oppED-GRANTS-073018-002-cfda84.116-cid84-116R2018-1-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, D.C. 20202

FY 2018

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS UNDER THE

PILOT PROGRAM FOR CYBERSECURITY

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADES FOR

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

CFDA NO. 84.116R

Form Approved

OMB No. 1894-0006, Expiration Date 01/31/2021

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: 8/29/18

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Dear Applicant Letter …………………………………………………….……………………………… 1

Competition Highlights ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants …………………………………………... 4

Application Transmittal Instructions …..……………………………………………………………….. 8

Notice Inviting Applications (Notice) …………………………………………………………………... 10

FIPSE Authorizing Legislation ……………………………………………………………………….… 17

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) …………………………………………………. 20

Organization of the Application Package …………………………………………………………….. 21

Instructions for Application Package …………………………………………………………………. 23

Part I

Instructions for SF 424 Form ………………………………………………………………………… 24

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424 …………………… 26

Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424 …………… 28

Part II

Instructions for ED 524 Budget Summary Form ……………………………………………………… 33

Part III

Instructions for Completing the ED Abstract Form …………………………………………………. 36

Instructions for Completing the Project Narrative Attachment Form ………………………………. 37

Instructions for Completing the Other Attachments Form ………………………………………….. 39

Part IV:

Assurances and Certifications ………………………………………………………………………… 40

GEPA Section 427 Requirement ………………………………………………………………… 41

Instructions for Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) …………………………………… 43

Grants.gov Lobbying Form (ED form 80-0013) …………………………………………………

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) ……………………………………………

Application Checklist …………………………………………………………………………………… 45

Dear Applicant Letter

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in the Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for

Community Colleges. This grant competition is administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S.

Department of Education (the Department). The purpose of the Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education

Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges is to support projects at institutions of higher education that improve infrastructure for cybersecurity education programs at community colleges.

Please read and refer to the Notice Inviting Applications and this application package for the grant opportunity requirements and selection criteria. Applicants should pay attention to the section entitled “Competition

Highlights,” which outlines the absolute priority and other program and competition details. This application package contains the instructions and forms needed to submit a complete application for the Pilot Program for

Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges.

Applicants are required to submit their application electronically using Grants.gov for the FY 2018 Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges grant competition. Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page at:

Grants.gov Web site

For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, please refer to the official Federal Register Notice. You are reminded that the document published in the Federal Register is the official document and that you should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the official document.

We appreciate your interest in the Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for

Community Colleges and look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely, Adam Kissel

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Higher Education Programs

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

http://www.grants.gov/

Competition Highlights

1. Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges applications submitted for FY 2018 must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov. You are urged to acquaint yourself with the requirements of Grants.gov early as the registration procedures may require up to 2 weeks to complete. A more thorough discussion is included later in this application package. Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page: http://www.grants.gov. You must provide the SAME DUNS number that was used when your organization registered with the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM replaced the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) used in years past.

2. The Grants.gov site does not allow applicants to “un-submit” applications. Therefore, if you discover that changes or additions are needed once your application has been accepted and validated by the Department, you must “re-submit” the application. Please know that if the Department receives duplicate applications, we will accept and process the application with the latest “date/time received” validation.

3. The application must be received on or before the deadline date and time. Late applications will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department must adhere to the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date.

4. Grants.gov Upload Requirements:

If you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note that this could result in your application not being considered for funding because the material in question--for example, the application narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material from other formats to PDF.

5. There is one absolute priority for the FY 2018 competition.

The Department will only consider applications that meet the absolute priority. Applicants that do not meet the absolute priority will not move forward for review.

The priority is as follows:

Absolute Priority -- Collaboration.

To meet this priority, the eligible applicant must propose to lead a project that leverages the expertise and resources of the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological

Education (ATE) Program. The ATE Program has awarded large grants to three community colleges to operate centers that support the improvement of cybersecurity education at community colleges around the nation. Those centers are the National CyberWatch Center, based at Prince George's Community College (Largo, MD); the CyberWatch West Center, based at Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, WA); and the Center for Systems Security and

Information Assurance (CSSIA), based at Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, IL).

Those centers coordinate a large network of affiliated institutions, including more than 100 community colleges, although this competition is not limited to the community colleges with existing relationships with those centers. The eligible applicant must include a signed statement from an authorized official from at least one of the three ATE Program centers certifying that the center or centers will provide technical assistance or other aid to the applicant’s project.

6. Eligibility Information:

Carefully review the eligibility information within the NIA. There are multiple subparts for the eligibility requirement.

7. Annual Performance Requirements:

If you receive a FY 2018 new grant award, you will be required during the funding cycle to submit interim, annual, and final performance reports using the Higher Education Programs—Institutional Service Database.

This online system collects narratives and data about funded projects to help program officers determine if a grantee is making substantial progress toward meeting approved project objectives. The database is accessible at: HTTPS://HEPIS.ED.GOV.

https://hepis.ed.gov/

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

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.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience technical issues.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs:

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

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission.

The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms, you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the closing date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov

Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Helpful Reminders

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.]

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.

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 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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html 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

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 the deadline date, 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

Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, 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. 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. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

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 at this Grants.gov link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

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. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.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 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace

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, flattened .PDF files in their application:

Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, flattened 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.

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.

When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following

UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

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 with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Application Transmittal Instructions

ATTENTION ELECTRONIC APPLICANTS: Please note that you must follow the application procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

This program requires the electronic submission of applications; specific requirements and waiver instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application by mail, commercial carrier, or hand delivery.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must meet the following deadline requirements:

Applications Submitted Electronically

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the

Grants.gov Web site (http://www.grants.gov) by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date.

If you submit your application through the Internet via the Grants.gov Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement when we receive your application.

For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the “Notice Inviting Applications” that was published in the Federal Register or visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may 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:

Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.116R)

LBJ Basement Level 1

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-4260

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.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

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.

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.116R)

550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza

Washington, DC 20202-4260

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. 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.

Late Applications

If your application is late, we will notify you that we will not consider the application.

Notice Inviting Applications

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary

Education--Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for the Fund for the

Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--Pilot Program for

Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.116R.

DATES:

Applications Available: July 30, 2018.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 29, 2018.

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 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-

2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pearson Owens, U.S. Department of

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 250-12, Washington, DC 20202.

Telephone: (202) 453-7997. Email: pearson.owens@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 Pilot Program for Cybersecurity Education

Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges is designed to support projects at institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity education programs at community colleges.

Priority: This notice includes one absolute priority. We are establishing this priority for the FY 2018 grant competition, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education

Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR

75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Collaboration.

Background: The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological

Education (ATE) Program has awarded large grants to three community colleges to operate centers that support the improvement of cybersecurity education at community colleges around the Nation. Those centers are the National

CyberWatch Center, based at Prince George's Community College (Largo, MD);

the CyberWatch West Center, based at Whatcom Community College (Bellingham, WA); and the Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA), based at Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, IL). Those centers coordinate a large network of affiliated institutions, including more than

100 community colleges.

Priority: To build on the experience and ongoing initiatives of the

ATE Program, this priority requires applicants to collaborate with an ATE

Program center. An eligible applicant must propose to lead a project to provide technological upgrades for cybersecurity education programs at community colleges that leverages the expertise of the National Science

Foundation’s ATE Program.

Each eligible applicant must include a signed statement by an authorized official from at least one of the three ATE Program centers: the

National CyberWatch Center, the CyberWatch West Center, or CSSIA. The signed statement must certify that the center or centers will provide technical assistance or other aid to the applicant’s project.

Note: It is not required for a community college to have an existing relationship with an ATE Program center to meet this absolute priority.

Definition: We are establishing the following definition under section

437(d)(1) of GEPA for FY 2018 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Community college means an institution that meets the definition in section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20

U.S.C. 1058(f)); or an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that awards degrees and certificates, more than 50 percent of which are not bachelor's degrees (or an equivalent) or master's, professional, or other advanced degrees.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5

U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and definitions. Section

437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the

Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priority and definition under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. The priority and definition will apply to the FY 2018 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d.

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 https://api.fdsys.gov/link?collection=uscode&title=20&year=mostrecent&section=1058&type=usc&link-type=html https://api.fdsys.gov/link?collection=uscode&title=20&year=mostrecent&section=1058&type=usc&link-type=html https://api.fdsys.gov/link?collection=uscode&title=20&year=mostrecent&section=1001&type=usc&link-type=html

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $990,000.

Estimated Range of Awards: $25,000-$100,000 for a 24-month budget period.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $99,000.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 24 months.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Community colleges that include a signed statement from at least one of the ATE Program centers certifying that the center or centers will provide technical assistance or other aid to the applicant’s project.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

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: Public or private entitites that provide technology or infrastructure services. The grantee may only award subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the

Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003), and available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.

2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to Executive

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make awards by the end of FY 2018.

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

Note: Hardware to be provided to individual students, such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones, is not an allowable cost under this competition.

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 12 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 all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.

Use a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet;

Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification;

Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letter of support.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 48 points. The maximum score for each criterion is included in parentheses following the title of the specific selection criterion. Each criterion also includes the factors that reviewers will consider in determining the extent to which an applicant meets the criterion.

The selection criteria are as follows:

A. Need for Project (up to 20 points).

The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the proposed project.

(2) 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.

B. Quality of the Project Design (up to 12 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

(2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs.

(3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal financial assistance.

C. Adequacy of Resources (up to 12 points).

The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.

(2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation Plan (up to 4 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project.

(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible.

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).

For this competition, a panel of internal reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and score all eligible applications using the selection criteria provided in this notice. The individual scores of the reviewers will be added and the sum divided by the number of reviewers to determine the peer review score. The Department may use more than one tier of reviews in evaluating grantees. The Department prepares a rank order of applications based solely on the evaluation of their quality according to the selection criteria.

In the event there are two or more applications with the same final score in the rank order listing, and there are insufficient funds to fully support these applications, the Department will apply a tiebreaker by awarding funds to the applicant with the largest number of students enrolled in cybersecurity education programs in the applicant’s most recent academic year.

3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR

200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary 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 $150,000), 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 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 or subgrantee 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 Measure: The Department will use the following performance measure in assessing the performance of the Pilot Program for

Cybersecurity Education Technological Upgrades for Community Colleges grants:

The number of students who enrolled in courses supported by the technological upgrades developed through the grant in the year following completion of the project.

VII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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 via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. 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.

Dated: July 30, 2018

Diane Auer Jones, Principal Deputy Under Secretary

Delegated to Perform the Duties of Under Secretary and

Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.

FIPSE Authorizing Legislation

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Authorizing Legislation, as amended by the

Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d

Higher Education Act of 1965

Title VII, Part B, Subparts 741-745

PART B, SEC. 741. — FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

(a) AUTHORITY — The Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies, to enable such institutions, combinations, and agencies to improve postsecondary education opportunities by–

(1) the encouragement of reform and improvement of, and innovation in, postsecondary education and the provision of educational opportunity for all students, including nontraditional students;

(2) the creation of institutions, programs, and joint efforts involving paths to career and professional training, including–

(A) Efforts that provide academic credit for programs; and

(B) Combinations of academic and experiential learning;

(3) the establishment and continuation of institutions, programs, consortia, collaborations, and other joint efforts based on communications technology, including those efforts that utilize distance education and technological advancements to educate and train postsecondary students (including health professionals serving medically underserved populations);

(4) the carrying out, in postsecondary educational institutions, of changes in internal structure and operations designed to clarify institutional priorities and purposes;

(5) the design and introduction of cost-effective methods of instruction and operation;

(6) the introduction of institutional reforms designed to expand individual opportunities for entering and reentering postsecondary institutions and pursuing programs of postsecondary study tailored to individual needs;

(7) the introduction of reforms in graduate education, in the structure of academic professions, and in the recruitment and retention of faculties;

(8) the creation of new institutions and programs for examining and awarding credentials to individuals, and the introduction of reforms in current institutional practices related thereto;

(9) the introduction of reforms in remedial education, including English language instruction, to customize remedial courses to student goals and help students progress rapidly from remedial courses into core courses and through postsecondary program completion;

(10) the provision of support and assistance to partnerships between institutions of higher education and secondary schools with a significant population of students identified as late-entering limited English proficient students, to establish programs that–

(A) Result in increased secondary school graduation rates of limited English proficient students; and

(B) Increase the number of participating late-entering limited English proficient students who pursue postsecondary education;

(11) the creation of consortia that join diverse institutions of higher education to design and offer curricular and cocurricular interdisciplinary programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, sustained for not less than a 5 year period, that–

(A) Focus on poverty and human capability; and

(B) Include–

(i) A service-learning component; and

(ii) the delivery of educational services through informational resource centers, summer institutes, midyear seminars, and other educational activities that stress the effects of poverty and how poverty can be alleviated through different career paths;

(12) the provision of support and assistance for demonstration projects to provide comprehensive support services to ensure that homeless students, or students who were in foster care or were a ward of the court at any time before the age of 13, enroll and succeed in postsecondary education, including providing housing to such students during periods when housing at the institution of higher education is closed or generally unavailable to other students; and

(13) the support of efforts to work with institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, that seek to promote cultural…