Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 212 / Friday, November 5, 2021 / Notices 61183 

2 In 2019, I joined global privacy regulators to 

seek information about Facebook’s Libra project. At 

the time, the company failed to substantively 

respond. See https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/ 

speeches/2019/s-d_190805/. 

3The law currently provides for a number of 

safeguards in the payments sector, including but 

not limited to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the 

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the Consumer 

Financial Protection Act. 

to provide information that help the 

Bureau monitor risks to consumers and 

to publish aggregated findings that are 

in the public interest. 

Little is known publicly about how 

Big Tech companies will exploit their 

payments platforms. For example, will 

the operators engage in invasive 

financial surveillance and combine the 

data they collect on consumers with 

their geolocation and browsing data? 2

Will they in turn use this data to deepen 

behavioral advertising, engage in price 

discrimination, or sell to third parties? 

Will these companies operate their 

payment platforms in a manner that 

interferes with fair, transparent, and 

competitive markets? Will the payment 

platforms be truly neutral, or will they 

use their scale to extract rents from 

market participants? Will small 

businesses feel coerced into 

participating in the payment platform 

out of fear of being suppressed or 

hidden in search or product listings? If 

these tech companies enter a market 

that competes with other providers on 

the platform, will these providers be 

removed or otherwise disadvantaged? 

What factors will these tech companies 

use when disqualifying or delisting an 

individual or business from 

participating on the platform? 

Finally, how will these payment 

platforms ensure that key consumer 

protections are adhered to? How 

effectively do they manage complaints, 

disputes and errors? Are they 

sufficiently staffed to ensure adequate 

steps are taken to address consumer 

protection and provide responsive 

customer service when things go 

wrong? 3

The CFPB’s inquiry will help to 

inform regulators and policymakers 

about the future of our payments 

system. Importantly, it will also yield 

insights that may help the CFPB to 

implement other statutory 

responsibilities, including any potential 

rulemaking under Section 1033 of the 

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 

Consumer Protection Act. The CFPB’s 

orders build on the efforts of the Federal 

Trade Commission’s work to shed light 

on the business practices of the largest 

technology companies in the world. 

The CFPB’s inquiry is one of many 

efforts within the Federal Reserve 

System to plan for the future of realtime payments and to ensure a fair and 

competitive payments system in our 

country. The Bureau intends to open a 

Federal Register docket to invite public 

comment. I invite any interested parties 

to submit comments to inform the 

agency’s inquiry. 

Dated: November 1, 2021. 

Rohit Chopra, 

Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial 

Protection. 

[FR Doc. 2021–24176 Filed 11–4–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P 

U.S. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

FINANCE CORPORATION 

Notice of Public Hearing 

AGENCY: U.S. International Development 

Finance Corporation 

ACTION: Announcement of public 

hearing. 

SUMMARY: The Board of Directors of the 

U.S. International Development Finance 

Corporation (‘‘DFC’’) will hold a public 

hearing on December 8, 2021. This 

hearing will afford an opportunity for 

any person to present views in 

accordance with the BUILD Act of 2018. 

Those wishing to present at the hearing 

must provide advance notice to the 

agency as detailed below. 

DATES: Public hearing: 2:00 p.m., 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021. 

Deadline for notifying agency of an 

intent to attend or present at the public 

hearing: 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, 

December 1, 2021. 

Deadline for submitting a written 

statement: 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, 

December 1, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Public hearing: Virtual; 

Access information provided at the time 

of attendance registration. 

You may send notices of intent to 

attend, present, or submit a written 

statement to Catherine F.I. Andrade, 

DFC Corporate Secretary, via email at 

candrade@dfc.gov. 

Instructions: A notice of intent to 

attend the public hearing or to present 

at the public hearing must include the 

individual’s name, title, organization, 

address, email, telephone number, and 

a concise summary of the subject matter 

to be presented. Oral presentations may 

not exceed five (5) minutes. The time for 

individual presentations may be 

reduced proportionately, if necessary, to 

afford all participants who have 

submitted a timely request an 

opportunity to be heard. Submission of 

written statements must include the 

individual’s name, title, organization, 

address, email, and telephone number. 

The statement must be typewritten, 

double-spaced, and may not exceed ten 

(10) pages. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Catherine F.I. Andrade, DFC Corporate 

Secretary, (202) 336–8768, or 

candrade@dfc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

public hearing will take place via videoand teleconference. Upon registering, 

participants and observers will be 

provided instructions on accessing the 

hearing. DFC will prepare an agenda for 

the hearing identifying speakers, setting 

forth the subject on which each 

participant will speak, and the time 

allotted for each presentation. The 

agenda will be available at the time of 

the hearing. 

Authority: 22 U.S.C. 9613(c). 

Catherine F.I. Andrade, 

DFC Corporate Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–24155 Filed 11–4–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3210–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; Basic 

Needs for Postsecondary Students 

Program 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications (NIA) for new awards for 

fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the Basic Needs 

for Postsecondary Students Program, 

Assistance Listing Number 84.116N. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1894–0006. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: November 5, 

2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: December 6, 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: 

Njeri Clark, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 2B168, Washington, DC 20202– 

4260. Telephone: (202) 453–6224. 

Email: Njeri.Clark@ed.gov. 


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1 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Eisenberg, D. 

(2015). Hungry to Learn: Addressing Food & 

Housing Insecurity among Undergraduates. 

Wisconsin HOPE Lab. Retrieved from http://

wihopelab.com/publications/Wisconsin_HOPE_

Lab_Hungry_To_Learn.pdf. Goldrick-Rab, S., 

Richardson, J., & Hernandez, A. (2017). Hungry and 

Homeless in College: Results from a National Study 

of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education. 

Wisconsin HOPE Lab. Retrieved from http://

wihopelab.com/publications/hungry-and-homelessin-college-report.pdf 

2 Government Accountability Office. (2018). Food 

Insecurity: Better Information Could Help Eligible 

College Students Access Federal Food Assistance 

Benefits. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/ 

assets/gao-19-95.pdf. 

3Maroto, M.E., Snelling, A., & Linck, H. (2015). 

Food Insecurity Among Community College 

Students: Prevalence and Association with Grade 

Point Average. Community College Journal of 

Research and Practice, 39(6), 515–526. Hershner, 

S.D., & Chervin, R.D. (2014). Causes and 

Consequences of Sleepiness Among College 

Students. Nature and Science of Sleep, 6, 73–84. 

4hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ 

2019_RealCollege_Survey_Report.pdf. 

5hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ 

2019_RealCollege_Survey_Report.pdf. 

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 Basic Needs 

for Postsecondary Students Program 

provides grants to eligible institutions of 

higher education (IHEs) to support 

programs that address the basic needs of 

students and to report on practices that 

improve outcomes for students. 

Background: The Basic Needs for 

Postsecondary Students Program 

supports IHEs that demonstrate a 

commitment to developing or enhancing 

programs that support the basic needs of 

students. There is growing evidence that 

food and housing insecurities 

compromise the well-being of thousands 

of undergraduate students across the 

country, which may reduce the odds 

that they will complete their degrees or 

certificates. A recent study of more than 

33,000 community college students 

found that one-third had the lowest 

levels of food security and could be 

considered hungry, while just over 50 

percent were housing insecure. 

Fourteen percent of those students 

surveyed were homeless.1

Similarly, the Government 

Accountability Office analyzed dozens 

of studies and found rates of food 

insecurity among college students were 

typically reported at more than 30 

percent.2 Studies show that if a student 

has not eaten sufficient nutritious food 

or slept the night before a class or exam, 

they will have greater difficulty 

mastering the material and performing 

well.3

According to the Hope Center for 

College, Community and Justice’s most 

recent basic needs survey, students of 

color were more likely to experience 

basic needs insecurity than their White 

peers. For students at both two- and 

four-year institutions, 75 percent of 

Indigenous students, 70 percent of Black 

students, and 64 percent of Hispanic or 

Latino students experienced basic needs 

insecurity, compared with 54 percent of 

White students.4

Supporting students’ basic needs has 

many benefits for colleges and 

universities, including boosting 

academic performance, promoting 

retention and degree completion, 

reducing the barriers that returning 

adults face, and creating bridges 

between the institution and community 

organizations.5 In light of this and the 

other important issues described above, 

this competition is designed to promote 

student success by supporting programs 

that address the basic needs of students 

and report on those practices that 

improve student outcomes. In addition 

to the absolute priority we have 

established to address these issues, we 

are establishing a competitive 

preference priority to promote 

comprehensive services to students. 

This competitive preference priority 

furthers the goals of the program by 

supporting projects that meet the needs 

of the whole student. 

Priorities: This notice contains one 

absolute priority and one competitive 

preference priority. 

We are establishing these priorities for 

the FY 2021 grant competition and any 

subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition in 

accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the 

General Education Provisions Act 

(GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). 

Absolute Priority: This priority is an 

absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3), we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Strengthening Cross-Agency 

Coordination and Community 

Engagement to Advance Systemic 

Change. 

Projects that are designed to take a 

systemic approach to improving 

outcomes for underserved students 

through coordinating efforts with 

Federal, State, or local agencies, or 

community-based organizations that 

support students, to address two or 

more of the following basic needs: 

(1) Food assistance. 

(2) Housing. 

(3) Transportation. 

(4) Health, including access to mental 

health support. 

(5) Childcare. 

(6) Dependent care. 

(7) Technology. 

Competitive Preference Priority: This 

priority is a competitive preference 

priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), 

we award up to an additional five points 

to an application, depending on how 

well the application meets this priority. 

This priority is: 

Meeting Student Social, Emotional, 

and Academic Needs. (up to 5 points) 

Projects that are designed to support 

students’ social, emotional, and 

academic needs with a focus on 

underserved students. 

Definitions: We are establishing 

definitions for ‘‘community college,’’ 

‘‘Historically Black colleges and 

universities,’’ ‘‘Minority-Serving 

Institution,’’ ‘‘Tribal Colleges or 

Universities,’’ and ‘‘underserved 

student’’ for the FY 2021 grant 

competition and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition, in accordance with section 

437(d)(1) of GEPA. We have defined 

‘‘community college’’ to ensure that we 

capture applicable institutions of higher 

education that offer both associate and 

bachelor’s degrees. We are establishing 

the definition of ‘‘underserved student’’ 

to target the populations we believe are 

most in need of the services intended to 

be provided under this program. The 

remaining definitions are from 34 CFR 

77.1. 

Community college means an 

institution that meets the definition in 

section 312(f) of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 

U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an IHE (as defined in 

section 101 of the HEA) that awards 

degrees and certificates, more than 50 

percent of which are not bachelor’s 

degrees (or an equivalent) or master’s, 

professional, or other advanced degrees. 

Demonstrates a rationale means a key 

project component included in the 

project’s logic model is informed by 

research or evaluation findings that 

suggest the project component is likely 

to improve relevant outcomes. 

Department means the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

Fiscal year means the Federal fiscal 

year—a period beginning on October 1 

and ending on the following September 

30. 

Grantee means the legal entity to 

which a grant is awarded and that is 

accountable to the Federal Government 

for the use of the funds provided. The 


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grantee is the entire legal entity even if 

only a particular component of the 

entity is designated in the grant award 

notice (GAN). For example, a GAN may 

name as the grantee one school or 

campus of a college or university. In this 

case, the granting agency usually 

intends, or actually intends, that the 

named component assume primary or 

sole responsibility for administering the 

grant-assisted project or program. 

Nevertheless, the naming of a 

component of a legal entity as the 

grantee in a grant award document shall 

not be construed as relieving the whole 

legal entity from accountability to the 

Federal Government for the use of the 

funds provided. (This definition is not 

intended to affect the eligibility 

provision of grant programs in which 

eligibility is limited to organizations 

that may be only components of a legal 

entity.) The term ‘‘grantee’’ does not 

include any secondary recipients, such 

as subgrantees and contractors, that may 

receive funds from a grantee pursuant to 

a subgrant or contract. 

Historically Black colleges and 

universities means colleges and 

universities that meet the criteria set out 

in 34 CFR 608.2. 

Logic model (also referred to as a 

theory of action) means a framework 

that identifies key project components 

of the proposed project (i.e., the active 

‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to 

be critical to achieving the relevant 

outcomes) and describes the theoretical 

and operational relationships among the 

key project components and relevant 

outcomes. 

Note: In developing logic models, 

applicants may want to use resources such as 

the Pacific Education Laboratory’s Logic 

Model Application (www.ies.ed.gov/ncee/ 

edlabs/regions/pacific/elm.asp). 

Minority-Serving Institution means an 

institution that is eligible to receive 

assistance under sections 316 through 

320 of part A of title III, under part B 

of title III, or under title V of the HEA. 

Performance measure means any 

quantitative indicator, statistic, or 

metric used to gauge program or project 

performance. 

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). 

Relevant outcome means the student 

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

project component is designed to 

improve, consistent with the specific 

goals of the program. 

Tribal Colleges or Universities has the 

meaning ascribed it in section 316(b)(3) 

of the HEA. 

Underserved student means a student 

who is enrolled in postsecondary 

education and is a member of one or 

more of the following subgroups: 

(a) A student who is living in poverty. 

(b) A student of color. 

(c) A student who is a member of a 

federally recognized Indian Tribe. 

(d) A student with a disability. 

(e) A student experiencing 

homelessness or housing insecurity. 

(f) A pregnant, parenting, or 

caregiving student. 

(g) A lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, queer, or intersex 

(LGBTQ+) student. 

(h) A student who is the first in their 

family to attend postsecondary 

education. 

(i) A student enrolling in or seeking 

to enroll in postsecondary education for 

the first time at the age of 20 or older. 

(j) A student who is enrolled in or is 

seeking to enroll in postsecondary 

education who is eligible for a Pell 

Grant. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act 

(5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally 

offers interested parties the opportunity 

to comment on proposed priorities, 

selection criteria, definitions, and other 

requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of 

GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to 

exempt from rulemaking requirements 

regulations governing the first grant 

competition under a new or 

substantially revised program authority. 

This is the first grant competition for 

this program, and therefore qualifies for 

this exemption. In order to ensure 

timely grant awards, the Secretary has 

decided to forgo public comment on the 

priorities, requirements, and definitions 

under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These 

priorities, requirements, and definitions 

will apply to the FY 2021 grant 

competition and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138– 

1138d; Departments of Labor, Health 

and Human Services, and Education 

and Related Agencies Appropriations 

Act, 2021, H.R. 7614, 116th Congress 

(2020); the explanatory statement 

accompanying H.R. 133 (Pub. L. 116– 

260). 

Note: Projects will be awarded and must be 

operated in a manner consistent with the 

nondiscrimination requirements contained in 

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 (OMB) 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. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$4,950,000. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in 

subsequent fiscal years from the list of 

unfunded applications from this 

competition. 

Estimated Range of Awards: $750,000 

to $990,000 over 36 months. 

Estimated Average Size of Award: 

$865,000. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $990,000 for a 

single budget period of 36 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 5. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: Community 

Colleges (as defined in this notice) that 

are Minority-Serving Institutions (as 

defined in this notice), Historically 

Black colleges and universities (as 

defined in this notice), or Tribal 

Colleges or Universities (as defined in 

this notice). 

Note: The notice announcing the FY 2021 

process for designation of eligible 

institutions, and inviting applications for 

waiver of eligibility requirements, was 

published in the Federal Register on March 

4, 2021 (86 FR 12665). The Department 

extended the deadline for applications in a 

notice published in the Federal Register on 

April 13, 2021 (86 FR 19231). Only 

institutions that the Department determines 

are eligible, or which are granted a waiver 

under the process described in the March 4, 

2021, notice, and that meet the other 

eligibility requirements described in this 

notice, may apply for a grant under this 

program. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program limits a grantee’s indirect cost 

reimbursement to eight percent of a 

modified total direct cost base. We are 


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establishing this indirect cost limit for 

the FY 2021 grant competition and any 

subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition in 

accordance with section 437(d)(1) of 

GEPA. 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. 

c. 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. 

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. Submission of Proprietary 

Information: Given the types of projects 

that may be proposed in applications for 

the Basic Needs for Postsecondary 

Students 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). 

An applicant may wish to request 

confidentiality of business information 

because successful applications may be 

made available to the public, if 

requested. 

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 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. However, under 34 CFR 

79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental 

review in order to make awards in a 

timely manner. 

4. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

additional 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 50 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 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, and 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 applies 

to the Project Narrative, which is your 

complete response to the selection 

criteria, and any response to the 

competitive preference priorities, if 

applicable. However, the recommended 

page limit does not apply to the 

Application for Federal Assistance form 

(SF–424); the ED SF–424 Supplement 

form; the Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs form (ED 524); 

the assurances and certifications; or the 

one-page project abstract and supporting 

budget narrative. 

6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The 

Department will be able to review grant 

applications more efficiently if we know 

the approximate number of applicants 

that intend to apply. Therefore, we 

strongly encourage each potential 

applicant to notify us of their intent to 

submit an application. To do so, please 

email the program contact person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT with the subject line ‘‘Intent to 

Apply,’’ and include the applicant’s 

name and a contact person’s name and 

email address. Applicants that do not 

submit a notice of intent to apply may 

still apply for funding; applicants that 

do submit a notice of intent to apply are 

not bound to apply or bound by the 

information provided. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210. An applicant may earn up 

to a total of 100 points based on the 

selection criteria and up to five 

additional points under the competitive 

preference priority, for a total score of 

up to 105 points. The selection criteria 

are as follows: 

a. Need for the project. (Maximum 20 

Points) 

The Secretary considers the need for 

the proposed project. 

In determining the need for the 

proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

i. The magnitude of the need for the 

services to be provided or the activities 

to be carried out by the proposed 

project. (Up to 10 points) 

ii. The extent to which specific gaps 

or weaknesses in services, 

infrastructure, or opportunities have 

been identified and will be addressed by 

the proposed project, including the 

nature and magnitude of those gaps or 

weaknesses. (Up to 10 points) 

b. Quality of the project design. 

(Maximum 35 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 the following factors: 

i. The extent to which the proposed 

project will integrate with or build on 

similar or related efforts to improve 

relevant outcomes (as defined in this 

notice), using existing funding streams 

from other programs or policies 

supported by community, State, and 

Federal resources. (Up to 10 points) 

ii. The extent to which the proposed 

project will establish linkages with 

other appropriate agencies and 

organizations providing services to the 

target population. (Up to 10 points) 

iii. The extent to which the proposed 

project demonstrates a rationale (as 

defined in this notice). (Up to 5 points) 

iv. 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. (Up to 10 points) 

c. Quality of project services. (Maximum 

25 Points) 

The Secretary considers the quality of 

the services to be provided by the 

proposed project. 

i. In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 


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project, 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. (Up to 5 

points) 

In addition, the Secretary considers 

the following factors: 

ii. The likely impact of the services to 

be provided by the proposed project on 

the intended recipients of those 

services. (Up to 10 points) 

iii. 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. (Up to 

10 points) 

d. Quality of the management plan. 

(Maximum 10 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 

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. 

e. Quality of the project evaluation. 

(Maximum 10 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: 

i. The extent to which the methods of 

evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. (Up 

to 5 points) 

ii. 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. (Up to 5 points) 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the 

applicant in carrying out a previous 

award, such as the applicant’s use of 

funds, achievement of project 

objectives, and compliance with grant 

conditions. The Secretary may also 

consider whether the applicant failed to 

submit a timely performance report or 

submitted a report of unacceptable 

quality. 

In addition, in making a competitive 

grant award, the Secretary 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). 

A panel of two to three non-Federal 

reviewers will review and score each 

application in accordance with the 

selection criteria in this notice, as well 

as the competitive preference priorities. 

A rank order funding slate will be made 

from this review. Awards will be made 

in rank order according to the average 

score received from the peer review. 

Tiebreaker: If there is more than one 

application with the same score and 

insufficient funds to fund all the 

applications with the same ranking, the 

first tiebreaker will be to select the 

applicant with the highest average score 

under Quality of Project Services. If a 

second tiebreaker is required, we will 

select the applicant with the highest 

average score under Quality of the 

Project Design. If a third tiebreaker is 

required, we will select the applicant 

with the highest average score under 

Need for the Project. If the tie persists, 

the application with the highest 

percentage of students who are Pell 

grant recipients will be funded. 

3. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this program, the Department conducts 

a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the 

Secretary may impose specific 

conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, 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 

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) 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 

(d) 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 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 


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61188 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 212 / Friday, November 5, 2021 / Notices 

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: For 

purposes of evaluating the success of 

the Basic Needs for Postsecondary 

Students Program under the 

Government Performance and Results 

Act of 1993 and Department reporting 

under 34 CFR 75.110, the Department 

will use the following performance 

measures: 

(1) The number of underserved 

students served by any direct student 

service supported by the grant. 

(2) The annual persistence rate at 

grantee institutions for all students who 

are served by any direct student service 

supported by the grant. 

(3) The annual rate of degree or 

certificate completion at grantee 

institutions for all students served by 

any direct student service supported by 

the grant. 

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. 

Michelle Asha Cooper, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2021–24362 Filed 11–4–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Modeling and Simulation Program 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education, Department of Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for 

Modeling and Simulation Program 

(MSP), Assistance Listing Number 

(ALN) 84.116S. This notice relates to the 

approved information collection under 

OMB control number 1894–0006. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: November 5, 

2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: December 6, 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 https://

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

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robin M. Dabney, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 2B117, Washington, DC 20202– 

4260. Telephone: (202) 453–7908. 

Email: Robin.Dabney@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 MSP is 

designed to promote the study of 

modeling and simulation at institutions 

of higher education by promoting the 

enhancement or development of 

modeling and simulation degree and 

certificate programs. Additionally, 

through this program, the Department 

will create a task force that will include 

the successful grantees and other 

content experts to raise awareness and 

help further define the study of 

modeling and simulation. 

Background: The FY 2021 

Consolidated Appropriations Act 

includes funding for the Modeling and 

Simulation Program as authorized under 

section 891 of the Higher Education Act 

of 1965, as amended (HEA). Modeling 

and simulation programs utilize 

simulated interactive models to improve 

experiential learning in the classroom 

that represents real-world scenarios. 

According to the explanatory statement 

accompanying the FY 2021 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

modeling and simulation technology 

has numerous applications for Federal 

and State governments and their 

partners in the defense, education, 

gaming, shipbuilding, and workforce 

training sectors, allowing them to 


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