. 

(d) Quality of the Management Plan 

(up to 20 points). 

The Secretary considers the quality of 

the management plan for the proposed 

project. In determining the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors— 

(1) The adequacy of the management 

plan to achieve the objectives of the 

proposed project on time and within 

budget, including clearly defined 

responsibilities, timelines, and 

milestones for accomplishing project 

tasks. 

(2) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the Project Evaluation 

(up to 15 points). 

The Secretary considers the quality of 

the evaluation to be conducted of the 

proposed project. In determining the 

quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 

considers the following factors— 

(1) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. 

(2) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation include the use of 

objective performance measures that are 

clearly related to the intended outcomes 

of the project and will produce 

quantitative and qualitative data to the 

extent possible. 

(3) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide valid and 

reliable performance data on relevant 

outcomes. 

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 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 10 / Friday, January 15, 2021 / Notices 4023 

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). 

3. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.205, before awarding grants under 

this competition 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 

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 of 

Education will review and consider 

applications for funding pursuant to this 

notice inviting applications in 

accordance with the following: 

• 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); 

• 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); 

• 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); 

• 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 

• 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. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee or 

subgrantee that is awarded competitive 

grant funds must have a plan to 

disseminate these public grant 

deliverables. This dissemination plan 

can be developed and submitted after 

your application has been reviewed and 

selected for funding. For additional 

information on the open licensing 

requirements please refer to 2 CFR 

3474.20. 

4. 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) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the 

Secretary may provide a grantee with 

additional funding for data collection 

analysis and reporting. In this case the 

Secretary establishes a data collection 

period. 

5. Performance Measures: We have 

established one performance measure 

for the FSCS program: The percentage 

and number of individuals targeted for 

services and who receive services 

during each year of the project period. 

6. 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 

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