Cyber Security Technical Assistance 

Webinar
TABLE OF CONTENT

I. Purpose

II. Eligibility

III. Submission of Applications

IV. Eligibility Requirements

V. Instructions

VI. Selection Criteria

VII. Absolute Priority 

IX. Grants.gov

X. Questions
PURPOSE

The Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education 

Technological Upgrades for Community 

Colleges is designed to support projects at 

institutions of higher education (IHEs) that 

provide technological upgrades for 

cybersecurity education programs at 

community colleges.
Eligible Community Colleges

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 institution of higher 

education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA 

(20 U.S.C. 1001)) 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.
Submission of Application

 Applications must be submitted 

electronically using grants.gov unless you 

qualify for an exception. 

 Requirements for obtaining an exception are 

discussed in the Closing Date Notice.

 Closing date for receipt of applications is 

August 29, 2018.
Eligibility Requirements

Absolute Priority: 

To build on the experience and ongoing initiatives 

of the ATE Program, this priority requires applicants 

to collaborate with an ATE Program center. An 

eligible applicant must propose to lead a project to 

provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity 

education programs at community colleges that 

leverages the expertise of the National Science 

Foundation’s ATE Program.
Requirements (con’t)

• Each eligible applicant must include a signed 

statement by an authorized official from at least 

one of the three ATE Program centers: the 

National CyberWatch Center, the CyberWatch

West Center, or CSSIA. The signed statement 

must certify that the center or centers will 

provide technical assistance or other aid to the 

applicant’s project.

• Note: It is not required for a community college 

to have an existing relationship with an ATE 

Program center to meet this absolute priority.
Follow Instructions

• It is essential that you follow all instructions 

completely!

• Read all instructions a number of times.

• You are being evaluated solely by what you 

write in your application, not the great idea 

that you have. 
Page Format!

• 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, except titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, 

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

may be single-spaced. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the 

application narrative count toward the page limit.

• Abstract can be single-spaced.

• 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. An application submitted in any other font (including Times 

Roman or Arial Narrow) may not be accepted.
Page Limits

• Application/Project Narrative: 12 pages

• The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, 

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

the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances 

and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 

resumes, the bibliography, or the letter of support.

• Exceeding page limit may means disqualification
What’s Included in the Page Count?

Only the Application/Project Narrative is 

included in the page count. If you include any 

attachments or appendices, these will be 

counted as part of the Application/Project 

Narrative. 
What’s Not Included in the Page 

Count?

• Application for Federal Assistance & Supplemental Information 

Form (SF 424)

• Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524)

• Assurances and Certifications

• Table of Contents

• One-page Abstract

• Resumes

• Bibliography

• Letters of Support
General Comments

• Selection Criteria determine the order of the 

application

– Your application is not a scavenger hunt where 

the readers have to search for information. 

– Place your information in the proper place and 

do not depend upon readers to find it 

elsewhere.
General Comments

• Quality of the Content is Key

– Readers’ evaluations not based on writing style. 

– Readers are not expecting a great literary work.

– However, it is essential to write in a clear and 

understandable fashion. 

• Do check your grammar and spelling!
General Comments (cont.)

• Read and follow the guidelines.

• Address everything that is called for.

• Leave out extraneous material. 

• Write clearly, not cryptically .

• Beware of jargon and buzz words.
General Comments (cont.)

• Use facts and statistics to prove your case.

• Be sure the facts and figures you use in one 

section of your application are consistent with 

those used elsewhere.
Selection Criteria 

Four evaluation areas:

– Need for the project – 20 points

– Quality of the Project Design – 12 points

– Adequacy of resources – 12 points

– Quality of the project evaluation —4 points

Total Points: 48
Need for the project (12 points)

The Secretary considers the need for the proposed 

project. In determining the need for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the following 

factors:

(1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be 

addressed by the proposed project.

(2) 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.
Quality of the Project Design 

(12 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:

(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.

(3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to 

build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the 

period of Federal financial assistance.
Adequacy of Resources 

(12 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 objectives, design, and potential 

significance of the proposed project.
Quality of the Evaluation Plan

(4 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.
Absolute Priority

• To build on the experience and ongoing initiatives of the 

ATE Program, this priority requires applicants to collaborate 

with an ATE Program center. An eligible applicant must 

propose to lead a project to provide technological upgrades 

for cybersecurity education programs at community 

colleges that leverages the expertise of the National 

Science Foundation’s ATE Program.

• Each eligible applicant must include a signed statement by 

an authorized official from at least one of the three ATE 

Program centers: the National CyberWatch Center, the 

CyberWatch West Center, or CSSIA. The signed statement 

must certify that the center or centers will provide 

technical assistance or other aid to the applicant’s project.
Absolute Priority 

The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological 

Education (ATE) Program has awarded large grants to three 

community colleges to operate centers that support the 

improvement of cybersecurity education at community 

colleges around the Nation. Those centers are the National 

CyberWatch Center, based at Prince George's Community 

College (Largo, MD); the CyberWatch West Center, based at 

Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, WA); and the 

Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance 

(CSSIA), based at Moraine Valley Community College (Palos 

Hills, IL). Those centers coordinate a large network of 

affiliated institutions, including more than 100 community 

colleges.
Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

• REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including 

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

complete. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: 

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

• SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day 

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

application and then process it after it is fully uploaded.

• VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your 

application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the 

date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track 

My Application link. 

• SUBMISSION PROBLEMS- If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before 

the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 

or http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html, or access the 

Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: https://grantsportal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants






 Questions?

Contact Information:

Pearson.Owens@ed.gov

202-453-7997