[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 226 (Monday, November 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82860-82863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26008]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Education Research and Development 
Center Program

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for the 
Education Research and Development Center Program, Assistance Listing 
Number (ALN) 84.305C. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 4040-0001.

DATES: The dates when applications are available and the deadlines for 
transmittal of applications invited under this notice are indicated in 
the chart at the end of this notice and in the Request for Applications 
(RFA) that is posted at the following website: https://ies.ed.gov/funding.

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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede 
the version published on December 27, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The contact person associated with a 
particular research competition is listed in the chart at the end of 
this notice, as well as in the relevant RFA and application package.
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: In awarding the grants, the Institute of 
Education Sciences (IES) intends to provide national leadership in 
expanding knowledge and understanding of (1) education outcomes for all 
learners from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult 
education, and

[[Page 82861]]

    (2) employment and wage outcomes when relevant (such as for those 
engaged in career and technical, postsecondary, or adult education). 
IES research grant programs are designed to provide interested 
individuals and the general public with reliable and valid information 
about education practices that support learning and improve academic 
achievement and access to education opportunities for all learners. 
These interested individuals include parents, educators, learners, 
researchers, and policymakers. In carrying out its grant programs, IES 
provides support for programs of research in areas of demonstrated 
national need.
    Competition in This Notice: The IES National Center for Education 
Research (NCER) is announcing one competition: the education research 
and development center program.
    The Education Research and Development Center Program (ALN 
84.305C). Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications 
that address one of the following topics:
    <bullet> Improving Rural Education.
    <bullet> Using Generative Artificial Intelligence to Augment 
Teaching and Learning in Classrooms.
    <bullet> K-12 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Policy.
    <bullet> Improving Outcomes in Elementary Science Education.
    IES intends to fund four centers, each focused on one of the 
topics, subject to receiving applications of sufficient quality. The 
Education Research and Development Center for Improving Outcomes in 
Elementary Science Education will be supported in part with funding 
provided by the National Science Foundation's STEM Education 
Directorate.
    Exemption from Proposed Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the 
Education Sciences Reform Act, 20 U.S.C. 9581, IES is not subject to 
section 437(d) of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d), and is therefore not required to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on matters relating to grants.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq., 42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.

    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in 
Federal civil rights laws.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, 
and 99. In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are applicable, 
except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103, 
75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-
(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, 75.230, and 75.250(a). (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.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.


    Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not 
apply to these competitions.

II. Award Information

    Types of Awards: Cooperative agreements.
    Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an 
appropriation for FY 2024, IES is inviting applications for this 
competition now so that applicants can have adequate time to prepare 
their applications. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on 
final congressional action. Contingent upon the availability of funds 
and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in 
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition. IES may announce additional competitions later in FY 2024.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart at the end of this notice. The 
size of the awards will depend on the scope of the projects proposed.
    Estimated Number of Awards: We intend to fund not more than one 
grant under each of the four topics. However, the number of awards made 
under this competition will depend on the quality of the applications 
received for each topic in the competition and the availability of 
funds; and, in the special case that the peer review process results in 
a tie between two or more grant applications, making it impossible to 
adhere to that limit without funding only some of the equally ranked 
applications, IES may make a larger number of awards to include all 
applications of the same rank.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount for each topic area in this 
competition is set out in the RFA. Three of the four centers will have 
maximum awards of $10,000,000. The fourth center, co-funded with the 
National Science Foundation (NSF), will have a maximum award of 
$15,000,000. Applications must include budgets no higher than the 
relevant maximum award. IES will not make an award exceeding the 
maximum award amount.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: The project period for each Education Research and 
Development Center is 5 years. This information is also included in the 
chart at the end of this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants that have the ability and 
capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply. Eligible 
applicants include, but are not limited to, nonprofit and for-profit 
organizations and public and private agencies and institutions of 
higher education, such as colleges and universities.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: These programs do not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an 
unrestricted 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.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this 
competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: nonprofit and for-profit organizations and public and private 
agencies and institutions of higher education. The grantee may award 
subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved 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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application. Please note that these Common Instructions 
supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.
    2. Other Information: Information regarding program and application 
requirements for the competition is in the IES Application Submission 
Guide (currently available) and in the NCER

[[Page 82862]]

RFA (to be posted) on the IES website at: https://ies.ed.gov/funding/. 
The date on which the application package for this competition will be 
available is indicated in the chart at the end of this notice.
    3. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA for 
this competition. The forms that must be submitted are in the 
application package for the specific competition.
    4. Submission Dates and Times: The deadline date for transmittal of 
applications for this competition is indicated in the chart at the end 
of this notice and in the RFA for the competition.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    5. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    6. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: For all its grant competitions, IES uses 
selection criteria based on a peer review process that has been 
approved by the National Board for Education Sciences. The Peer Review 
Procedures for Grant Applications can be found on the IES website at 
https://ies.ed.gov/director/sro/application_review.asp.
    For the 84.305C competition, peer reviewers will be asked to 
evaluate the significance of the focused program of research, the 
quality of the research plan for the focused program of research, the 
quality of the plans for leadership, capacity building and outreach 
activities, the quality of the management and institutional resources, 
and the qualifications and experience of the personnel. These criteria 
will be described in greater detail in the RFA.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
IES 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, compliance with the 
IES policy regarding public access to research, and compliance with 
grant conditions. IES 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, IES 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 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition, the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, IES 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 Grant Award 
Notification (GAN), or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may also notify you 
informally.
    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. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for an annual 
meeting of up to three days for project directors to be held in 
Washington, DC.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under the competition 
announced in this notice, 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 
IES. If you receive a

[[Page 82863]]

multiyear award, you must submit an annual performance report that 
provides the most current performance and financial expenditure 
information as directed by IES under 34 CFR 75.118. IES 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: To evaluate the overall success of its 
education research grant programs, IES annually assesses the percentage 
of projects that result in peer-reviewed publications and the number of 
IES-supported interventions with evidence of efficacy in improving 
learner education outcomes. Student academic outcomes include learning 
and achievement in academic content areas, such as reading, writing, 
math, and science, as well as outcomes that reflect students' 
successful progression through the education system, such as course and 
grade completion; high school graduation; and postsecondary enrollment, 
progress, and completion. Social and behavioral competencies include 
social and emotional skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are 
important to academic and post-academic success. Employment and 
earnings outcomes include hours of employment, job stability, and wages 
and benefits, and may be measured in addition to student academic 
outcomes.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, IES 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; whether a grantee 
is in compliance with the IES policy regarding public access to 
research; and if IES has established performance measurement 
requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in 
achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved 
application.
    In making a continuation award, IES 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 relevant program contact 
person listed in the chart at the end of this notice, as well as in the 
relevant RFA and application package, individuals with disabilities can 
obtain this document and a copy of the RFA 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.

Mark Schneider,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.

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                                                              Deadline for
           ALN and name             Application package      transmittal of        Estimated range of         Project period     For further information
                                         available            applications              awards *                                         contact
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                                                      National Center for Education Research (NCER)
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84.305C. Education Research and     On or before         March 7, 2024........  Up to 5 years.
 Development Center Program.         December 7, 2023.
    [ssquf] Improving Rural         ...................  .....................  $1 to $2 million........  .....................  Emily Doolittle,
     Education.                                                                                                                   <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#40052d292c396e042f2f2c2934342c250025246e272f36"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f3a12161306513b101013160b0b131a3f1a1b51181009">[email protected]</span></a>
                                                                                                                                  , 202-987-0795.
    [ssquf] K-12 Teacher            ...................  .....................  $1 to $2 million........  .....................  Wai-Ying Chow, Wai-
     Recruitment and Retention                                                                                                    <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="590030373e771a31362e193c3d773e362f">[email protected]</a>, 202-
     Policy.                                                                                                                      245-8198.
    [ssquf] Improving Outcomes in   ...................  .....................  $2 to $3 million........  .....................  Jennifer Schellinger,
     Elementary Science Education.                                                                                                <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#703a151e1e191615025e231318151c1c191e1715023015145e171f06"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="256f404b4b4c4340570b76464d4049494c4b4240576540410b424a53">[email protected]</span></a>, 202-987-0765.
    [ssquf] Using Generative        ...................  .....................  $1 to $2 million........  .....................  Christina Chhin,
     Artificial Intelligence to                                                                                                   <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#22614a504b51564b4c430c614a4a4b4c6247460c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="de9db6acb7adaab7b0bff09db6b6b7b09ebbbaf0b9b1a8">[email protected]</span></a>
     Augment Teaching and Learning                                                                                                , 202-245-7736.
     in Classrooms.
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* These estimates are annual amounts.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Note: If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

[FR Doc. 2023-26008 Filed 11-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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