Applications for New Awards; Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice, and Transformative Research in the Education Sciences
| Citation | 85 FR 74328 |
| Record Number | 2020-25665 |
| Published date | 20 November 2020 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Education Department |
74328
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 225 / Friday, November 20, 2020 / Notices
The CY21 rates contained in this
notice are effective on or after January
1, 2021.
Dated: November 17, 2020.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2020–25700 Filed 11–19–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–C
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Research Networks Focused on
Critical Problems of Education Policy
and Practice, and Transformative
Research in the Education Sciences
AGENCY
: Institute of Education Sciences,
Department of Education.
ACTION
: Notice.
SUMMARY
: The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2021 for the Research
Networks Focused on Critical Problems
of Education Policy and Practice, and
the Transformative Research in the
Education Sciences Grant Programs,
Assistance Listing Numbers 84.305N
and 84.305T. This notice relates to the
approved information collection under
OMB control number 4040–0001.
DATES
: Applications Available:
December 17, 2020. Deadline for
Transmittal of Applications: February
25, 2021.
ADDRESSES
: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-
02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
: For
the Research Networks Focused on
Critical Problems of Education Policy
and Practice competition (84.305N):
Meredith Larson. Telephone: (202) 245–
7037. Email: Meredith.Larson@ed.gov.
For the Transformative Research in the
Education Sciences competition
(84.305T): Erin Higgins. Telephone:
(202) 706–8509. Email: Erin.Higgins@
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: Through the
National Center for Education Research
(NCER), the Institute of Education
Sciences (Institute) provides support for
programs of research in areas of
demonstrated national need. The
Institute’s research grant programs are
designed to provide interested
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individuals and the general public with
reliable and valid information about
education practices that support
learning and improve academic
achievement and access to education
opportunities for all learners.
Through the Research Networks
Focused on Critical Problems of
Education Policy and Practice grant
program, NCER focuses resources and
attention on specific education
problems or issues that are a high
priority for the Nation, and establishes
both a structure and process for
researchers who are working on these
issues to share ideas, build new
knowledge, and strengthen their
research and dissemination capacity.
The Institute is establishing both the
Adult Skills Network and the Digital
Learning Platforms Network to fulfill
the requirements in section 133(c)(1) of
the Education Sciences Reform Act of
2002 for national research and
development centers.
Through the Transformative Research
in the Education Sciences grant
program, NCER intends to support
innovative or unconventional research
that has the potential to lead to new
scientific paradigms, new and more
effective approaches to education
practice or policy, or transformative
technologies that substantially increase
learner outcomes.
Competitions in This Notice: The
Institute’s NCER is announcing two
competitions—one competition in
research networks and one competition
in transformative research.
Research Networks Focused on
Critical Problems of Education Policy
and Practice. Under this competition,
NCER will consider only applications
that address one of the following topics:
•Adult Skills Network, which
includes:
ÆNetwork Lead.
ÆResearch Teams.
•Digital Learning Platforms Network,
which includes:
ÆNetwork Lead.
ÆPlatform Development Teams.
Transformative Research in the
Education Sciences. Under this
competition, NCER will consider only
applications that demonstrate the
potential to produce a major impact in
an area relevant to the Institute’s
mission through innovative or
unconventional research.
Exemption from Proposed
Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the
Education Sciences Reform Act, 20
U.S.C. 9581, the Institute 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 priorities, selection
criteria, definitions, and requirements.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9501 et
seq.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
parts 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR
part 75 are applicable, except for the
provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b),
75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 75.109(a),
75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211,
75.217(a)-(c), 75.219, 75.220, 75.221,
75.222, 75.230, and 75.708. (b) The
Office of Management and Budget
Guidelines to Agencies on
Governmentwide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR
part 180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3485. (c) The Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for
Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as
adopted and amended as regulations of
the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part
86 apply to institutions of higher
education only.
Note: The open licensing requirement
in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not apply for
these competitions.
Note: Projects must be awarded and
operated in a manner consistent with
the nondiscrimination requirements
contained in the U.S. Constitution and
the Federal civil rights laws.
II. Award Information
Types of Awards: Cooperative
agreements.
Fiscal Information: Although
Congress has not yet enacted an
appropriation for FY 2021, the Institute
is inviting applications for these
competitions now so that applicants can
have adequate time to prepare their
applications. The actual level of
funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action.
Estimated Range of Awards: For the
Research Networks Focused on Critical
Problems of Education Policy and
Practice competition (84.305N):
$1,000,000 to $3,800,000. For the
Transformative Research in the
Education Sciences competition
(84.305T): $500,000 to $3,000,000. The
size of the awards will depend on the
type and scope of the projects proposed.
Estimated Number of Awards: The
number of awards made under each
competition will depend on the quality
of the applications received, the
availability of funds, and the following
limits on awards for the Research
Networks Focused on Critical Problems
of Education Policy and Practice
competition.
The Institute may waive any of the
following limits on awards for Research
Networks Focused on Critical Problems
of Education Policy and Practice
competition in the special case that the
peer review process results in a tie
between two or more grant applications,
making it impossible to adhere to the
limits without funding only some of the
equally ranked applications. In that
case, the Institute may make a larger
number of awards to include all
applications of the same rank.
For the Research Networks Focused
on Critical Problems of Education Policy
and Practice competition, we intend to
fund up to six grants for research teams
and one grant for the network lead
under the Adult Skills topic; and we
intend to fund up to five grants for
platform development teams and one
grant for the network lead under the
Digital Learning Platforms topic.
However, should funding be available,
we may consider making additional
awards to high-quality applications that
remain unfunded after these maximum
limits are met.
For both competitions, contingent on
the availability of funds and the quality
of applications, we may make additional
awards in FY 2022 from the list of
highly rated unfunded applications
from the FY 2021 competitions.
Note: The Department is not bound by
any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants that
have the ability and capacity to conduct
scientifically valid research are eligible
to apply. These include, but are not
limited to, nonprofit and for-profit
organizations and public and private
agencies and institutions of higher
education, such as colleges and
universities.
If you are a nonprofit organization,
under 34 CFR 75.51, you may
demonstrate your nonprofit status by
providing: (1) Proof that the Internal
Revenue Service currently recognizes
the applicant as an organization to
which contributions are tax deductible
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a
State taxing body or the State attorney
general certifying that the organization
is a nonprofit organization operating
within the State and that no part of its
net earnings may lawfully benefit any
private shareholder or individual; (3) a
certified copy of the applicant’s
certificate of incorporation or similar
document if it clearly establishes the
nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4)
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 225 / Friday, November 20, 2020 / Notices
any item described above if that item
applies to a State or national parent
organization, together with a statement
by the State or parent organization that
the applicant is a local nonprofit
affiliate.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: These
competitions do not require cost sharing
or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information. This
program uses a restricted 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
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
2. Other Information: Information
regarding program and application
requirements for the competitions will
be contained in the NCER Requests for
Applications (RFAs), which will be
available on or before December 3, 2020
on the Institute’s website at: https://
ies.ed.gov/funding/. Application
packages for these competitions will be
available on or before December 17,
2020.
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 Deadline: February 25,
2021 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
5. Intergovernmental Review: These
competitions are 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, the Institute 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
Institute’s website at https://ies.ed.gov/
director/sro/peer_review/application_
review.asp.
For the 84.305N competition, peer
reviewers will be asked to evaluate the
significance of the application; the
quality of the research plan, platform
development plan, or network lead plan
(depending on the topic and type of
application); the qualifications and
experience of the personnel; the
resources of the applicant to support the
proposed activities; and the quality of
the dissemination history and
dissemination plan if the application is
for the Research Teams under the Adult
Skills Network. These criteria are
described in greater detail in the RFA.
For the 84.305T competition, peer
reviewers will be asked to evaluate the
significance of the transformative idea,
the quality and logic of the research
approach, the quality and achievability
of the deliverables and metrics, the
quality and appropriateness of the
personnel, the quality and availability of
resources, and the quality and relevance
of the dissemination history and plan.
These criteria are described in greater
detail in the RFA.
For all of the Institute’s competitions,
applications should include budgets no
higher than the relevant maximum
award as set out in the relevant RFA.
For the Research Networks Focused on
Critical Problems of Education Policy
and Practice competition, the maximum
awards for the Adult Skills Network are
$3,800,000 for the research team grants
and $3,000,000 for the network lead
grant; and the maximum awards for the
Digital Learning Platforms Network are
$2,000,000 for the platform
development team grants and
$3,000,000 for the network lead grant.
2. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Institute 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 Institute 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 Institute also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Risk Assessment and Specific
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under
these competitions, the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by
applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the
Institute may impose specific conditions
and, 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 200.205(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
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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 will notify
you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Grant Administration: Applicants
should budget for an annual 3-day
meeting for project directors to be held
in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under one of the competitions
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 the Institute. 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 Institute
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Institute 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, the Institute
annually assesses the percentage of
projects that result in peer-reviewed
publications and the number of
Institute-supported interventions with
evidence of efficacy in improving
learner education outcomes. These
measures were established for the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993 (GPRA).
6. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Institute 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 Institute has established
performance measurement
requirements, whether the grantee has
met the performance targets in the
grantee’s approved application.
In making a continuation award, the
Institute 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
appropriate program contact person
listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT
, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of
the RFA in an accessible format. The
Department will provide the requestor
with an accessible format that may
include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file,
braille, large print, audiotape, or
compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can
view this document, as well as all other
documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Mark Schneider,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 2020–25665 Filed 11–19–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Senior Executive Service Performance
Review Board
AGENCY
: Department of Energy.
ACTION
: Designation of Performance
Review Board Chair; Correction.
SUMMARY
: The Department of Energy
(DOE) published a notice in the Federal
Register on October 27, 2020
designating the Performance Review
Board (PRB) Chair designee. The
notification failed to list an alternate
PRB Chair member to serve, if needed
and is corrected in this document. This
listing supersedes all previously
published lists of DOE Performance
Review Board Chair.
Correction
In the Federal Register of October, 27,
2020, FR Doc. 2020–23698 (85 FR
68061), the following correction is
made:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
Dennis M. Miotla (Primary)
Johnny O. Moore (Alternate)
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on November 16,
2020, by Patricia L. Barfield, Acting
Director, Office of Corporate Executive
Management, Office of the Chief Human
Capital Officer, pursuant to delegated
authority from the Secretary of Energy.
The document with the original
signature and date is maintained by
DOE. For administrative purposes only,
and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register
Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in
electronic format for publication as an
official document of the Department of
Energy. This administrative process in
no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on November
17, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020–25640 Filed 11–19–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FE Docket Nos. 11–162–LNG, 15–67–LNG,
15–90–LNG]
Cameron LNG, LLC; Application To
Amend Export Term Through
December 31, 2050, for Existing Non-
Free Trade Agreement Authorizations
AGENCY
: Office of Fossil Energy,
Department of Energy.
ACTION
: Notice of application.
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