PKG00265011-instructions.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Postsecondary Education Washington, D.C. 20202 www2.ed.gov/programs/gaann/index.html

FY 2021

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS UNDER THE

GRADUATE ASSISTANCE IN AREAS OF NATIONAL NEED (GAANN) PROGRAM

CFDA NO. 84.200A

Form Approved OMB No. 1840-0604, Expiration Date 07/31/2021

DATED MATERIAL – OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: March 1, 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Instructions:

Standard Forms Instructions:

Standard Forms are found on Grants.gov Instructions for the SF-424 Form 78 Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF 424 Form 80 Definitions for the Department of Education Supplemental Information

Program Specific Forms Instructions:

Forms:

Program Specific Forms (Found only in the Application Package):

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

January 15, 2021

Dear Applicant:

We are pleased to provide the application package for the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Program grant competition, which contains the information and instructions needed to submit a complete application to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) through Grants.gov.

The GAANN Program provides fellowships, through academic departments and programs of institutions of higher education, to assist graduate students with excellent records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course of study at the institution in a field designated as an area of national need.

Within the FY 2021 absolute priority found in the Notice Inviting Applications and this application package, the Department will only consider an application that addresses this absolute priority and we sincerely hope applicants will offer innovative solutions for addressing a national need. The Secretary is only interested in receiving grant applications in one or more of the academic areas designated as an area of national need. In addition, for the FY 2021 competition there is a New Potential Grantee competitive preference priority.

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 GAANN Program. We look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely, Christopher J. McCaghren, Ed.D.

Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education

COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

1. GAANN applications for FY 2021 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 5 or more days to complete. A more thorough discussion is included later in this application package. Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page at: https://www.Grants.gov. The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission requirement are included in the Notice for FY 2021. If you think you may need an exception, you are urged to review the requirements promptly.

2. 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

3. 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 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.

4. Please note that you must submit your application by 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on or before the application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

5. Updated Grants.gov Upload Requirements:

All attachments must be in a Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word. Other types of files will not be accepted. Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. It is important to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to log on to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number that was used when your organization registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

For Grants.gov related questions and assistance, please contact:

Support Desk e-Mail: support@Grants.gov Support Desk Telephone: (800) 518-4726 Contact Telephone Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, except Federal holidays Online Web Site: https://www.Grants.gov Also, refer to the “U.S. Department of Education Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants” section found in this application booklet.

You are reminded that the Notice published in the Federal Register is the official document, and that you should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidelines contained within the official document.

6. Absolute Priority:

The absolute priority is selected from the list of academic areas in the Appendix to 648 of the GAANN program regulations.

The Department will only consider applications that address the absolute priority as stated in the Notice. The FY 2021 designated areas of national need under the GAANN program competition are as follows:

A. For the following academic areas, the project must provide fellowships for programs that lead either to a Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree, Master’s degree, or a doctoral degree, whichever is the highest degree awarded in the area of need at the institution.

1. Computer and Information Sciences. A degree or a degree with specialization in one or more of the following areas:

· Cybersecurity (the interdiscipline of “11.01 Computer and Information Sciences, General” and “11.05 Computer Systems Analysis”).

· Secure computer programming (the interdiscipline of “11.01 Computer and Information Sciences, General” and “11.02 Computer Programming”).

· Artificial Intelligence (the interdiscipline of “11.02 Computer Programming,” “11.04 Information Sciences and Systems,” and “14.09 Computer Engineering”).

2. (14.) Engineering.

14.01 Engineering, General

14.02 Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering

14.03 Agricultural Engineering

14.04 Architectural Engineering

14.05 Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering

14.06 Ceramic Sciences and Engineering

14.07 Chemical Engineering

14.08 Civil Engineering

14.09 Computer Engineering

14.10 Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering

14.11 Engineering Mechanics

14.12 Engineering Physics

14.13 Engineering Science

14.14 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering

14.15 Geological Engineering

14.16 Geophysical Engineering

14.17 Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

14.18 Materials Engineering

14.19 Mechanical Engineering

14.20 Metallurgical Engineering

14.21 Mining and Mineral Engineering

14.22 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

14.23 Nuclear Engineering

14.24 Ocean Engineering

14.25 Petroleum Engineering

14.27 Systems Engineering

14.28 Textile Sciences and Engineering

14.29 Engineering Design

14.30 Engineering/Industrial Management

14.31 Materials Science

14.32 Polymer/Plastics Engineering

B. For the following academic areas, the project must provide fellowships in programs that lead either to a PSM degree, master’s degree, or a doctoral degree, whichever is the highest degree awarded in the area of need at the institution. Students are planning a career in teaching or research.

· 26. Biological Sciences/Life Sciences.

26.01 Biology, General

26.02 Biochemistry and Biophysics

26.03 Botany

26.04 Cell and Molecular Biology

26.05 Microbiology/Bacteriology

26.06 Miscellaneous Biological Specializations

26.07 Zoology

· 42. Psychology.

42.01 Psychology

42.02 Clinical Psychology

42.03 Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics

42.04 Community Psychology

42.06 Counseling Psychology

42.07 Developmental and Child Psychology

42.08 Experimental Psychology

42.09 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

42.11 Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology

42.16 Social Psychology

42.17 School Psychology

· 51.16 Nursing. Applications from nursing programs must focus on the preparation of nurse scholars for educational leadership roles. Graduates will become the teachers preparing students for careers in nursing and will disseminate to the public new knowledge gained from disciplined inquiry related to nursing and nursing education.

Note: Not for clinical degrees.

7. The FY 2021 GAANN competition has one competitive preference priority:

Applications from New Potential Grantees (1 point)

Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate one or more of the following:

The applicant does not, as of the deadline date for submission of applications, have an active grant, including through membership in a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127–75.129, under the program from which it seeks funds.

For the purpose of this priority, a grant or contract is active until the end of the grant’s or contract’s project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee’s or contractor’s authority to obligate funds.

8. The GAANN Abstract:

The one-page abstract should include a short summary covering the designated area(s) of national need. The abstract should include the following information:

Institution Name:

Type of Application (Single/Inter-Disciplinary/Multi-Disciplinary):

Area of National Need:

Degree Level of Program of Study (Masters, PSM, or Doctorate):

Length of Time Degree Program has been in Existence:

Number of Federally Funded GAANN Fellows Requested:

Note: Information provided in the GAANN one-page abstract must be attached to the “ED Abstract Form” in the Grants.gov system. Further instructions are provided in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Narrative” section of the application package about the upload requirements and formatting the abstract.

9. Program Specific Forms:

The following documents are specific to the GAANN program and should be reviewed carefully to ensure that they are attached into the Grants.gov system correctly.

· GAANN Statutory Assurances Form: Applicants must submit the GAANN Statutory Assurances Form electronically uploaded as a separate document. Please note that more detailed instructions for attaching this form are covered in the “Program Specific Forms Instructions” section of the application package.

· GAANN Budget Spreadsheet(s) Form: Applicants must submit the Budget Spreadsheet(s) Form electronically uploaded as a separate document. Please note that more detailed instructions for attaching the budget spreadsheet form are covered in the “Program Specific Forms Instructions” section of the application package.

Note: The Budget Narrative (which is a part of the Selection Criteria) should be included in the “Project Narrative Attachment Form.”

10. Annual Performance Requirements:

If you receive a FY 2021 new grant award, you will be required to submit annual and final performance reports during the three-year funding cycle using the GAANN Performance Reporting System. This online system collects narratives and data about funded projects to enable program officers to determine if a grantee is making substantial progress toward meeting approved project objectives. If you wish to view the performance report currently required, visit the GAANN Web site at:

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/gaann/performance.html.

Please be advised that the report is for informational purposes only and does not reflect the actual reporting instrument that you will use, should you receive a FY 2021 grant award.

11. Two years after the expiration of the grant:

Grantees are required to submit a supplemental performance report. The purpose of this supplement to the Final Performance Report is to identify and report the educational outcome of each GAANN fellow.

12.

01/2021

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.

1. 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 close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

1. 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

1. 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.

1. 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 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.

1.

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 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 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:

1. 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

1. files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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 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 “Notice Inviting Applications” that was published in the Federal Register or visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

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

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center Attention: 84.200A LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 268-24 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 Attention: CFDA Number 84.200A 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Room 268-24 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 that we will not consider the application.

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need 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) 2021 for the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.200A. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1840-0604.

DATES:

Applications Available: January 15, 2021.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 1, 2021.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Ell, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2B-214, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-6348. Email: OPE_GAANN_Program@ed.gov; or ReShone Moore, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 2B-214, Washington, DC 20202-4260. Telephone (202) 453-7624. Email: reshone.moore@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 GAANN Program provides grants to academic departments and programs of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support graduate fellowships for students with excellent academic records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue the highest degree available in their course of study at the institution.

Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and one competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), the absolute priority is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 648.33(a) and Appendix to part 648--Academic Areas). Please note that the codes next to selected academic areas under the absolute priority are from the Appendix to part 648--Academic Areas of the program regulations and can be found in the application booklet as well as on www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=f8ad0cf4f75cd9841b2bc1adb98c5739&mc=true&node=pt34.3.648&rgn=div5. The competitive preference priority is from the notice of final administrative priorities for discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2020 (85 FR 13640) (Administrative Priorities).

Absolute Priority: For FY 2021 and any subsequent year for which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.

of the following areas, and in which each department’s program of study is independent.

A. For the following academic areas, the project must provide fellowships for programs that lead either to a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree, master’s degree or a doctoral degree, whichever is the highest degree awarded in the area of need at the institution.

1. Computer and Information Sciences. A degree or a degree with specialization in one or more of the following areas:

· Cybersecurity (the interdiscipline of “11.01 Computer and Information Sciences, General” and “11.05 Computer Systems Analysis”).

· Secure computer programming (the interdiscipline of “11.01 Computer and Information Sciences, General” and “11.02 Computer Programming”).

· Artificial Intelligence (the interdiscipline of “11.02 Computer Programming,” “11.04 Information Sciences and Systems,” and “14.09 Computer Engineering”).

2. 14. Engineering.

14.01 Engineering, General

14.02 Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering

14.03 Agricultural Engineering

14.04 Architectural Engineering

14.05 Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering

14.06 Ceramic Sciences and Engineering

14.07 Chemical Engineering

14.08 Civil Engineering

14.09 Computer Engineering

14.10 Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering

14.11 Engineering Mechanics

14.12 Engineering Physics

14.13 Engineering Science

14.14 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering

14.15 Geological Engineering

14.16 Geophysical Engineering

14.17 Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

14.18 Materials Engineering

14.19 Mechanical Engineering

14.20 Metallurgical Engineering

14.21 Mining and Mineral Engineering

14.22 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

14.23 Nuclear Engineering

14.24 Ocean Engineering

14.25 Petroleum Engineering

14.27 Systems Engineering

14.28 Textile Sciences and Engineering

14.29 Engineering Design

14.30 Engineering/Industrial Management

14.31 Materials Science

14.32 Polymer/Plastics Engineering

B. For the following academic areas, the project must provide fellowships in programs that lead either to a PSM degree, master’s degree, or a doctoral degree, whichever is the highest degree awarded in the area of need at the institution. Students pursuing a degree in one of these areas are planning a career in either teaching or research.

· 26. Biological Sciences/Life Sciences.

26.01 Biology, General

26.02 Biochemistry and Biophysics

26.03 Botany

26.04 Cell and Molecular Biology

26.05 Microbiology/Bacteriology

26.06 Miscellaneous Biological Specializations

26.07 Zoology

· 42. Psychology.

42.01 Psychology

42.02 Clinical Psychology

42.03 Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics

42.04 Community Psychology

42.06 Counseling Psychology

42.07 Developmental and Child Psychology

42.08 Experimental Psychology

42.09 Industrial and Organizational Psychology

42.11 Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology

42.16 Social Psychology

42.17 School Psychology

· 51.16 Nursing. Applications from nursing programs must focus on the preparation of nursing scholars for educational leadership roles. Graduates will become teachers preparing students for careers in nursing and will disseminate to the public new knowledge gained from disciplined inquiry related to nursing and nursing education. Note: Not for clinical degrees.

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2021 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional one point to an application that meets this priority.

Note: For the purpose of this priority, a grant or contract is active until the end of the grant's or contract's project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's or contractor's authority to obligate funds.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1135-1135e.

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, 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. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 648. (e) The Administrative Priorities.

Note: The open licensing requirement in 2 CFR 3474.20 does not apply to this program.

II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants, including funds redistributed as graduate fellowships to individual fellows.

Estimated Available Funds: $20,425,000.

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: $101,460 - $405,840.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $275,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 72.

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

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Stipend Level: For the 2021-22 academic year, the institution must pay the fellow a stipend at a level of support equal to that provided by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, except that this amount must be adjusted as necessary so as not to exceed the fellow’s demonstrated level of financial need as stated under part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Institutional Payment: For the 2021-22 academic year, the estimated institutional payment is $16,730 per fellow. This amount was determined by adjusting the previous academic year’s institutional payment of $16,370 per fellow by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for the 2020 calendar year.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: (a) Any academic department of an IHE that provides a course of study that--

(i) Leads to a graduate degree in an area of national need; and

(ii) Has been in existence for at least four years at the time of an application for a grant under this competition; or

(b) An academic department of an IHE that--

(i) Satisfies the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section; and

(ii) Submits a joint application with one or more eligible non-degree-granting institutions that have formal arrangements for the support of doctoral dissertation research with one or more degree-granting institutions.

Note: Students are not eligible to apply for grants under this program.

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: An institution must provide, from non-Federal funds, an institutional matching contribution equal to at least 25 percent of the grant amount received. (See 34 CFR 648.7.)

b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. (See 34 CFR 648.20(b)(5).)

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

4. Other: For requirements relating to selecting fellows, see 34 CFR 648.40.

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. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.

3. Funding Restrictions: We specify unallowable costs in 34 CFR 648.64. We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

4. Recommended Page Limit: Applications that do not follow the page limit and formatting recommendations will not be penalized. The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend the following page limits and standards:

· A project narrative in a single discipline or for an interdisciplinary course of study should be limited to no more than 40 pages.

· A project narrative for a multidisciplinary project should be limited to no more than 40 pages for each academic department.

· A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins.

· Double-space all text in the application project narrative, and single-space titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.

· Use a 12-point font.

· Use an easily readable font such as Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

· Limit appendices to the following: two-page version of a curriculum vitae, per faculty member; a course listing; letters of commitment showing institutional support; a bibliography; and one additional optional appendix relevant to the support of the proposals, recommended not to exceed five pages.

The recommended page limit does not include the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF 424 Form; the one-page abstract; the GAANN Statutory Assurances Form; the GAANN Budget Spreadsheet(s) Form; the Appendices; the Assurances and Certifications; or an optional two-page table of contents.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 648.31 and are as follows:

(a) Meeting the purposes of the program (7 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine how well the project will meet the purposes of the program, including the extent to which--

(1) The applicant's general and specific objectives for the project are realistic and measurable;

(2) The applicant's objectives for the project seek to sustain and enhance the capacity for teaching and research at the institution and at State, regional, or national levels;

(3) The applicant's objectives seek to institute policies and procedures to ensure the enrollment of talented graduate students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds; and

(4) The applicant's objectives seek to institute policies and procedures to ensure that it will award fellowships to individuals who satisfy the requirements of 34 CFR 648.40.

(b) Extent of need for the project (5 points). The Secretary considers the extent to which a grant under the program is needed by the academic department by considering--

(1) How the applicant identified the problems that form the specific needs of the project;

(2) The specific problems to be resolved by successful realization of the goals and objectives of the project; and

(3) How increasing the number of fellowships will meet the specific and general objectives of the project.

(c) Quality of the graduate academic program (20 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the current graduate academic program for which project funding is sought, including--

(1) The course offerings and academic requirements for the graduate program;

(2) The qualifications of the faculty, including education, research interest, publications, teaching ability, and accessibility to graduate students;

(3) The focus and capacity for research; and

(4) Any other evidence the applicant deems appropriate to demonstrate the quality of its academic program.

(d) Quality of the supervised teaching experience (10 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the teaching experience the applicant plans to provide fellows under this program, including the extent to which the project--

(1) Provides each fellow with the required supervised training in instruction;

(2) Provides adequate instruction on effective teaching techniques;

(3) Provides extensive supervision of each fellow's teaching performance; and

(4) Provides adequate and appropriate evaluation of the fellow's teaching performance.

(e) Recruitment plan (5 points). The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the applicant's recruitment plan, including--

(1) How the applicant plans to identify, recruit, and retain students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the academic program for which fellowships are sought;

(2) How the applicant plans to identify eligible students for fellowships;

(3) The past success of the academic department in enrolling talented graduate students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds; and

(4) The past success of the academic department in enrolling talented graduate students for its academic program.

(f) Project administration (8 points). The Secretary reviews the quality of the proposed project administration, including--

(1) How the applicant will select fellows, including how the applicant will ensure that project participants who are otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disabling condition;

(2) How the applicant proposes to monitor whether a fellow is making satisfactory progress toward the degree for which the fellowship has been awarded;

(3) How the applicant proposes to identify and meet the academic needs of fellows;

(4) How the applicant proposes to maintain enrollment of graduate students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds; and

(5) The extent to which the policies and procedures the applicant proposes to institute for administering the project are likely to ensure efficient and effective project implementation, including assistance to and oversight of the project director.

(g) Institutional commitment (15 points). The Secretary reviews each application for evidence that--

(1) The applicant will provide, from any funds available to it, sufficient funds to support the financial needs of the fellows if the funds made available under the program are insufficient;

(2) The institution's social and academic environment is supportive of the academic success of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds on the applicant's campus;

(3) Students receiving fellowships under this program will receive stipend support for the time…