[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88987-88990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26104]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Research Training Programs in the 
Education Sciences

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education.

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) 2025 for the 
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences Grant Program.

DATES: 
    Application Package Available: November 14, 2024.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 7, 2025.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Schellinger. Telephone: 202-
987-0765.
    Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#064c6368686f6063742855656e636a6a6f68616374463a67266e7463603b" http: ed.gov">ed.gov</a>">Jennifer.Schellinger@ed.gov</a>.
    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: Through the Research Training Programs in the 
Education Sciences Grant Program, IES aims to prepare individuals to 
conduct rigorous and relevant education research that advances 
knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education 
policymakers and practitioners.
    Assistance Listing Number: 84.305B.
    OMB Control Number: 4040-0001.

Competition

    The IES National Center for Education Research (NCER) is announcing 
one competition:
    Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (ALN 84.305B). 
Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that 
address one of the following topics:

<bullet> Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education 
Research
<bullet> Pathways to the Education Sciences Training Program
    <bullet> IES will not accept FY 2025 Pathways Training Program 
applications that include institutions that received an FY 2021 
Pathways Training grant award or served as a partner institution on an 
FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.
<bullet> Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the 
Education Sciences
    <bullet> IES will not accept FY 2025 Predoctoral Training Program 
applications from institutions that received an FY 2020 Predoctoral 
Training grant award.
<bullet> Methods Training for Education Researchers

Application Submission

    You may submit one or more than one application to the IES FY 2025 
Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences competition so 
long as you meet the following requirements.
    <bullet> An institution may submit multiple applications to the 
Early Career Development and Mentoring Program so long as the Principal 
Investigator (PI) is different for each application and there is no 
overlap in mentors.
    <bullet> An institution may not be the applicant or the partner on 
more than one application to the Pathways Training Program.
    <bullet> An institution may not submit an application to the 
Pathways Training Program, or be a partner on an application, if it is 
the grantee or partner on an FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.

[[Page 88988]]

    <bullet> An institution may not submit more than one application to 
the Predoctoral Training Program.
    <bullet> An institution may not submit an application to the 
Predoctoral Training Program if it received an FY 2020 Predoctoral 
Training grant award.
    <bullet> An institution may submit multiple applications to the 
Methods Training Program so long as the applications are substantively 
different from one another and have no overlap in key personnel.
    For the programs that permit multiple applications under the 
conditions described above, if an institution submits multiple 
applications that violate any of those conditions, IES will determine 
whether and which applications will be accepted for review and/or will 
be eligible for funding. If you submit the same or similar application 
to IES and to another funding entity within or external to the 
Department and receive funding for the non-IES application prior to IES 
scientific peer review of applications, you must withdraw the same or 
similar application submitted to IES, or IES may otherwise determine 
you are ineligible to receive an award. If reviews are happening 
concurrently, IES staff will consult with the other potential funder to 
determine the degree of overlap and which entity will provide funding 
if both applications are being considered for funding.
    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.
    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, 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217(a)-(c), 75.219, 
75.220, 75.221, 75.222, 75.230, 75.250, and 75.708. (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 Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance 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 this competition.
    Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the 
provisions in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (89 FR 
30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more 
information about these regulations please visit: https://www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.

II. Award Information

    Types of Awards: Discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.
    Fiscal Information: Although Congress has not yet enacted an 
appropriation for FY 2025, 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. IES may announce additional competitions 
later in FY 2025.
    Estimated Range of Awards: The size of the awards will depend on 
the scope of the projects proposed. The estimated range of awards 
varies by topic:
    <bullet> $200,000 to $400,000 (total) for the Early Career 
Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research.
    <bullet> $800,000 to $1,700,000 (total) for the Pathways Training 
Program.
    <bullet> $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 (total) for the Predoctoral 
Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the Education Sciences.
    <bullet> $400,000 to $800,000 (total) for the Methods Training 
Program.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount for each topic is set out 
in the NCER Request for Applications (RFA).
    For all IES competitions, applications must include budgets no 
higher than the relevant maximum award as set out in the relevant RFA. 
IES will not make an award exceeding the maximum award amount as set 
out in the relevant RFA.
    Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards made under each 
topic will depend on the quality of the applications received for that 
topic and the availability of funds. IES anticipates making between 5 
and 10 awards under each topic, except for the Methods Training for 
Education Sciences topic. IES anticipates making between 3 and 5 awards 
under the Methods Training topic.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: The maximum project period varies by topic as 
follows:
    <bullet> 4 years for the Early Career Development and Mentoring 
Program for Education Research.
    <bullet> 5 years for the Pathways Training Program.
    <bullet> 5 years for the Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research 
Training Program in the Education Sciences.
    <bullet> 3 years for the Methods Training Program.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: For the Pathways to the Education Sciences 
topic, the applicant must either be:
    <bullet> A minority-serving institution \1\ (MSI) located in the 
territorial United States that confers bachelor's or master's degrees 
in academic fields relevant to education; or
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    \1\ For the purpose of this competition, institutions included 
on the Office of Postsecondary Education's FY 2024 Eligibility 
Matrix lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions will be 
considered MSIs. For more information, see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html#el-inst. Institutions 
eligible only for the Department's Title III Part A Strengthening 
Institutions Program (SIP) are not considered MSIs for the purposes 
of this competition unless they also meet the eligibility 
requirement for a specific MSI category.
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    <bullet> An academic institution located in the territorial United 
States that confers bachelor's or master's degrees in academic fields 
relevant to education and that partners with an eligible MSI. Any 
member of the partnership may serve as the grantee.
    An institution may not submit an application to the Pathways 
Training Program, or be a partner on an application, if it is the 
grantee or partner on an FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.
    For Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the 
Education Sciences, the applicant must be an academic institution 
located in the territorial United States that confers doctoral degrees 
in academic fields relevant to education. An institution may not submit 
an application to the Predoctoral Training Program if it received an FY 
2020 Predoctoral Training grant award.
    For Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education 
Research and Methods Training for Education Researchers, applicants 
that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid 
research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are 
not limited to, nonprofit and for-

[[Page 88989]]

profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions 
of higher education, such as colleges and universities.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: These programs use 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.
    2. Other Information: Information regarding program and application 
requirements for the competition can be found in the currently 
available IES Application Submission Guide and in the RFA, which will 
be available on or before November 14, 2024, on the IES website at: 
https://ies.ed.gov/funding/. The application packages for this 
competition will also be available on or before November 14, 2024.
    3. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application are contained in the RFA for 
the specific 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 is March 7, 2025.
    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 of 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 
Office of Science--Peer Review of Grant Applications (ed.gov).
    For the 84.305B competition, Early Career Development and 
Mentoring, peer reviewers will evaluate the significance of the 
application, the quality of the research plan, the quality of the 
career development plan, the qualifications and experience of the 
personnel, the resources of the applicant to support the proposed 
activities, and the quality of the engagement and dissemination plan. 
These criteria are described in greater detail in the RFA.
    For the other training topics competed in this notice, peer 
reviewers will evaluate the significance of the application, the 
quality of the research training plan, the qualifications and 
experience of the personnel, the resources of the applicant to support 
the proposed activities, and the quality of the engagement and 
dissemination plan. These criteria are 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). Also, IES requires all key personnel on a 
grant award to have a persistent identifier, such as ORCID iD (Open 
Researcher and Contributor Identification; https://orcid.org/) in place 
before an award will be made.
    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.

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 also may 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

[[Page 88990]]

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 a 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 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. School readiness outcomes include pre-
reading, reading, pre-writing, early mathematics, early science, and 
social-emotional skills that prepare young children for school. 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 program contact person listed 
in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 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, 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 Department documents 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 Department documents 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.

Matthew Soldner,
Acting Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2024-26104 Filed 11-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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