PKG00264046-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20202 http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

Fiscal Year 2020

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS

FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION (FIPSE)--CAREER

AND EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS EXPLORATION

SYSTEM PROGRAM

CFDA NUMBER: 84.116C

Form Approved

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

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: December 9, 2020 http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html ii

Table of Contents Page

Dear Applicant Letter

Competition Highlights

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Application Transmittal Instructions

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards

Program Statute

Intergovernmental Review

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

Instructions for Completing the Application

Instructions for the Project Narrative

Instructions for the Budget Summary and Itemized Line Item Budget

Instructions for Standard Forms

Instructions for the SF 424

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

Instructions for ED 524

Instructions for Completion of SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Instructions for Completion of General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

Application Checklist

Paperwork Burden Statement

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Dear Applicant, We are pleased to provide the application package for the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) – Career and Educational Pathways Exploration System Program (Career Pathways Program). This is a new program with the potential to positively impact participants across the country. The Career Pathways Program grant competition application package contains the information and instructions needed to submit a complete application to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) through Grants.gov.

The purpose of the Career Pathways Program, funded through FIPSE, is to develop technology-based or technology-enabled career exploration systems that enable high school students to identify and explore career opportunities that align with their interests, ambitions and aptitudes;

learn from individuals who work in those fields about the nature of their work and opportunities available in their fields; and identify education and training options – including non-college programs such as work-based learning opportunities, military training, apprenticeships and employer-sponsored training – that enable entry to or advancement in those careers. Career Pathways Program systems should include, for featured occupations, information about employment outlook and likely entry and mid-career earnings in featured fields, and they should enable students to use built-in financial analysis tools to explore the economic impact of their career, education and training choices.

In FY 2020, Congress appropriated $24.5 million to FIPSE, including $10 million designated to the Career Pathways Program. These grants are intended to support the creation of scalable career exploration and guidance systems that help students identify their career interests; explore potential occupations that align with those interests; interact with individuals (including virtually or through the use of bot and other technologies) who work in particular jobs of interest to them;

consider the various education and training options (including non-college options, such as work-based learning, apprenticeships, employer-sponsored training and military service) that enable entrance to and advancement in those occupations; and identify the attitudes, skills and aptitudes necessary to be successful in those fields.

Through this grant competition, we invite public and private non-profit institutions and agencies (other than institutions of higher education (IHEs)) with expertise in workforce development and/or career counseling, alone or in partnership with IHEs or other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies (such as State workforce boards, employers, trade associations, or labor unions) to develop career exploration and guidance systems that will enable students (and their parents) to engage in career exploration and education/training planning.

The FY 2020 competition contains one absolute priority. The Department will only consider an application that addresses this absolute priority and we sincerely hope applicants will offer innovative solutions for addressing this national need.

Please review the entire application package carefully before preparing and submitting an application. Lastly, please do not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the Federal Register Notice.

Thank you for your interest in the Career Pathways Program. Should you desire to provide innovative solutions for creating scalable career exploration and guidance systems that help students identify their career interests, we invite you to submit your application for review and consideration.

Sincerely, /s/ Christopher J. McCaghren, Ed.D.

Deputy Assistant Secretary

Competition Highlights

1. Career Pathways Program grant applications for FY 2020 must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. It is important to know that Grants.gov 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 entire application. You should know that if the Department receives duplicate applications, we will accept and process the application with the latest “date/time received” validation.

3. Grants under this competition will be awarded on a competitive basis. For this competition, eligible public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies with expertise in workforce development and/or career counseling may submit one grant application.

4. Under the Career Pathways Program, $9,900,000 has been designated for awards to eligible entities with expertise in workforce development and/or career counseling, alone or in partnership with institutions of higher education or other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies (such as state workforce boards, employers, trade associations, or labor unions).

5. There is an absolute priority for this competition. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet the absolute priority established for this program. (See the Notice Inviting Applications for information regarding the absolute priority.)

6. All applicants are encouraged to adhere to the page limit for the Project Narrative portion of the application. We recommend that you limit the section of the narrative that addresses the selection criteria and the priority to no more than 25 pages.

7. Applicants must complete a supporting budget narrative for each line item on the ED-524 form. The budget narrative does not count against your page count.

8. This application package contains detailed instructions for every required component of your application. It also includes an Application Checklist for your convenience. Note: If all required documents are not submitted with your application, it may be deemed ineligible.

9. Applicants are required to submit a Project Abstract. The Project Abstract is limited to a one-page single-spaced document. The abstract must include the applicant’s name, city, state and purpose. The abstract must be uploaded to the “ED Abstract Form” in the Grants.gov system as a .pdf document.

10. Lastly, applicants are reminded that the notice published in the Federal Register is the official document. You should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidance contained within the official document.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf

***Updated 01/2020***

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 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

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.

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 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 your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close 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 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern 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, log in to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern 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 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 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern 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 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 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html 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 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 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern 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.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

• 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, 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 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

This program requires the electronic submission of applications.

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 by 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 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern 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 Grants.gov information found in this application package and visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you qualify for an exemption to the electronic submission requirement and 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 84.116C 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.

An applicant should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should check with its local post office.

Special Note: Due to potential disruption to normal mail delivery, the Department encourages you to consider using an alternative delivery method (for example, a commercial carrier, such as Federal Express or United Parcel Service; U.S. Postal Service Express Mail; or a courier service) to transmit your application for this competition to the Department. If you use an alternative delivery method, please obtain the appropriate proof of mailing under “Applications Delivered by Mail,” and then follow the instructions for “Applications Delivered by Hand.”

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:

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: CFDA Number 84.116C 550 12th Street, SW.

Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202-4260

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 Control Center Hours of Operation:

The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Late Applications

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

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Fund for the Improvement of

Postsecondary Education--Career and Educational Pathways

Exploration System Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of

Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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

2020 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

(FIPSE) Career and Educational Pathways Exploration System

(Career Pathways) Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.116C.

This notice relates to the approved information collection under

OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES:

Applications Available: November 9, 2020.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 9, 2020.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for

Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant

Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019

(84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-

2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Easterling, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 278-14, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone: (202) 453-7425. Email:

Sharon.Easterling@ed.gov.

or

Carmen Gordon, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW, room 278-42, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone

(202) 453-7311. Email: Carmen.Gordon@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 purpose of the Career Pathways Program funded through FIPSE is to develop technology-based or technology-enabled career exploration systems that enable high school students to identify and explore career opportunities that align with their interests, ambitions, and aptitudes; learn from individuals who work in those fields about the nature of their work and opportunities available in their fields; and identify education and training options--including non-college programs such as work-based learning opportunities, military training, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored training--that mailto:Sharon.Easterling@ed.gov mailto:Carmen.Gordon@ed.gov enable entry into or advancement in those careers. Career and education pathways exploration systems must include, for featured occupations, information about employment outlook and likely entry and mid-career earnings in featured fields, and they must enable students to use built-in financial analysis tools to explore the economic impact of their career, education, and training choices.

Background: In FY 2020, Congress appropriated $24.5 million to

FIPSE, including $10 million designated to the Career Pathways

Program, to support the development of Career and Education

Pathways Exploration Systems that will increase student awareness of the many career opportunities available to them and knowledge among students, educators, parents, and counselors about the many education and training pathways that provide entry to and advancement in those careers. These grants are intended to support the creation of scalable career exploration and guidance systems that help students identify their career interests; explore potential occupations that align with those interests; interact with individuals who work in particular jobs of interest to them, or with artificial intelligence or other interactive technologies in the fields of interest; consider the various education and training options (including non-college options, such as work-based learning, apprenticeships, employer-sponsored training, and military service) that enable entrance to and advancement in those occupations; and identify the attitudes, skills, and aptitudes necessary to be successful in those fields.

Through this grant competition, we invite non-profit organizations with expertise in workforce development or career counseling, alone or in partnership with institutions of higher education (IHEs) or other non-profit agencies/organizations, trade associations, employers, States, and labor unions to develop, adapt, or expand career exploration and guidance systems that will enable students (and their parents) to engage in career exploration and education/training planning. These systems must be technology based so that they can be deployed at scale, and they must include financial analysis tools that allow students to compare the direct and opportunity costs (including student loan interest) of the educational pathways they are considering as well as earnings potential among occupations of interest.

These exploration and guidance systems must feature the full range of education and training pathways, including short-term programs (less than 600 hours), apprenticeships, employer-sponsored training, military training opportunities, and more traditional college pathways.

Priority: This notice contains one absolute priority. We are establishing this priority for the FY 2020 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: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this absolute priority.

Providing Career and Education Pathways Exploration

Systems.

To meet this priority, applicants must submit--

(a) A plan to create or expand a sustainable technology-based or technology-enabled career and education pathways exploration system that accomplishes all of the following objectives:

(1) Enabling high school students to identify and learn about career opportunities based on their personal interests, aptitudes, and career goals;

(2) Enabling high school students to identify, consider, and compare the possible education and training pathways that lead to career entry and advancement in their fields of interest;

(3) Engaging individuals who work in featured occupations, or using other interactive bot technologies simulating interaction with an individual, to provide information to students about their experience working in the field, the aptitudes and attitudes that are necessary for success, and the challenges and opportunities typical for those who work in the field; and

(4) Enabling students to use embedded financial tools to compare the cost and benefits of the career options and educational pathways they are considering, including the long-term impact of taking student loans on their financial security, including likely entry and mid-career earnings in featured fields.

(b) An evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of the system in assisting students in identifying their career goals, identifying potential education pathways to achieve that goal, and comparing the costs and benefits of each pathway.

(c) A logic model for developing and implementing the project.

Program Requirements: We are establishing the program requirements for the FY 2020 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 GEPA.

The program requirements are:

Independent Evaluation.

A grantee must conduct an independent evaluation of the activities carried out under the grant and submit to the

Department an annual report that includes--

(a) A description of how the grant funds were used;

(b) The performance of the project with respect to, at a minimum, the performance measures described in the approved application; and

(c) A quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of the project.

Use of Funds.

A grantee must use the funds awarded for the following activities:

(a) Development of a technology-based or technology-enabled career exploration and pathways system that enables students to identify career options and possible education and training pathways based on their interests, aptitudes, and goals.

(b) Identifying and recruiting individuals who work in featured occupations to participate in content development for the system and providing career information to students.

(c) Providing training to high school guidance counselors and teachers on proper use of the system to help students explore career opportunities and educational pathways.

(d) Disseminating information about the system to high schools, workforce development boards, training providers, IHEs, and other entities.

Definitions:

The definition of Institution of Higher Education is from section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended

(HEA). The definitions of Baseline, Logic Model, Performance

Measure, Performance Target, Project Component, and Relevant

Outcome are from 34 CFR 77.1. We are establishing the definitions of Independent Evaluation, Parent, and Work-Based

Learning for this competition in accordance with section

437(d)(1) of GEPA.

Baseline means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set.

Independent Evaluation means an evaluation of a Project

Component that is designed and carried out independently of, but in coordination with, the entities that develop or implement the

Project Component.

Institution of Higher Education (IHE) means—

(a) An educational institution in any State that—

(1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate, or persons who meet the requirements of section 484(d)(3) of the

HEA;

(2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

(3) Provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;

(4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

(5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the

Secretary of Education for the granting of pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary of Education has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.

(b) The term also includes:

(1) Any school that provides not less than a 1-year program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of paragraph (a) of this definition; and

(2) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph

(a)(1) of this definition, admits as regular students individuals—

(i) Who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is located; or

(ii) Who will be dually or concurrently enrolled in the institution and a secondary school.

Logic Model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a framework that identifies key Project Components of the proposed project (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the Relevant Outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key Project Components and Relevant Outcomes.

Parent means natural, adoptive, and foster parents, guardians, and individuals acting in the role of parent.

Performance Measure means any quantitative indicator, statistic, or metric used to gauge program or project performance.

Performance Target means a level of performance that an applicant would seek to meet during the course of a project or as a result of a project.

Project Component means an activity, strategy, intervention, process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).

Relevant Outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key Project Component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of the program.

Work-Based Learning means sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required of a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction.

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, requirements, 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 a new or substantially revised authority and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the

Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priorities, requirements, and definitions under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA.

These priorities, requirements, and definitions will apply to the FY 2020 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, the explanatory statement accompanying H.R. 1865 (Pub. L. 116-94), Congressional

Record, daily edition, Dec. 17, 2019, at H11083.

Note: Projects must be awarded and operated in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and

Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485.

(c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $9,900,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $4,400,000 – 9,000,000 for the 36-month project period.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $4,950,000 for the 36-month project period.

Estimated Number of Awards: 1-2.

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

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies (other than IHEs) with expertise in workforce development or career counseling, alone or in partnership with IHEs or other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies (such as State workforce development boards, employers, trade associations, or labor unions).

Note: Only public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies may be the fiscal agent in this competition. IHEs may be included as a partner in a grant in which public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies are the fiscal agent as a group application consistent with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129.

Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(2) a statement from a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item described above if that item applies to a State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.

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

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements.

c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: We are establishing a training indirect cost rate for this program. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an entity’s actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.

d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part

200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to

Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-

02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 December 31, 2020.

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

4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 25 pages and (2) use the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. Applicants should address each of the following selection criteria. The selection criteria are worth a total of 100 points; the maximum score for each criterion is noted in parentheses.

(a) Significance. (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs of the target population. (10 points)

(2) The potential replicability of the proposed project or strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation in a variety of settings. (10 points)

(b) Quality of the project design. (Maximum 25 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:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (5 points)

(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. (5 points)

(3) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project. (5 points)

(4) The extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the competition. (10 points)

(c) Quality of project services. (Maximum 10 points) The

Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.

(1) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (3 points)

(2) In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services. (3 points)

(ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (4 points)

(d) Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 10 points) The

Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project.

(1) In determining the quality of project personnel, the

Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (3 points)

(2) In addition, the Secretary considers:

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

(4 points)

(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (3 points)

(e) Adequacy of resources. (Maximum 5 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:

(1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (3 points)

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