oppED-GRANTS-062718-001-cfda84.259-cid84-259A2018-1-instructions.pdf

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS UNDER THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN CAREER

AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (NHCTEP)

FY 2018

U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education Washington, DC 20202 - 7241

Pre-Application Teleconference

I. Funding Opportunity Description…………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Program Overview Authorizing Legislation Background

II. Basic Application Information NHCTEP Notice Inviting Applications Link to Link to NIA.………………………………..…….…….. 7

Deadline for Submission of Applications Submission of Paper Applications by Mail Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery Application Package in Grants.gov Intent to Apply

NHCTEP Competition Design Elements Eligibility………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Requirements ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Invitational Priority………………………………………………………………………………….………..………….14

III. Application Submission Procedures Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants Grants.gov System Maintenance DUNS Number Instructions

IV. Application Instructions Application Format Completing and Submitting Your Application A. Standard Forms Instructions for Completing Required Forms B. Application Narrative Instructions for ED Abstract Narrative Instructions for Project Narrative C. Budget Narratives Instructions for Budget Narratives D. Other Attachments Form Instructions f or Appendix NHCTEP FY 2018 Application Checklist

V. NHCTEP Selection Criteria

VI. Paperwork Burden Statement …………………………………………………………………………………33

Table of Contents

Dear Applicant:

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

Thank you for your interest in the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP).

The NHCTEP is authorized under section 116 (h) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (the Act). The Act authorizes the Secretary to award grants to community-based organizations to operate Career and Technical Education (CTE) projects that improve CTE for Native Hawaiians students.

Please take time to review the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications and this application package thoroughly. You will need a clear understanding of the program background, invitational priority, application and program requirements, definitions, selection criteria, and all of the application instructions. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program (EDGAR §75.216 (b) (c)).

Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail, please refer to Other Submission Requirements in section IV of the NHCTEP Notice Inviting Applications. The Grants.gov site works differently than the U.S. Department of Education’s e- Application site. We strongly urge you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and recommend that you register and submit your application early.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms; therefore, applicants will need access to the latest version of Adobe reader (Grants.gov recommends at least Adobe Reader 10.1.14). Pay special attention to the Grants.gov Submission Procedures, Submission of Paper Applications, and Tips for Applicants in this application package.

This application package contains detailed information about the NHCTEP competition including a link to the full version of the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2018, ED required forms, important instructions on how to submit an application using Grants.gov, paper format, and an optional program checklist. We strongly encourage you to read this application package carefully.

http://www.grants.gov/

The Department expects to award 10 new grants under a competitive based competition for up to 36 months. We invite you to attend a pre-application teleconference on July 9, 2018 at 2:00 p.m., Washington, DC time. If you are interested in participating in the pre-application teleconference, provide your intention to participate in an email to the NHCTEPgrant@ed.gov in order to receive instructions regarding access to the pre-application teleconference. You may contact us at NHCTEPgrant@ed.gov , if you have additional questions.

Again, thank you for your interest in the NHCTEP.

Sincerely, Sharon Lee Miller Director, Division of Academic and Technical Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education U. S. Department of Education mailto:NHCTEPgrant@ed.gov

PRE-APPLICATION TELECONFERENCE

The Department will host a pre-application teleconference, designed to help interested applicants with the application process, on July 9, 2018 at 2:00 p.m., Washington, DC time. We encourage interested applicants to participate in this teleconference. Participation in the teleconference is voluntary. For those who are not able to participate, the presentation will be available via a link posted on the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) Web site at cte.ed.gov.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Program Overview

Program Office: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education Grant Name: Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP) CFDA Number: 84.259A Grant Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grant

Authorizing Legislation: Section 116 (h) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to community-based organizations to operate Career and Technical Education (CTE) projects that improve CTE for Native Hawaiians students.

Background: Under section 116(h) of the Act, eligible community-based organizations receive NHCTEP grants to plan, conduct, and administer programs, or portions thereof that are consistent with the purposes of section 116 of the Act, for the benefit of Native Hawaiians. Section 116(e) of the Act provides that educational programs, services, and activities funded under NHCTEP must support and help to improve career and technical education programs. (20 U.S.C. 2326(e)). This requirement, along with the statutory definition of “career and technical education,” aligns NHCTEP with other programs authorized under the Act that offer a sequence of courses that provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content.

Under section 3(5)(A) of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)(A)), the Department awards grants under this competition to carry out career and technical education projects that provide organized educational activities offering a sequence of courses that--

(a) Provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions;

(b) Provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and

(c) Includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual. Projects may include prerequisite courses (other than remedial courses) that meet the definition of “career and technical education,” in section 3(5)(A) of the Act. (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)(A)). In addition, at the secondary level, coherent and rigorous academic curriculum in reading or language arts and in mathematics must be aligned with challenging academic content standards and student academic achievement standards that the State in which the applicant is located has established under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).

Note: Contacts for State ESEA programs may be found on the internet at: www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.

file:///C:/Users/gwen.washington/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/U6TCH5N6/www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html

II. Basic Application Information

Notice Inviting Applications Available: June 27, 2018 Pre-Application Teleconference for Potential Applicants: July 9, 2018

Intent to Apply: July 9, 2018 Deadline for Transmitting Applications: July 27, 2018

Estimated Award Announcement: September 30, 2018

Native American Career and Technical Education Program, Notice Inviting Applications:

The full text of the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP) Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the FY 2018 NHCTEP grant competition can be found on the Federal Register Web site at:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/27/2018-13856/applications-for-new-awards-native-hawaiian-career-and-technical-education-program-nhctep

For convenience, the FY 2018 NHCTEP NIA is also posted on the PCRN website.

Deadline for Submission of Applications.

All applications must be submitted on or before 4:30:00 P.M. Washington, D.C. time, on July 27, 2018. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the application deadline date.

Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time. Only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed.

An applicant may check the status of its application, any time after submission, by using the "Track My Application" feature available from the upper navigation on the Grants.gov site. Applicants may also check the status of a submission by logging into their Grants.gov account using the Applicant Login.

After logging in, an applicant should click on the "Check Application Status" link on the left-hand menu.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: (CFDA Number 84.259A) LBJ Basement Level 1 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

Washington, DC 20202-4260 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/27/2018-13856/applications-for-new-awards-native-hawaiian-career-and-technical-education-program-nhctep https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/27/2018-13856/applications-for-new-awards-native-hawaiian-career-and-technical-education-program-nhctep http://cte.ed.gov/ http://grants.gov/applicants/applicant_profile.jsp

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

We will not consider applications postmarked after the application deadline date.

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

Application Control Center Attention: (CFDA Number 84.259A) 550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202-4260

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:30am and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and -- if not provided by the Department -- in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

Application Package in Grants.gov:

Please note that the NHCTEP Application Package in Grants.gov is for applicants to download and use as a guide only.

Intent to Apply:

We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we can anticipate the number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant’s intent to submit an application for funding by sending a short email message. This short email should provide the applicant organization’s name and address. Please send this email notification to NHCTEPgrant@ed.gov with “Intent to Apply” in the email subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still apply for funding.

N A T I VE H A W A I I A N C AREER A N D T EC HN I C A L EDUC A T I ON PROG RA M

C O M P E T I T I O N DE S I G N EL E M E N T S

Eligibility

The following entities are eligible to apply under this competition:

(a) Community-based organizations primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians. For purposes of the NHCTEP, a community-based organization means a public or private organization that provides career and technical education, or related services, to individuals in the Native Hawaiian community.

(b) Any community-based organization may apply individually or as part of a consortium with one or more eligible community-based organizations. (Eligible applicants seeking to apply for funds as a consortium must meet the requirements in 34 CFR 75.127-75.129.)

Requirements

The application and program requirements are from the notice of final requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program (notice of final requirements), published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2009 (74 FR 12341). Requirement 7 is from section 315 of the Act.

The application requirements are:

(1) An eligible applicant (as determined by the Act) must include documentation in its application showing that it and, if appropriate, its consortium members are eligible to apply.

(2) An applicant that is not proposing to provide CTE directly to its students and proposes instead to use NHCTEP funds to pay one or more qualified educational entities to provide education to its students must include with its application a written CTE agreement between the applicant and that entity. The written agreement must describe the commitment between the applicant and each educational entity and must include, at a minimum, a statement of the responsibilities of the applicant and the entity. The agreement must be signed by the appropriate individuals on behalf of each party, such as the authorizing official or president of a Tribe or Tribal organization, a college president, or a college dean.

The program requirements are:

Requirement 1 – Authorized Programs:

(a) In accordance with section 116(e) of the Act, under this program, NHCTEP projects must--

(1) Develop new programs, services, or activities or improve or expand existing programs, services, or activities that are consistent with the purposes of the Act. In other words, the Department will support “expansions” or “improvements” that include, but are not necessarily limited to, the expansion of effective programs or practices; upgrading of activities, equipment, or materials; increasing staff capacity;

adoption of new technology; modification of curriculum; or implementation of new policies to improve program effectiveness and outcomes; and

(2) Fund a CTE program, service, or activity that--

(i) Is a new program, service, or activity that was not provided by the applicant during the instructional term (a defined period, such as a semester, trimester, or quarter, within the academic year) that preceded the request for funding under NHCTEP;

(ii) Will improve or expand an existing CTE program; or

(iii) Inherently improves CTE. A program, service, or activity “inherently improves CTE” if it—

(A) Develops new CTE programs of study for approval by the appropriate accreditation agency;

(B) Strengthens the rigor of the academic and career and technical components of funded programs;

(C) Uses curriculum that is aligned with industry-recognized standards and will result in students attaining industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees;

(D) Integrates academics (other than remedial courses) with CTE programs through a coherent sequence of courses to help ensure learning in the core academic and career and technical subjects;

(E) Links CTE at the secondary level with CTE at the postsecondary level and facilitates students' pursuit of a baccalaureate degree;

(F) Expands the scope, depth, and relevance of curriculum, especially content that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of an industry and a variety of hands-on, job-specific experiences; or

(G) Offers--

(1) Work-related experience, internships, cooperative education, school-based enterprises, studies in entrepreneurship, community service learning, and job shadowing that are related to CTE programs;

(2) Coaching/mentoring, support services, and extra help for students after school, on the weekends, or during the summer, so they can meet higher standards;

(3) Career guidance and academic counseling for students participating in CTE programs under

NHCTEP;

(4) Placement services for students who have successfully completed CTE programs and attained a technical skill proficiency that is aligned with industry-recognized standards;

(5) Professional development programs for teachers, counselors, and administrators;

(6) Strong partnerships among grantees and local educational agencies, postsecondary institutions, community leaders, adult education providers, and, as appropriate, other entities, such as employers, labor organizations, parents, and local partnerships, to enable students to achieve State academic standards and attain career and technical skills;

(7) The use of student assessment and evaluation data to improve continually instruction and staff development; or

(8) Research, development, demonstration, dissemination, evaluation and assessment, capacity-building, and technical assistance, related to CTE programs.

Requirement 2 - Evaluation:

To help ensure the high quality of NHCTEP projects and the achievement of the goals and purposes of section 116(h) of the Act, each grantee must budget for and conduct an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of its project. An independent evaluator must conduct the evaluation. The evaluation must-

(a) Be appropriate for the project and be both formative and summative in nature; and

(b) Include--

(1) Collection and reporting of the performance measures for NHCTEP that are identified in the Performance Measures section of this notice; and

(2) Qualitative and quantitative data with respect to--

(i) Academic and career and technical competencies demonstrated by the participants and the number and kinds of academic and work credentials acquired by individuals, including their participation in programs providing skill proficiency assessments, industry certifications, or training at the associate degree level that is articulated with an advanced degree option;

(ii) Enrollment, completion, and placement of participants by gender, for each occupation for which training was provided;

(iii) Job or work skill attainment or enhancement, including participation in apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, and student progress in achieving technical skill proficiencies necessary to obtain employment in the field for which the student has been prepared, including attainment or enhancement of technical skills in the industry the student is preparing to enter;

(iv) Activities, during the formative stages of the project, to help guide and improve the project, as well as a summative evaluation that includes recommendations for disseminating information on project activities and results;

(v) The number and percentage of students who obtained industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees;

(vi) The outcomes of students' technical assessments, by type and scores, if available;

(vii) The rates of attainment of a proficiency credential or certificate, in conjunction with a secondary school diploma;

(viii) The effectiveness of the project, including a comparison between the intended and observed results and a demonstration of a clear link between the observed results and the specific treatment given to project participants;

(ix) The extent to which information about or resulting from the project was disseminated at other sites, such as through the grantee's development and use of guides or manuals that provide step-by-step directions for practitioners to follow when initiating similar efforts; and

(x) The impact of the project, e.g., follow-up data on students' employment, sustained employment, promotions, further and continuing education or training, or the impact the project had on Native Hawaiian economic development or career and technical education activities.

Requirement 3 - Student Stipends:

A portion of an award under this program may be used to provide stipends (as defined in the Definitions section of this notice) to help students meet the costs of participation in a NHCTEP project.

(1) To be eligible for a stipend a student must—

(i) Be enrolled in a CTE project funded under this program;

(ii) Be in regular attendance in a NHCTEP project and meet the training institution's attendance requirement;

(iii) Maintain satisfactory progress in his or her program of study according to the training institution's published standards for satisfactory progress; and

(iv) Have an acute economic need that--

(A) Prevents participation in a project funded under this program without a stipend; and

(B) Cannot be met through a work-study program.

(2) The amount of a stipend is the greater of either the minimum hourly wage prescribed by State or local law or the minimum hourly wage established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

(3) A grantee may award a stipend only if the stipend combined with other resources the student receives does not exceed the student's financial need. A student's financial need is the difference between the student's cost of attendance and the financial aid or other resources available to defray the student's cost of attending a NHCTEP project.

(4) To calculate the amount of a student's stipend, a grantee must multiply the number of hours a student actually attends CTE instruction by the amount of the minimum hourly wage that is prescribed by State or local law, or by the minimum hourly wage that is established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The grantee must reduce the amount of a stipend if necessary to ensure that it does not exceed the student’s financial need.

Example: If a grantee uses the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum hourly wage of $7.25 and a student attends classes for 20 hours a week, the student's stipend would be $145 for the week during which the student attends classes ($7.25 x 20 = $145.00). If the program lasts 16 weeks and the student’s total financial need is $2,000, the grantee must reduce the weekly stipend to $125, because the total stipend for the course would otherwise exceed the student’s financial need by $320 (or $20 a week).

Note: Grantees must maintain records that fully support their decisions to award stipends to students, as well as the amounts that are paid, such as proof of a student's enrollment in a NHCTEP project, stipend applications, timesheets showing the number of hours of student attendance that are confirmed in writing by an instructor, student financial status information, and evidence that a student could not participate in the NHCTEP project without a stipend. (See generally 20 U.S.C. 1232f; 34 CFR 75.700-75.702; 75.730; and 75.731.)

(5) An eligible student may receive a stipend when taking a course for the first time. However, generally a stipend may not be provided to a student who has already taken, completed, and had the opportunity to benefit from a course and is merely repeating the course.

(6) An applicant must include in its application the procedure it intends to use to determine student eligibility for stipends and stipend amounts, and its oversight procedures for the awarding and payment of stipends.

Requirement 4 - Direct Assistance to Students:

A grantee may provide direct assistance (as defined elsewhere in this notice under the heading Definitions) to a student only if the following conditions are met:

(1) The recipient of the direct assistance is an individual who is a member of a special population (as defined in section 3(29) of the Act) and who is participating in a NHCTEP project.

(2) The direct assistance is needed to address barriers to the individual's successful participation in a NHCTEP project.

(3) The direct assistance is part of a broader, more generally focused program or activity for addressing the needs of an individual who is a member of a special population.

Note: Direct assistance to individuals who are members of special populations is not, by itself, a “program or activity for special populations.”

(4) The grant funds used for direct assistance must be expended to supplement, and not supplant, assistance that is otherwise available from non-Federal sources. For example, generally, a community-based organization could not use NHCTEP funds to provide child care for single parents if non-Federal funds previously were made available for this purpose, or if non-Federal funds are used to provide child care services for single parents participating in non-career and technical education programs and these services otherwise (in the absence of NHCTEP funds) would have been available to CTE students.

(5) In determining how much of the NHCTEP grant funds it will use for direct assistance to an eligible student, a grantee--

(i) May only provide assistance to the extent that it is needed to address barriers to the individual's successful participation in CTE; and

(ii) Considers whether the specific services to be provided are a reasonable and necessary cost of providing career and technical education programs for special populations. However, the Secretary does not envision a circumstance in which it would be a reasonable and necessary expenditure of NHCTEP project funds for a grantee to utilize a majority of a project's budget to pay direct assistance to students, in lieu of providing the students served by the project with CTE.

Requirement 5 – Career and Technical Education Agreement:

Any applicant that is not proposing to provide CTE directly to Native Hawaiian students and proposes instead to pay one or more qualified educational entities to provide such CTE to Native Hawaiian students must include with its application a written CTE agreement between the applicant and the educational entity. The written agreement must describe the commitment between the applicant and the educational entity and must include, at a minimum, a statement of the responsibilities of the applicant and the entity.

The agreement must be signed by the appropriate individuals on behalf of each party, such as the authorizing official or administrative head of the applicant Native Hawaiian community-based organization.

Requirement 6: Supplement-Not-Supplant:

Grantees may not use funds under NHCTEP to replace otherwise available non-Federal funding for “direct assistance to students” (as defined elsewhere in this notice under the heading Definitions) and family assistance programs. For example, NHCTEP funds must not be used to supplant non-Federal funds to pay the costs of students' tuition, dependent care, transportation, books, supplies, and other costs associated with participation in a CTE program.

Further, funds under NHCTEP may not be used to replace Federal student financial aid. The Act does not authorize the Secretary to fund projects that serve primarily as entities through which students may apply for and receive tuition and other financial assistance.

Requirement 7 - Additional Statutory Requirement Limiting Services:

Section 315 of the Act prohibits the use of funds received under the Act to provide vocational and technical education programs to students prior to the seventh grade, except that equipment and facilities purchased with funds under the Act may be used by such students. (20 U.S.C. 2395).

Priority

Invitational Priority: For FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

(a) Creating or expanding opportunities for students to obtain recognized postsecondary credentials in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or computer science.

For the purposes of this invitational priority, computer science means the study of computers and algorithmic processes and includes the study of computing principles and theories, computational thinking, computer hardware, software design, coding, analytics, and computer applications.

(b) Computer science often includes computer programming or coding as a tool to create software, including applications, games, websites, and tools to manage or manipulate data; or development and management of computer hardware and the other electronics related to sharing, securing, and using digital information.

(c) In addition to coding, the expanding field of computer science emphasizes computational thinking and interdisciplinary problem-solving to equip students with the skills and abilities necessary to apply computation in our digital world.

(d) Computer science does not include using a computer for everyday activities, such as browsing the internet; use of tools like word processing, spreadsheets, or presentation software; or using computers in the study and exploration of unrelated subjects. (See definition of “computer science” in the Secretary’s Supplemental Priorities)

III. APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

IMPORTANT

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

The deadline for submission of applications through Grants.gov is July 26, 2018 at 4:30:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time.

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

ATTENTION – Browser Support Grants.gov is a Custom Java Application that uses standard web-browsers as the client. Grants.gov leverages the latest web technologies such as Ajax which relies extensively on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Grants.gov recommends you use the most up-to-date web browser possible for the best User Experience. If you are unsure about which version of the browser you are using, please check the following places:

Microsoft IE – the About Internet Explorer setting under Help on your toolbar

Firefox – the About Firefox setting under Help on your toolbar

Chrome- the About Google Chrome setting under the Customize and Control Google Chrome option (located on the far right ) in your toolbar options for your browsers.

The table below lists supported Web Browsers:

Web Browser Support Comments

Microsoft IE 9/10/11 Supported

Mozilla Firefox

Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend you have the latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may experience some issues. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest version.

Google Chrome latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may

Apple Safari latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may

For additional information of updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of Adobe reader. (Please note that in early 2016, Grants.gov discovered a compatibility issue with Adobe Reader DC. This has been resolved with Adobe Reader DC version 2015.010.20060 but there are compatibility issues with earlier versions. Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov at this link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete.

Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR).]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov. However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at:

http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM (formerly CCR -Central Contractor Registry). If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on July 27, 2018, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html.

For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below.

Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (Instructions for Submission of Applications by Mail and Submission of Applications by Hand Delivery are included in this Application Package under Basic Application Information).

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found on the Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1.

While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. Also, see the NHCTEP Federal Register NIA and this Application Package Instructions for Submission of Applications by Mail and Submission of Applications by Hand Delivery, under the title, Basic Application Information.

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their application:

1. Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, non-modifiable format. PDF files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read.

2. Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

3. When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded files must be less than 50 characters, contain no spaces, no special characters (example: -, &, *, %, /, #, \) including periods (.), blank spaces and accent marks. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

4. Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

Grants.gov System Maintenance

Please keep in mind that the Grants.gov system will not be available for use during the times listed below.

The Grants.gov Program Management Office

Date Scope Details

July 21-23, 2018 Server Maintenance Scheduled Maintenance Outage:

Production System will go Offline Saturday July 21, 2018 at

12:01 AM ET.

Production System will go Online Monday, July 23, 2018 at

6:00 AM ET.

DUNS NUMBER INSTRUCTIONS

All applicants must have a D-U-N-S number in order to apply for federal funds.

NOTE: Check with your fiscal office to see if your institution has an assigned D-U-N-S before contacting Dun & Bradstreet.

Please provide the applicant's D-U-N-S Number. You can obtain your D-U-N-S Number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by completing a D-U-N-S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via the Internet at the following URL:

http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html

The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine digit number that does not convey any information about the recipient. A built-in check digit helps assure the accuracy of the D-U-N-S Number. The ninth digit of each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets computer systems determine if a D-U-N-S Number has been entered correctly.

Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has assigned D-U-N-S numbers to over 43 million companies worldwide. Live help Monday-Friday 8am-6pm (EST) Dial 1-888-814-1435.

NOTE: Electronic submission via Grants.gov must use the D-U-N-S number your organization used when it registered in the System for Award Management.

http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html

IV. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application Format

All applicants interested in completing a NHCTEP application should first thoroughly review the NIA for FY 2018 published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2018. The NIA will orient applicants to the competition by providing the following information:

Background information and purpose of the program;

Eligibility;

Invitational Priority (optional);

Application and program requirements;

Selection Criteria and assigned points;

Key definitions;

Procedural and substantive requirements of the application process; and Instructions on how to electronically submit the application, as well as instructions for submission of paper applications by mail and by hand delivery. (See Submission of Paper Applications by Mail and Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery under Basic Application Information in this application package).

Applicants should pay close attention to the Selection Criteria as applications will be evaluated and scored against these criteria.

COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

A complete application consists of the following components:

Required Forms:

ED Standard Forms

Assurances and Certifications

Application Narrative:

The NHCTEP application will use the following Grants.gov Narrative Forms.

ED Abstract Narrative Form o The ED Abstract Narrative Form is where you will provide your one-page project abstract. Specific instructions are provided in this application package.

Project Narrative Form o The Project Narrative Form is where you will describe how your proposed project will address other required NHCTEP elements. Applicants should include a Table of Contents and be sure to discuss their project in a way that best responds to the Selection Criteria. Specific instructions are included in this application package.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/06/13/2017-12132/applications-for-new-awards-high-school-career-and-technical-education-teacher-pathway-initiative

Budget Narrative Form o The Budget Narrative Form is where you will provide a line item budget (ED 524) and budget narrative for the proposed project. The budget narrative should project all costs of the proposed project. The budget narrative should reflect an annual budget for all 3 years of the proposed project period. Specific instructions are included in this application package.

Other Attachments Form (upload appendices here) o The Other Attachments Form is where you will include the application appendices.

Specific Appendix instructions are included in this application package.

o The Application Checklist is on page 30 of this application package.

The Application Checklist is optional; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to fill in the checklist or something similar to ensure that all program requirements have been addressed and to ensure that program staff and peer reviewers can find the information in your application that addresses each applicable element from the NHCTEP NIA.

NOTE: If you have multiple documents to be attached to one of the above narrative sections (except for Other Attachments), it is recommended that you merge them into one .PDF file and upload them to the appropriate narrative.

A. STANDARD FORMS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING REQUIRED FORMS

Applicants must submit along with their project narratives the required standard forms, assurances, and certifications included in the list below.

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424);

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will review only materials/files attached to the section labeled “Other Attachments Form.”

• Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424;

• Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524) Sections A & B;

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL);

• General Education…