# First in the World Program

# FY 2015 Development Competition Webinar

# Script for the Slide Presentation

## Slide 1 of 37.  Title Page

First in the World (FITW) Program, Development Competition Webinar, May 14, 2015

## Slide 2.  Disclaimer

Slide 2 lists the disclaimer for this presentation.  The purpose of this webinar is to provide information about the Development competition in the FITW program.  The webinar provides the U.S. Department of Education’s interpretation of various statutory provisions and does not impose any requirements beyond those included in the FITW notice inviting applications (NIA) for the 2015 Development grant competition; and other applicable laws and regulations.  In addition, it does not create or confer any rights for or on any person.

Do not rely solely on the information in this webinar.  

Please refer to the NIA published in the Federal Register for additional information.  The Federal Register Notice is the official document governing the competition.  You may download all the application materials in www.grants.gov.  The keyword search is *First in the World*.

## Slide 3.  General Information

Slide 3 contains three information items related to technical assistance.  First, it is very important to read the Frequently Asked Questions for the Development competition on the FITW Web site.  The address for these FAQs is on the screen at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/faq.html. 

Second, we want to call your attention to our process for handling your questions during the open application period.  You may submit questions to us at opefitwdevelopment@ed.gov.  Our telephone numbers are also provided at the conclusion of this webinar.  We are happy to answer any program specific or technical assistance questions you may have, such as eligibility, allowable costs, or requirements.  But please note that the FITW staff will not provide answers during the open competition period to applicant specific questions, such as proposal content or ideas.  We do this in order to be fair to all applicants.

Finally, we want to call your attention to the webinar that will provide information on evidence standards on May 19, 2015 at 3:00 p.m., Washington DC time. Registration information is on the FITW Web site.

## Slide 4.  FITW Program 2015

Slide 4 notes that in FY 2015 the Department is holding two FITW competitions.  We are holding a Development competition for piloting and testing strategies for meeting postsecondary challenges.  We are also holding a Validation competition for replicating tested strategies across multiple entities in postsecondary education.  These two competitions have separate NIAs, separate application packages, and separate application packages. 

## Slide 5.  Purpose of FITW

Slide 5 lists the four key purposes of the FITW program.  First, it is part of a national agenda to lead the world in proportion of citizens with postsecondary degrees, credentials, and certifications.  Second, the program focuses on the students most needed to bring about increased completion.  These are high-need most in danger of not persisting and completing postsecondary programs of study.  Third, the Development competition is based on published evidence standards.  Finally, a key purpose of the program is to enhance a database of proven, effective practices. 

## Slide 6.  Dates to Remember

Slide 6 lists the important dates for this competition.  The competition opened on May 11, 2015 and will close on June 30, 2015 at 4:30:00 Washington DC time.  This is an absolute closing date.  We will not review late proposals.  On September 30, 2015 the awards will be announced.  During the internal review period we do not have any contact with applicants.

## Slide 7.  Cautions from 2014

Slide 7 contains some important cautions and lessons learned from the 2014 competition.  Be sure to submit early.  We suggests several days ahead of the deadline.  Be sure to register for SAM, the system that is required for uploading grant applications.  This registration process can take two or more weeks.  If you are going to apply, do it NOW.  It is always important to write clearly and present a text free of errors and typos. The Development competition has several requirements.  You must meet all requirements to be considered for funding.  The last line of this slide underscores the importance of reading all application materials and paying close attention to timelines.

## Slide 8.  Development Competition Profile

Slide 8 is the first of three slides to explain the Development competition profile.  A key thing to keep in mind is that Development grants support the piloting and testing of new or substantially more effective practices for addressing widely shared challenges.  In addition, the Development competition focuses on exploring challenges of national importance.  Applicants are encouraged to design a rigorous and independent evaluation that if well-implemented, produces evidence about the project's effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.  It is important to clearly understand the definition of this evidence standard.  We encourage you to participate in the upcoming evidence webinar or to view it when posted on the FITW Web site.

## Slide 9.  Development Competition Profile

Slide 9 is the second of three slides on the competition profile.  The total congressional FY 2015 appropriation is $60,000,000 with up to $16,000,000 set aside for MSIs (minority-serving institutions).  This appropriation covers two competitions --Development and Validation.  We expect to make six to eight Development awards.  The estimated range for these awards is $1,000,000 - $3,000,000.  While we will not make any awards above $3 million, competitive proposals may be submitted anywhere in the range and even below the range.

## Slide 10.  Development Competition Profile

Slide 10 is the third of three slides on the competition profile.  There are Three Absolute Priorities in the competition.  There is also one competitive preference priority which is optional. There are four selection criteria.   More on these criteria will be on the slides below.  All Development awards will be for four years and will be forward funded.  Each performance and budget year is October 1 - September 30.

## Slide 11.  Key Requirements

Slide 11 is the first of two slides on key requirements.  All applicants must address one absolute priority and one of the subparts.  All applicants must implement practices that serve high need students.  The evidence standard for eligibility is the inclusion of strong theory supported by a logic model.  Each application must include a project evaluation plan that is designed and implemented to see how well it would meet the “Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness” with or without reservations.

## Slide 12.  Key Requirements

Slide 12 is the second of two slides on key requirements.  This slide explains the definition of the students who are at the center of Development proposals.  All eligible applicants must implement strategies, programs, or practices for high-need students. We define high-need students as those who are at risk of educational failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support such as adult learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, first-generation students, students with disabilities, and students who are English learners.

It is a requirement of the Development competition that an applicant must identify how the proposed project serves high-need student populations.  However, while the definition noted above provides examples of high-need students, it does not attempt to define all possible high-need student populations.  Applicants must identify how their project serves high-need students.

## Slide 13.  First? Read!

Slide 13 provides some very basic and simple advice.  Before you call us with questions and before you sit down with your colleagues to start planning a submission, read every part of the application materials several times.  Start with the NIA.  It is in three places—the Federal Register, the FITW Web site, and in Grants.gov.  Pay close attention to Grants.gov.  There are four competitions listed under 84.116.  Be sure you download and later upload the correct application materials.  Finally, do not start before you have read the Development FAQs on the FITW Web site.  Many questions can be answered right there.

## Slide 14.  Who is eligible?

Slide 14 explains some important things to keep in mind for eligibility.  Eligible applicants are defined by our FIPSE statute which comes from the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended in 2008.  The statute defines eligible applicants as “Institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private non-profit institutions and agencies.”  If you have any questions about this, please e-mail us at opefitwdevelopment@ed.gov.

Keep in mind also the following requirements.  First, only Development applications are eligible for a Development award. Second, an applicant may submit only one FITW application in 2015 (Development or Validation). Finally, 2014 Development grantees may not apply for 2015 Development competition, but may apply for the 2015 Validation competition.

## Slide 15.  MSI Eligibility

Slide 15 is the first of two slides on Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) eligibility. Remember this is an eligibility requirement for an institution that wishes to be considered for the set aside.  It is not eligibility for the competition.  Applicants that request MSI eligibility and do not receive it will still be reviewed in the general competition.  Applicants applying for MSI eligibility must indicate MSI status request on the “Abstract and Information Page.”

An Institution qualifies as an MSI if it meets one of the following conditions: (1) has participated in the FY 2015 designation of eligibility process and received an approval letter to apply for grant programs under Title III and Title V; (2) has an open grant under one of the Department’s Title III or Title V programs; or (3) has been designated as an HBCU or a Tribally Controlled College or University.

## Slide 16.  MSI Eligibility

Slide 16 describes another way to meet MSI eligibility.  If an applicant does not meet any of the three criteria in the previous slide, IPEDS data will be used to determine the proportion of minority students served.  In some cases, applicants must also meet the needy student and E&G expenditure requirements.  There are formulas for the   numbers and percentages of students related to E&G budgets.  Specific details are in the Eligibility section of the application package.  You do not have to provide any details to be considered for MSI eligibility.  Eligibility for an MSI application is determined solely by the status of the lead institution.

## Slide 17.  Questions

## Slide 18.  Priority Structure and Subparts 

We will now discuss the three priorities for the FY 2015 Development Competition.  These priorities were included in the FITW Development Notice Inviting Applications that was published in the Federal Register on May 11, 2015.  An applicant for a Development grant must choose one of the three absolute priorities and one of the subparts under the chosen priority to address in their application.****Applicants will also be required to list the absolute priority on the Abstract and Information Page and explain in greater detail the same priority in the project narrative. 

## Slide 19.  Absolute Priorities

Absolute Priority 1 is Improving Teaching and Learning.  This priority was included in the NIA because methods of teaching have stayed largely static, with the traditional lecture as the core instructional design.  New approaches to teaching and learning, such as tools and strategies that go beyond the traditional lecture to support active learning, and that actively engage learners or customize learning, must be tested and expanded to more postsecondary institutions to improve accessibility and quality and reduce cost.

## Slide 20.  Absolute Priorities

Absolute Priority 2 is Developing and Using Assessments of Learning.  Applicants selecting this priority must address one of the following subparts areas:

The first subpart encourages applicants to develop projects that support the use of externally validated assessments for student learning such as micro- or competency-based assessments, assessments embedded in curriculum, or simulations, games, or other technology based assessment approaches. 

We also included a subpart under this priority that aligns assessments across kindergarten through grade 12 and postsecondary education systems or across two-year and four-year institutions, to improve readiness and content delivery. 

Both subparts provide applicants with the opportunity to focus on current trends in learning assessments such as the assessment of higher-order thinking skills which could include analysis, synthesis, and transfer; along with “non-cognitive” capacities such as mindset and persistence.  

## Slide 21.  Absolute Priorities

Absolute Priority 3 is Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing and Transfer.  This priority was included to address the pressing need to develop and implement systems and practices to capture and aggregate credit.  We know that many postsecondary students attend more than one institution on their way to earning a certificate or a degree.  In addition, learning that occurs through work experience or from non-traditional education providers are not recognized.  Applicants selecting this priority must address one of the following subparts areas:

1) Seamless transfer of credits between postsecondary institutions; or

2) Validation and transfer of credit for learning experiences from non-institutional sources. 

## Slide 22.  Competitive Preference Priority

For FY 2015, we have included a competitive preference priority (CPP) worth up to five additional points.  Applicants are not required to address the CPP.  The page limit for addressing this CPP is two pages.  

The CPP is “Implementing Low Cost-High Impact Strategies to Improve Student Outcomes.”  We encourage applicants to develop projects that use low-cost tools or strategies, such as those that use technology, that result in a high impact on student outcomes.  In recent years, numerous institutions and researchers have begun testing interventions that are low cost but have the ability to have a high impact on student costs.  Many of these interventions minimize cost through the use of technology, such as digital messaging or predictive analytics. 

Applicants are encouraged to review the FY 2015 Development NIA to obtain more detailed information about each of these priorities. 

## Slide 23. Selection Criteria

The FY 2015 Development competition contains four selection criteria.  Please note that the page limit for addressing the selection criteria is 30 pages this year.  The selection criteria are the criteria against which the peer reviewers score each application.  The Department selects grantees based on peer reviewer scores, so clearly addressing the selection criteria is critical. The project narrative should be developed in four sections that correspond to the four selection criteria as listed in the Notice Inviting Applications and in the Federal Register.  Lastly, the maximum score that any applicant may receive on just the four selection criteria is 100 points. Applicants also have the option to address the competitive preference priority and earn up to five additional points. 

## Slide 24.  Significance

On the next few slides, we will review some of the key elements of the FITW selection criteria.  Note that on the selection criteria slides we do not include the actual language of each criterion or factor, so applicants should review the full language in the Notice Inviting Applications.  The first selection criterion is “Significance,” which is worth up to 20 points.

Applicants are encouraged to begin their narrative with a description of the major challenges in higher education, and then indicate how their proposal addresses these educational challenges.  Applicants are encouraged to focus on new and substantially different approaches to these challenges.  Applicants are also encouraged to consider how their planned innovations could be replicated at other institutions.  If the applicant conducts a literature review, an explanation of the review could be useful in explaining the significance of the project.

## Slide 25.  Quality of the Project Design

The second selection criterion is “Quality of the Project Design,” which is worth up to 30 points.  Applicants are encouraged to define carefully the student population served, the number of students involved, and any challenges and needs that they are addressing through their project.  Applicants are encouraged to describe carefully how their proposed approach is a new and substantially different way to address the selected priority.  Applicants are encouraged to use the required logic model as the conceptual plan for the project.  A simple logic model could be organized in four parts:  Inputs, Activities, Outcomes, and Timelines.  

## Slide 26.  Adequacy of Resources  

The third selection criterion is “Adequacy of Resources,” which is worth up to 20 points.  Applicants are encouraged to describe all of the resources and capacity of the institution to conduct a successful project.  Applicants are encouraged to submit letters of commitment to demonstrate the institutions level of commitment to the project. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to describe how the requested funds are reasonable in relation to the complexity and scale of the project.  Applicants are encouraged to select a project director who is well acquainted with the institution and experienced in executing large and complex projects.  Successful applications will be those that identify and provide a resume for the person who will be the project director.  This should not be a placeholder or supervisor for someone to be hired after the start of the project.  

## Slide 27.  Quality of the Project Evaluation

The fourth criterion is “Quality of the Project Evaluation,” which is worth up to 30 points.  Applicants should ensure that every project goal and objective they include in this section is measureable.  Successful applications will be those that have an evaluation design that has the potential to meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.  The response to this evaluation criterion should include a description of the total unduplicated number of students involved in the project.  Applicants must select an evaluator independent of and external to the institution.  The external evaluator should have experience in the design and management of evaluations designed to meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards.  Again, we will conduct a comprehensive webinar on evidence on Tuesday, May 19.

## Slide 28.  Review Process

The FY 2015 Development Competition will conduct a two stage review process.  Stage one consist of content reviewers reviewing and scoring the first three selection criteria, which include Significance, Project Design, and Adequacy of Resources.  Content reviewers will also review and score the CPP.  An applicant may earn up to 75 points in stage one of the review process. 

Stage II consist of separate panels of expert evaluation reviewers tasked with assessing the highly rated proposals from Stage 1 on section criterion four, which is “Quality of the Project Evaluation” (worth up to 30 points).

## Slide 29.  Review Process

At the end of the review process, a rank order of all applications will be developed based on peer reviewer evaluations.  Our peer reviewers come from varied backgrounds and professions, including college and university educators, researchers, and others with evaluation expertise. It’s important to note that all peer reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and competitive review process.

## Slide 30.  Budget Tips

The next few slides provide information related to the budget.  Budgets should clearly reflect the scale and scope of the project.  For example, a budget for a single institution involving 500 students is substantially different from a three-institution consortium involving 9000 students.  Peer reviewers will be tasked with reviewing budgets for relevance and appropriateness.  In addition, First in the World staff will also review budgets to ensure that the proposed costs are reasonable and allowable.  Each applicant must provide a line item budget on the ED Standard Form 524 for the funds requested and provide a budget narrative that includes the costs and justifications of costs.

## Slide 31.  Budget Tips

No cost share or matching funds are required in the FITW program.  Based on the FIPSE statutory provisions, student financial assistance in any form is not allowed under this program.  That includes such things as stipends, tuition, and other forms of student financial assistance.  Funds related to housing, food, mentoring, tutoring, summer camps, or stipends for undergraduate research are also not an allowable cost.  Only undergraduates or graduate students who help in the administration of the project or data collection may be paid with grant funds. If you have a question on allowable funds, contact the FITW staff.

Rules about allowable costs are included both in EDGAR and OMB Circulars.

The indirect cost rate for this program is eight percent.  This rate applies to the applicant institution and all partners because the FITW program does not include sub-grants.  

## Slide 32.  Application Checklist

In front of you, you will see the parts of a complete application.

Part A includes:

Application for Federal Assistance and Supplemental Information, the Budget Summary, the Abstract and Information Page, and the Project Narrative.

Part B includes: Other Attachment Forms such as resumes, letters of commitments, and the Budget Narrative.  It also includes the Assurances and Certification forms.

Be sure you have included every required part of this checklist.  Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

## Slide 33.  Applying Through Grants.gov

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov site.  In order to apply for an FITW grant, you must complete the Grants.gov registration process.  Go to the “Get Registered” link on the left hand side of the Grants.gov homepage.  Please submit your application several days before the closing date.   Applicants should contact the Grants.gov support desk if experiencing any problems submitting their application.  

## Slide 34.  Registering for SAM

In order to submit an application in Grants.gov, applicants must register with the System for Awards Management; otherwise referred to as ”SAM.”  It can take several business days to register with SAM.  Applicants should allow sufficient time to obtain and register their DUNS and TIN. Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov.

## Slide 35.  Resources

Here we have some important resources related to the FY 2015 FITW Development Competition. We encourage you to review the First in the World Web site, which  includes the Notice Inviting Applications, the Notice of Final Priorities, the application package, and the FAQs. 

## Slide 36.  Contact Information

This slide contains the FITW Team contact information.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your patience.  

## Slide 37. Questions

May 15, 2015

2