15218 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2022 / Notices 

(GAN). We may also notify the IHE 

informally. 

If a faculty application is not 

evaluated or not selected for funding, 

we notify the IHE. 

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 its binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. 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. 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. 

4. Performance Measures: For the 

purpose of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110, the Department will use 

the following performance measure: 

FRA Measure: The percentage of 

Fulbright-Hays FRA fellows who 

increased their foreign language scores 

in speaking, reading, or writing by at 

least one proficiency level. 

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, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher 

Education Programs, Delegated the Authority 

to Perform the Functions and Duties of the 

Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary 

Education. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05640 Filed 3–16–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Personnel Development To Improve 

Services and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—Early Childhood 

Personnel Equity Center 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2022 for the Early Childhood 

Personnel Equity Center, Assistance 

Listing Number 84.325C. This notice 

relates to the approved information 

collection under OMB control number 

1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: March 17, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: May 16, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: July 15, 2022. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

No later than March 22, 2022, the Office 

of Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services (OSERS) will post details on 

pre-recorded informational webinars 

designed to provide technical assistance 

to interested applicants. Links to the 

webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osepgrants.html. 

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 27, 2021 

(86 FR 73264) and available at 

www.federalregister.gov/d/2021–27979. 

Please note that these Common 

Instructions supersede the version 

published on February 13, 2019, and, in 

part, describe the transition from the 

requirement to register in SAM.gov a 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number to the implementation 

of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

More information on the phase-out of 

DUNS numbers is available at https://

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/ 

docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tracie Dickson, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5176, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7844. Email: 

Tracie.Dickson@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 purposes of 

this program are to (1) help address 

State-identified needs for personnel 

preparation in special education, early 

intervention, related services, and 

regular education to work with children, 

including infants and toddlers, with 

disabilities; and (2) ensure that those 

personnel have the necessary skills and 

knowledge, derived from practices that 

have been determined through 

scientifically based research and 

experience, to be successful in serving 

those children. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this 

priority is from allowable activities 

specified in the statute (see sections 662 

and 681(d) of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 

U.S.C. 1462 and 1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Early Childhood Personnel Equity 

Center. 

Background: 

All children have the right to 

equitable learning opportunities. 


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1For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘early 

childhood personnel’’ include early childhood 

educators, early interventionists, early childhood 

special educators, and related services providers 

that provide services to young children with 

disabilities and their families. 

2For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘early 

childhood preparation programs’’ include associate, 

bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs that 

prepare early childhood personnel. 

3For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased practices’’ means practices that, at a 

minimum, demonstrate a rationale (as defined in 34 

CFR 77.1), where 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. 

Enhancing equity within the early 

childhood system requires a specific 

focus on preservice preparation so that 

the future workforce is racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

and has the competencies to support the 

developmental and learning needs of 

the increasing population of infants, 

toddlers, and preschool children (young 

children) from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds. 

Approximately 50 percent of infants and 

toddlers in the United States are 

children of color (ZERO TO THREE, 

2021), one in four young children are 

learning both a home language and 

English simultaneously (Luo, Song, 

Villacis, & Santiago-Bonilla, 2021). This 

trend is reflected in the IDEA Section 

618 data submitted by States that shows 

a substantial number of children and 

families from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds 

enrolled in IDEA Part C and Part B, 

Section 619 with 50 percent of infants 

and toddlers and 48 percent of 

preschool children identified as racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

(U.S. Department of Education, 2020). 

To support the developmental needs 

of young children and their families 

from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds, it is 

essential that preservice preparation 

programs are intentionally designed to 

prepare early childhood personnel to 

serve young children and their families 

in their communities (Cochran-Smith et 

al., 2016). Currently, most early 

childhood preservice preparation 

programs do not consistently provide 

programs of study that are both equitybased and competency-aligned 

(Cochran-Smith et al., 2016; National 

Center on Early Childhood 

Development, Teaching, and Learning, 

2018). An equity-based program of 

study includes, but is not limited to, 

developing scholars’ understanding of 

dual language learning, disability, 

systemic racism, and the role of cultural 

inclusivity in learning; implicit bias and 

its manifestation in decision making; 

individualized pedagogy and 

assessment methods; and building 

partnerships with diverse families. 

Current research demonstrates that 

the diversity of the early childhood 

setting and staff, and the caregiver–child 

relationship, are important 

considerations for meeting children’s 

developmental and learning needs 

during the early years (Accavitti & 

Williford, 2020; James & Iruka, 2018). 

For example, caregiver–child 

relationships are positively impacted by 

increased racial, ethnic, and linguistic 

diversity, including more positive 

caregiver perceptions, particularly 

around behavior (Kunemund et al., 

2020). While having a diverse workforce 

is necessary to improve outcomes for 

young children and families from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds, the demographics 

of personnel entering the early 

intervention and special education 

fields do not reflect the demographics of 

the young children and families served 

under IDEA. Data from the Personnel 

Development Program Data Collection 

System (PDPDCS) show that graduates 

from OSEP-supported personnel 

preparations programs are more likely to 

be White. Specifically, the race/ 

ethnicity of funded scholars was 62 

percent White, 14 percent Hispanic, 9 

percent Black, 3 percent Asian, and 12 

percent unreported (U.S. Department of 

Education, OSEP, 2021). 

Many individuals from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds experience systemic 

barriers to accessing and successfully 

completing comprehensive preparation 

programs. Increasing the diversity of 

faculty is one strategy that has proven 

successful in removing barriers to 

graduation for scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds. College faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds increased in the 

United States over the past two decades, 

but faculty are still disproportionately 

more likely to be White (U.S. 

Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics, 2020). 

This is true in early intervention and 

special education, as PDPDCS data 

show that graduates of OSEP-supported 

doctoral programs, who often accept 

faculty positions upon graduation, were 

78 percent White, 5 percent Hispanic, 6 

precent Black, 6 percent Asian, and 5 

percent unreported. (U.S. Department of 

Education, OSEP, 2021). Research 

shows that there is a correlation 

between preservice scholar performance 

and the increased racial, ethnic, and 

linguistic backgrounds of faculty. For 

example, a study looking at community 

college classrooms found that 

performance gaps of scholars of color 

can close by 20 to 50 percent if faculty 

more closely resemble scholars (Davis & 

Fry, 2019). When taught by faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds, scholars from 

diverse backgrounds obtain better 

grades (Carver-Thomas, 2018), are less 

likely to drop a course, are more likely 

to pass a course, and are more likely to 

complete the degree requirements that 

lead to graduation (Marchitello & 

Trinidad, 2019). 

This Center will advance the 

Secretary’s priorities related to 

supporting a diverse educator workforce 

and professional growth to strengthen 

student learning. 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

a cooperative agreement to establish and 

operate a national Early Childhood 

Personnel Equity Center to improve 

outcomes for young children with 

disabilities by increasing the number of 

early childhood personnel 1 and faculty 

from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds and 

enhancing equity content within early 

childhood preparation programs 2 to 

ensure that early childhood personnel 

have the necessary knowledge, skills, 

competencies, and dispositions to 

deliver equitable evidence-based 

interventions and services to young 

children with disabilities and their 

families. 

The project must achieve, at a 

minimum, the following expected 

outcomes: 

(a) Increased capacity of institutions 

of higher education (IHEs) with early 

childhood preparation programs to 

develop, implement, and sustain a 

program of study centered within an 

equity framework that is aligned with 

national professional organization 

personnel standards, State personnel 

standards, and evidence-based practices 

(EBPs); 3

(b) Increased capacity of States to 

revise and implement State personnel 

standards so that they are aligned to 

national professional organization 

personnel standards and define the 

knowledge, skills, competencies, and 

dispositions that early childhood 

personnel need to deliver equitable 

interventions and services for young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; 

(c) Increased capacity of IHEs at the 

associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and 

doctoral levels to attract, prepare, and 

graduate scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds that will lead to an early 

childhood workforce that is more 

diverse; 


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4Logic model (34 CFR 77.1) (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. 

(d) Increased capacity of States, local 

educational agencies (LEAs), and early 

intervention service providers to 

address personnel shortages by 

partnering with IHEs to develop an 

infrastructure and implement programs 

and incentives that attract, prepare, and 

graduate scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds at the associate, bachelor’s, 

master’s, and doctoral levels and 

support them to enter and stay in the 

early childhood profession; and 

(e) Increased capacity of IHEs to 

recruit and retain faculty from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds to improve scholar 

engagement and retention in early 

childhood preparation programs. 

In addition to these programmatic 

requirements, to be considered for 

funding under this priority, applicants 

must meet the application and 

administrative requirements in this 

priority, which are: 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how the proposed 

project will— 

(1) Address current and emerging 

needs to strengthen early childhood 

preservice preparation to ensure that the 

early childhood workforce is prepared 

to serve young children with disabilities 

and their families who are from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds. To meet this requirement, 

the applicant must— 

(i) Demonstrate knowledge of equity 

issues within early childhood education 

and the role of personnel preparation in 

addressing these issues; 

(ii) Present applicable data 

demonstrating the need for IHEs to 

strengthen early childhood preservice 

programs of study so that they are 

centered within an equity framework to 

prepare personnel to deliver equitable 

interventions and services for young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; and 

(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current research on equity-centered 

programs of study in early childhood; 

and the current capacity of faculty in 

IHEs to develop, implement, and sustain 

a program of study centered within an 

equity framework to prepare personnel 

to deliver equitable interventions and 

services for young children with 

disabilities and their families; 

(2) Address the current and emerging 

needs of early childhood preparation 

programs to attract, prepare, and 

graduate scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds from the associate, 

bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. 

To meet this requirement, the applicant 

must— 

(i) Present national and State data on 

the current need to increase early 

childhood personnel from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds and research on the 

benefits of having an early childhood 

workforce that is diverse; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current research and policy initiatives 

related to increasing scholars from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds in early childhood 

preparation programs; and 

(iii) Present information on the 

current capacity of early childhood 

preparation programs to implement 

strategies such as policies that support 

the admission of scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds; provide financial and 

academic support and mentoring; and 

establish articulation agreements to 

attract, prepare, and graduate scholars 

from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds that 

better meet the personnel needs in 

States; 

(3) Address the needs of States to 

partner with IHEs to address the current 

shortages of personnel and to ensure 

that the early childhood workforce is 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse and prepared to serve young 

children with disabilities and their 

families from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds. To 

meet this requirement, the applicant 

must— 

(i) Present applicable data on how 

States’ personnel standards are aligned 

to national professional organization 

personnel standards and address the 

skills, knowledge, competencies, and 

dispositions needed to deliver equitable 

interventions and services for young 

children with disabilities and their 

families, and how early childhood 

preparation programs align programs of 

study to State personnel standards; and 

(ii) Present information on the current 

capacity of States to partner with IHEs 

to implement strategies such as 

financial support, incentives, and career 

ladders to attract, prepare, and retain 

early childhood personnel from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds; 

(4) Address the needs of IHEs to 

attract and retain faculty from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds into early childhood 

preparation programs. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must— 

(i) Present national and State data on 

the current need to increase faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds in early childhood 

preparation programs and research on 

the benefits of having faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

backgrounds; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current research and policy initiatives 

related to increasing faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds in early childhood 

preparation programs; and 

(iii) Present information on the 

current capacity of early childhood 

preparation programs to implement 

strategies such as collaborative networks 

and mentoring to advance retention, 

promotion, and tenure as well as posttenure support to attract and retain 

faculty from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds; and 

(5) Improve the capacity of the early 

childhood workforce to deliver 

equitable interventions and services for 

young children with disabilities and 

their families, and the likely magnitude 

or importance of this improvement. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

proposed project will— 

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment 

for members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how it will— 

(i) Identify the needs of the intended 

recipients for TA and information; and 

(ii) Ensure that services and products 

meet the needs of the intended 

recipients of the grant; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; and 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 4

by which the proposed project will 

achieve its intended outcomes that 

depicts, at a minimum, the goals, 

activities, outputs, and intended 

outcomes of the proposed project; 

(3) Use a conceptual framework (and 

provide a copy in Appendix A) to 

develop project plans and activities, 

describing any underlying concepts, 

assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or 

theories, as well as the presumed 

relationships or linkages among these 

variables, and any empirical support for 

this framework; 


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5 ‘‘Universal, general TA’’ means TA and 

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

interaction with TA center staff and including onetime, invited or offered conference presentations by 

TA center staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the TA center’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by TA center staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

6 ‘‘Targeted, specialized TA’’ means TA services 

based on needs common to multiple recipients and 

not extensively individualized. A relationship is 

established between the TA recipient and one or 

more TA center staff. This category of TA includes 

one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating 

strategic planning or hosting regional or national 

conferences. It can also include episodic, less laborintensive events that extend over a period of time, 

such as facilitating a series of conference calls on 

single or multiple topics that are designed around 

the needs of the recipients. Facilitating 

communities of practice can also be considered 

targeted, specialized TA. 

7 ‘‘Intensive, sustained TA’’ means TA services 

often provided on-site and requiring a stable, 

ongoing relationship between the TA center staff 

and the TA recipient. ‘‘TA services’’ are defined as 

negotiated series of activities designed to reach a 

valued outcome. This category of TA should result 

in changes to policy, program, practice, or 

operations that support increased recipient capacity 

or improved outcomes at one or more systems 

levels. 

Note: The following websites provide more 

information on logic models and conceptual 

frameworks: www.osepideasthatwork.org/ 

logicModel and www.osepideasthatwork.org/ 

resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tadproject-logic-model-and-conceptualframework. 

(4) Be based on current research and 

make use of EBPs. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) The current research on 

frameworks and key components of an 

equity-based program of study; 

strategies to attract, prepare, and 

graduate scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds in preparation programs; 

strategies to attract and retain faculty 

from racially, ethnically, and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds in 

early childhood preparation programs; 

and capacity building of IHE and State 

partnerships to attract, prepare, and 

retain an early childhood workforce that 

is racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse; 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform the proposed 

TA to IHEs, faculty, and States; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

incorporate current research and 

practices in the development and 

delivery of its products and services; 

(5) Develop products and provide 

services that are of high quality and 

sufficient intensity and duration to 

achieve the intended outcomes of the 

proposed project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) How it proposes to identify or 

develop the knowledge base of: 

(A) An equity framework that 

includes guiding principles, EBPs, and 

key indicators of equity that is aligned 

with national professional organization 

personnel standards and State personnel 

standards to ensure that scholars in 

early childhood preparation programs 

have the knowledge, skills, 

competencies, and dispositions to serve 

young children with disabilities and 

their families from racially, ethnically, 

and linguistically diverse backgrounds; 

(B) A professional development 

framework to build the capacity of 

faculty to strengthen their programs of 

study by developing, implementing, and 

sustaining an equity framework within 

the early childhood preparation 

programs; 

(C) State personnel standards that 

reflect the knowledge, skills, 

competencies, and dispositions that 

early childhood personnel need to 

deliver equitable interventions and 

services for young children with 

disabilities and their families that IHEs 

can align to within their preparation 

programs; and 

(D) Recruitment and retention 

frameworks with EBPs and innovative 

strategies for faculty, IHEs, and States to 

implement to attract, prepare, and 

graduate scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds; retain them in the early 

childhood profession; and attract and 

retain faculty from racially, ethnically, 

and linguistically diverse backgrounds 

in early childhood preparation 

programs; 

(ii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,5 which must 

identify the intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the project 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach. At 

minimum, the approach must include 

activities focused on— 

(A) Identifying and developing 

resources and materials to increase the 

awareness of the importance and 

benefits of increasing the number of 

early childhood personnel from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds; and 

(B) Identifying and developing 

materials, resources, and tools to help 

faculty, IHEs, and States implement the 

equity, professional development, and 

recruitment and retention frameworks 

and practices to strengthen early 

childhood preservice preparation 

programs of study to ensure that the 

early childhood workforce is diverse 

and prepared to serve young children 

and their families from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds; 

(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, 

specialized TA,6 which must identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the project 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity within their setting; 

(C) Its proposed approach to identify 

and partner with faculty and IHEs at the 

associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and 

doctoral levels; 

(D) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

OSEP-funded early childhood 

preparation programs to embed the 

frameworks developed by the project 

within their preparation programs; and 

(E) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

other federally funded TA centers, 

including those funded by OSEP and 

the Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS); 

(iv) Its proposed approach to 

intensive, sustained TA,7 which must 

identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the services, 

a description of the services that the 

project proposes to make available, and 

the expected impact of those services 

under this approach; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity within their setting; 

(C) Its proposed approach for 

partnering with States and the IHEs 

within the State to develop, implement, 

and sustain the infrastructure to 

implement recruitment and retention 

frameworks and practices to increase 

the number of scholars from racially, 

ethnically, and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds in early childhood 

preparation programs and in the early 

childhood profession and ensure that 


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8The major tasks of CIPP are to guide, coordinate, 

and oversee the design of formative evaluations for 

every large discretionary investment (i.e., those 

awarded $500,000 or more per year and required to 

participate in the 3+2 process) in OSEP’s Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination; Personnel 

Development; Parent Training and Information 

Centers; and Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials programs. The efforts of CIPP are 

expected to enhance individual project evaluation 

plans by providing expert and unbiased TA in 

designing the evaluations with due consideration of 

the project’s budget. CIPP does not function as a 

third-party evaluator. 

State personnel standards and IHE 

programs are aligned to ensure scholars 

are prepared to deliver equitable 

interventions and services for young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; 

(D) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

other federally funded TA centers, 

including those funded by OSEP and 

HHS, to increase the racial, ethnic, and 

linguistic diversity of the early 

childhood workforce and ensure they 

are prepared to serve young children 

with disabilities and their families from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds; and 

(E) The process by which the 

proposed project will ensure the use of 

TA practices supported by evidence and 

continuously evaluate the practices to 

improve the delivery of TA; and 

(v) How the proposed project will use 

non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; 

(6) Develop products and implement 

services that maximize efficiency. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will use 

technology to achieve the intended 

project outcomes; 

(ii) With whom the proposed project 

will collaborate and the intended 

outcomes of this collaboration; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

use non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; and 

(7) Develop a dissemination plan that 

describes how the applicant will 

systematically distribute information, 

products, and services to varied 

intended audiences, using a variety of 

dissemination strategies, to promote 

awareness and use of the project’s 

products and services. 

(c) In the narrative section of the 

application under ‘‘Quality of the 

project evaluation,’’ include an 

evaluation plan for the project as 

described in the following paragraphs. 

The evaluation plan must describe 

measures of progress in implementation, 

including the criteria for determining 

the extent to which the project’s 

products and services have met the 

goals for reaching its target population; 

measures of intended outcomes or 

results of the project’s activities in order 

to evaluate those activities; and how 

well the goals or objectives of the 

proposed project, as described in its 

logic model, have been met. 

The applicant must provide an 

assurance that, in designing the 

evaluation plan, it will— 

(1) Designate, with the approval of the 

OSEP project officer, a project liaison 

with sufficient dedicated time, 

experience in evaluation, and 

knowledge of the project to work in 

collaboration with the Center to 

Improve Program and Project 

Performance (CIPP),8 the project 

director, and the OSEP project officer on 

the following tasks: 

(i) Revise the logic model submitted 

in the application to provide for a more 

comprehensive measurement of 

implementation and outcomes and to 

reflect any changes or clarifications to 

the model discussed at the kick-off 

meeting; 

(ii) Refine the evaluation design and 

instrumentation proposed in the 

application consistent with the revised 

logic model and using the most rigorous 

design suitable (e.g., prepare evaluation 

questions about significant program 

processes and outcomes; develop 

quantitative or qualitative data 

collections that permit both the 

collection of progress data, including 

fidelity of implementation, as 

appropriate, and the assessment of 

project outcomes; and identify analytic 

strategies); and 

(iii) Revise the evaluation plan 

submitted in the application such that 

it— 

(A) Clearly specifies the evaluation 

questions, measures, and associated 

instruments or sources for data 

appropriate to answer these questions, 

suggests analytic strategies for those 

data, provides a timeline for conducting 

the evaluation, and includes staff 

assignments for completing the 

evaluation activities; 

(B) Clearly delineates the data 

expected to be available by the end of 

the second project year for use during 

the project’s evaluation (3+2 review) for 

continued funding described under the 

heading Fourth and Fifth Years of the 

Project; and 

(C) Can be used to assist the project 

director and the OSEP project officer, 

with the assistance of CIPP, as needed, 

to specify the project performance 

measures to be addressed in the 

project’s annual performance report; 

(2) Dedicate sufficient staff time and 

other resources during the first six 

months of the project to collaborate with 

CIPP staff, including regular meetings 

(e.g., weekly, biweekly, or monthly) 

with CIPP and the OSEP project officer, 

in order to accomplish the tasks 

described in this paragraph (c); and 

(3) Dedicate sufficient funds in each 

budget year to cover the costs of 

carrying out the tasks described in this 

paragraph (c) and revising and 

implementing the evaluation plan. 

Please note in your budget narrative the 

funds dedicated for this activity. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of 

project personnel,’’ how— 

(1) The proposed project will 

encourage applications for employment 

from persons who are members of 

groups that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability, as appropriate; 

(2) The proposed key project 

personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors have the qualifications 

and experience to carry out the 

proposed activities and achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes. Applicants 

must specifically demonstrate how the 

key project personnel have the 

necessary qualifications and experience 

in early childhood equity including, but 

not limited to— 

(i) Development and evaluation of 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

responsive models of early learning, 

including evidence-based intervention 

and assessment practices, to support 

young children with disabilities and 

their families from racially, ethnically, 

and linguistically diverse backgrounds; 

(ii) The intersection of race, ethnicity, 

linguistics, and disabilities in early 

childhood, social and emotional 

development, disproportionate and 

exclusionary discipline practices, and 

the impact of race, ethnicity, and 

linguistics on the early learning 

experiences of young children with 

disabilities and their families; 

(iii) Equity-centered adult learning 

principles; and 

(iv) Attracting, preparing, and 

retaining scholars and faculty from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds in early childhood 

preparation programs; 

(3) The applicant and any key 

partners have adequate resources to 

carry out the proposed activities; and 

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits. 

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’ 

how— 


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(1) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the project’s intended 

outcomes will be achieved on time and 

within budget. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for 

key project personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors, as applicable; and 

(ii) Timelines and milestones for 

accomplishing the project tasks; 

(2) Key project personnel and any 

consultants and subcontractors will be 

allocated and how these allocations are 

appropriate and adequate to achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the products and 

services provided are of high quality, 

relevant, and useful to recipients; and 

(4) The proposed project will benefit 

from a diversity of perspectives, 

including those of families, including 

those who are from racially, ethnically, 

and linguistically backgrounds; faculty; 

early childhood administrators and 

providers; TA providers; researchers; 

and policy makers; among others, in its 

development and operation. 

(f) Address the following application 

requirements. The applicant must— 

(1) Include, in Appendix A, 

personnel-loading charts and timelines, 

as applicable, to illustrate the 

management plan described in the 

narrative; 

(2) Include, in the budget, attendance 

at the following: 

(i) A one and one-half day virtual 

kick-off meeting after receipt of the 

award, and an annual virtual planning 

meeting with the OSEP project officer 

and other relevant staff during each 

subsequent year of the project period. 

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the 

award, a post-award teleconference must be 

held between the OSEP project officer and 

the grantee’s project director or other 

authorized representative; 

(ii) A two and one-half day project 

directors’ conference in Washington, DC 

during each year of the project period. 

The project must reallocate funds for 

travel to the project directors’ meeting 

no later than the end of the third quarter 

of each budget period if the meeting is 

conducted virtually; 

(iii) Three annual two-day trips to 

attend Department briefings, 

Department-sponsored conferences, and 

other meetings, as requested by OSEP; 

and 

(iv) A one-day virtual 3+2 review 

meeting during the second year of the 

project period; 

(3) Include, in the budget, a line item 

for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed project’s intended outcomes, 

as those needs are identified in 

consultation with, and approved by, the 

OSEP project officer. With approval 

from the OSEP project officer, the 

project must reallocate any remaining 

funds from this annual set-aside no later 

than the end of the third quarter of each 

budget period; 

(4) Describe how the project will 

engage doctoral scholars or postdoctoral fellows in the work of the 

project to deepen the knowledge, skills, 

and competencies, and dispositions that 

future leaders in the field need to 

increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic 

diversity of the early childhood 

workforce, ensure early childhood 

preparation programs are preparing 

scholars with the knowledge, skills, 

competencies, and dispositions to serve 

young children and their families from 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse backgrounds; deliver equityfocused professional development and 

TA; 

(5) Maintain a high-quality website, 

with an easy-to-navigate design, that 

meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility; 

(6) Ensure that annual project 

progress toward meeting project goals is 

posted on the project website; and 

(7) Include, in Appendix A, an 

assurance to assist OSEP with the 

transfer of pertinent resources and 

products and to maintain the continuity 

of services to States during the 

transition to a new award at the end of 

this award period, as appropriate. 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: 

In deciding whether to continue 

funding the project for the fourth and 

fifth years, the Secretary will consider 

the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), 

including— 

(a) The recommendations of a 3+2 

review team consisting of experts with 

knowledge and experience in personnel 

development and equity within the 

early childhood system. This review 

will be conducted during a one-day 

intensive meeting that will be held 

during the last half of the second year 

of the project period; 

(b) The timeliness with which, and 

how well, the requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the project; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the project’s products and 

services and the extent to which the 

project’s products and services are 

aligned with the project’s objectives and 

likely to result in the project achieving 

its intended outcomes. 

Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards or 

discontinue awards in any year of the 

project period for excessive carryover 

balances or a failure to make substantial 

progress. The Department intends to 

closely monitor unobligated balances 

and substantial progress under this 

program and may reduce or discontinue 

funding accordingly. 

References: 

Accavitti, M.R. & Williford, A.P. (2020). 

Teacher perceptions of externalizing 

behavior subtypes in preschool: 

Considering racial factors, Early Child 

Development and Care. https://doi.org/ 

10.1080/03004430.2020.1825405. 

Carver-Thomas, D. (2018). Diversifying the 

teaching profession: How to recruit and 

retain teachers of color. Learning Policy 

Institute. 

Cochran-Smith, M., Ell, F., Grudnoff, L., 

Haigh, M., Hill, M., & Ludlow, L. (2016). 

Initial teacher education: What does it 

take to put equity at the center? Teaching 

and Teacher Education, 57, 67–78. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/ 

j.tate.2016.03.006. 

Davis, L., & Fry, R. (2019). College faculty 

have become more racially and 

ethnically diverse, but remain far less so 

than students. Pew Research Center. 

www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/ 

07/31/us-college-faculty-studentdiversity/. 

Frey, W. H. (2018, March 14). The U.S. will 

become ‘‘minority white’’ in 2045, 

Census projects. Brookings Institute. 

www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/ 

2018/03/14/the-us-will-become-minoritywhite-in-2045-census-projects/. 

James, C. & Iruka, I. (2018). Delivering on the 

promise of effective early childhood 

education. National Black Child 

Development Institute. www.nbcdi.org/ 

sites/default/files/resource-files/ 

Delivering%20on%20the

%20Promise%20of%20Effective

%20Early%20Childhood

%20Education.pdf. 

Kunemund, R., McCullough, S., Williams, C., 

Miller, C., Sutherland, K., Conroy, M., & 

Granger, K. (2020). The mediating role of 

teacher self-efficacy in the relation 

between teacher-child race mismatch 

and conflict. Psychology in the Schools, 

57, https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22419. 

Luo, R., Song, L., Villacis, C., & SantiagoBonilla, G. (2021). Parental Beliefs and 

Knowledge, Children’s Home Language 

Experiences, and School Readiness: The 

Dual Language Perspective. Frontiers in 

Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/ 

fpsyg.2021.661208. 

Marchitello, M. & Trinidad, J. (2019). 

Preparing teachers for diverse schools: 

Lessons from minority serving 

institutions. Bellwether Education 

Partners. http://bellwethereducation.org/. 

National Center on Early Childhood 

Development, Teaching, and Learning. 

(2018). Workforce development: Higher 

education and preservice professional 

preparation. https://

eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ 

pdf/workforce-development-highereducation.pdf. 


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U.S. Department of Education. (2020). 

EDFacts Data Warehouse: ‘‘IDEA Part B 

Child Count and Educational 

Environments Collection’’ & ‘‘IDEA Part 

C Child Count and Settings Collection,’’ 

2019–20. https://www2.ed.gov/ 

programs/osepidea/618-data/collectiondocumentation/data-documentationfiles/part-b/child-count-and-educationalenvironment/idea-partb-childcount

andedenvironment-2019-20.pdf and 

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/ 

osepidea/618-data/collectiondocumentation/data-documentationfiles/part-c/child-count-and-settings/ 

idea-partc-childcountandsettings-2019- 

20.pdf. 

U.S. Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics. (2020). 

The Condition of Education 2020 (NCES 

2020–144), Characteristics of 

Postsecondary Faculty. https://

nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/ 

pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2020144. 

U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Special Education Programs. 2021. 

Personnel Development Program Data 

Collection System. 

ZERO TO THREE. (2021). State of Babies 

Yearbook: 2021. https://stateo

fbabies.org/. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act 

(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department 

generally offers interested parties the 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to 

the priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 

and 1481. 

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 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, 

and 99. (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 79 

apply to all applicants except federally 

recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to IHEs only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$250,000,000 for the Personnel 

Development to Improve Services and 

Results for Children With Disabilities 

program for FY 2022, of which we 

intend to use an estimated $2,000,000 

for this competition. The actual level of 

funding, if any, depends on final 

congressional action. However, we are 

inviting applications to allow enough 

time to complete the grant process if 

Congress appropriates funds for this 

program. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2023 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $2,000,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: State 

educational agencies; State lead 

agencies under Part C of the IDEA; 

LEAs, including public charter schools 

that are considered LEAs under State 

law; IHEs; other public agencies; private 

nonprofit organizations; freely 

associated States and outlying areas; 

Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; 

and for-profit organizations. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does 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. 

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. 

Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 

contract for supplies, equipment, and 

other services in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200. 

4. Other General Requirements: 

(a) Recipients of funding under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

(b) Applicants for, and recipients of, 

funding must, with respect to the 

aspects of their proposed project 

relating to the absolute priority, involve 

individuals with disabilities, or parents 

of individuals with disabilities ages 

birth through 26, in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of 

IDEA). 

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 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and 

available at www.federalregister.gov/d/ 

2021–27979, which contain 

requirements and information on how to 

submit an application. Please note that 

these Common Instructions supersede 

the version published on February 13, 

2019, and, in part, describe the 

transition from the requirement to 

register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to 

the implementation of the UEI. More 

information on the phase-out of DUNS 

numbers is available at https://

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/ 

docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf. 

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

4. 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 70 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, 

reference citations, and captions, as well 


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as all text in charts, tables, figures, 

graphs, and screen shots. 

• Use a font that is 12 point or larger. 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to the cover sheet; the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; or the abstract (follow the 

guidance provided in the application 

package for completing the abstract), the 

table of contents, the list of priority 

requirements, the resumes, the reference 

list, the letters of support, or the 

appendices. However, the 

recommended page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative, 

including all text in charts, tables, 

figures, graphs, and screen shots. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed below: 

(a) Significance (10 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

significance of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the significance of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) 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. 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project. 

(b) Quality of project services (35 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

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. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. 

(ii) The extent to which there is a 

conceptual framework underlying the 

proposed research or demonstration 

activities and the quality of that 

framework. 

(iii) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

reflect up-to-date knowledge from 

research and effective practice. 

(iv) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. 

(v) The extent to which the TA 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project involve the use of efficient 

strategies, including the use of 

technology, as appropriate, and the 

leveraging of non-project resources. 

(c) Quality of the project evaluation 

(15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. 

(2) 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. 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation provide for examining the 

effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(d) Adequacy of resources and quality 

of project personnel (20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project and the quality of the personnel 

who will carry out the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(iii) The adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, 

supplies, and other resources, from the 

applicant organization or the lead 

applicant organization. 

(iv) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(v) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the management plan 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the management plan for the 

proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) 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. 

(ii) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services from the proposed project. 

(iv) How the applicant will ensure 

that a diversity of perspectives is 

brought to bear in the operation of the 

proposed project, including those of 

parents, teachers, the business 

community, a variety of disciplinary 

and professional fields, recipients or 

beneficiaries of services, or others, as 

appropriate. 

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). 

3. Additional Review and Selection 

Process Factors: In the past, the 

Department has had difficulty finding 

peer reviewers for certain competitions 

because so many individuals who are 

eligible to serve as peer reviewers have 

conflicts of interest. The standing panel 

requirements under section 682(b) of 

IDEA also have placed additional 

constraints on the availability of 


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reviewers. Therefore, the Department 

has determined that for some 

discretionary grant competitions, 

applications may be separated into two 

or more groups and ranked and selected 

for funding within specific groups. This 

procedure will make it easier for the 

Department to find peer reviewers by 

ensuring that greater numbers of 

individuals who are eligible to serve as 

reviewers for any particular group of 

applicants will not have conflicts of 

interest. It also will increase the quality, 

independence, and fairness of the 

review process, while permitting panel 

members to review applications under 

discretionary grant competitions for 

which they also have submitted 

applications. 

4. 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, 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. 

5. 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. 

6. 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 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 

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 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. 

5. Performance Measures: For the 

purposes of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110, we have established a 

set of performance measures, including 

long-term measures, that are designed to 

yield information on various aspects of 

the effectiveness and quality of the 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

to Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities program. 

These measures are: 

• Program Performance Measure 1: 

The percentage of Technical Assistance 

and Dissemination products and 

services deemed to be of high quality by 

an independent review panel of experts 

qualified to review the substantive 

content of the products and services. 

• Program Performance Measure 2: 

The percentage of Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be of high relevance to 

educational and early intervention 

policy or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure 3: 

The percentage of all Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2022 / Notices 15227 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be useful in improving 

educational or early intervention policy 

or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure 4: 

The cost efficiency of the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination Program 

includes the percentage of milestones 

achieved in the current annual 

performance report period and the 

percentage of funds spent during the 

current fiscal year. 

• Long-term Program Performance 

Measure: The percentage of States 

receiving Special Education Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination services 

regarding scientifically based practices 

or EBPs for infants, toddlers, children, 

and youth with disabilities that 

successfully promote the 

implementation of those practices in 

school districts and service agencies. 

The measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual and final 

performance reports to the Department 

(34 CFR 75.590). 

The Department will also closely 

monitor the extent to which the 

products and services provided by the 

Center meet needs identified by 

stakeholders and may require the Center 

to report on such alignment in their 

annual and final performance reports. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary 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; and, 

if the Secretary 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, the 

Secretary 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 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. 

Katherine Neas, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the 

authority to perform the functions and duties 

of the Assistant Secretary for the Office of 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05622 Filed 3–16–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Agency Information Collection 

Extension 

AGENCY: Office of Management, 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy 

(DOE), pursuant to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, intends to 

extend for three years, an information 

collection request with the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). 

DATES: Comments regarding this 

proposed information collection must 

be received on or before May 16, 2022. 

If you anticipate any difficulty in 

submitting comments within that 

period, contact the person listed in the 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

section as soon as possible. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

sent to John Harris, Office of Policy, 

Contract and Financial Assistance 

Policy Division, Office of Acquisition 

Management, U.S. Department of 

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW, Washington, DC 20585–1615, by 

email to John.Harris@hq.doe.gov; Mr. 

Harris may be contacted at (202) 287– 

1471. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Harris, (202) 287–1471, John.Harris@

hq.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments 

are invited on: (a) Whether the extended 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including through the 

use of automated collection techniques 

or other forms of information 

technology. 

This information collection request 

contains: 

(1) OMB No.: 1910–5194; 

(2) Information Collection Request 

Titled: Certification of Vaccination— 

DOE Onsite Support Service Contractor 

Employees; 

(3) Type of Review: Renewal; 

(4) Purpose: This information is being 

collected, and maintained in order to 

promote the safety of Federal buildings, 

the Federal workforce, and others on 

site at agency facilities consistent with 

the COVID–19 Workplace Safety: 

Agency Model Safety Principles 

established by the Safer Federal 

Workforce Task Force, and guidance 

from the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, and the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration. Specifically, 

this information will be used by DOE 

staff charged with implementing and 

enforcing workplace safety protocols. 

(5) Annual Estimated Number of 

Respondents: 15,000; 

(6) Annual Estimated Number of 

Total Responses: 15,000; 

(7) Annual Estimated Number of 

Burden Hours: 2,505; 

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $232,057. 

Statutory Authority: Executive Order 

13991, Protecting the Federal Workforce 

and Requiring Mask-Wearing (Jan. 20, 

2021); Occupational Safety and Health 

Program for Federal Employees (Feb. 26, 

1980); 5 U.S.C. chapters 11, and 79.; the 

COVID–19 Workplace Safety: Agency 

Model Safety Principles established by 

the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES