Dept. of Education Seeking Input on New Grants Criteria

Posted on August 25, 2010October 17, 2012

The Department of Education is seeking comments, due September 7th, on department-wide priorities that will be used in the awarding of competitive grants. The Department states that priority areas are proposed to focus federal financial assistance on expanding the number of programs and projects department-wide that support activities in areas of greatest educational need. The priority areas will impact grant decisions made for FY11 awards and beyond. The proposed priority areas are listed below.

Proposed Priority 1—Improving Early Learning Outcomes
Proposed Priority 2—Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College and Career-Ready Elementary and Secondary Academic Standards
Proposed Priority 3—Improving the Effectiveness and Distribution of Effective Teachers or Principals
Proposed Priority 4—Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools
Proposed Priority 5—Increasing Postsecondary Success
Proposed Priority 6—Improving Achievement and High School Graduation Rates of Rural and High-Need Students
Proposed Priority 7—Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Proposed Priority 8—Promoting Diversity
Proposed Priority 9—Support for Military Families
Proposed Priority 10—Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making
Proposed Priority 11—Building Evidence of Effectiveness
Proposed Priority 12—Supporting Programs, Practices, or Strategies for Which There is Strong or Moderate Evidence of Effectiveness
Proposed Priority 13—Improving Productivity

The Federal Register notice provides details on how to respond to the request for public comment. Members of the UW community responding to the notice are asked to also share their input with the Office of Federal Relations.

Department of Ed. Releases Secretary’s Proposed Priorities for FY11

Posted on August 9, 2010October 17, 2012

The Department of Education last week released Secretary Duncan’s proposed priorities for discretionary grant programs in FY 11 and beyond. These priorities could be used as an absolute, competitive, or invitational priority for any discretionary grant solicitation. Grant programs of interest to the higher education community include:

Increasing Postsecondary Success, which includes “increasing the rates at which high-need students enroll in and complete graduate programs”

Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, of which one area is “increasing the number of students prepared for advance postsecondary or graduate study and careers in STEM, with a specific focus on an increase in the proportion of students so prepared who are from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM careers, including minorities, individuals with disabilities, and women” and “increasing the opportunities for high-quality preparation of, or professional development for, teachers of STEM subjects”

Dept. of Energy Launches Blog

Posted on July 26, 2010October 17, 2012

Last week, the Department of Energy launched a blog, along with new accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Secretary Chu provided the vision for these new tools in his inaugural blog post: “Our goal is to use the Energy Blog and our other social media outlets to show you who we are, what we do, and why it matters to you, while allowing you to connect with us in new and creative ways. That’s not a promise for the future; that’s a commitment we’re putting into action today…”

Department of Energy Blog

Department of Energy Announces Second Annual Competition for Early Career Awards

Posted on July 6, 2010October 17, 2012

Today, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is accepting proposals for the second year of the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program to support the research of outstanding scientists early in their careers. Up to $15 million in funding will be awarded in 2011 to support at least 50 early career researchers for five years at U.S. academic institutions and DOE national laboratories.

To be eligible for the competition, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory. The applicant must also have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years.

University awards will be at least $150,000 per year for five years and are intended to provide research expenses and summer salary over and above the awardee’s academic-year faculty salary. For DOE national laboratories—where DOE funding typically covers a researcher’s full year-round salary—the award will be at least $500,000 per year for five years to provide equivalent support.

Early career researchers may apply to one of six Office of Science program offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Biological and Environmental Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Fusion Energy Sciences; High Energy Physics; or Nuclear Physics. Proposed research topics must fall within the programmatic priorities of DOE’s Office of Science, which are provided in the program announcements. Funding will be competitively awarded on the basis of peer review.

Preapplications are mandatory and are due on August 13, 2010, and proposals will be due on November 9, 2010. Only those applicants that receive notification from DOE encouraging a formal application may submit full applications.

This is the second year of an annual competition. Last year’s program yielded 47 university awards and 22 national laboratory awards.

Additional Information

Dept. of Ed. Announces Availability of Competitive FIPSE Funds

Posted on June 21, 2010October 17, 2012

The U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Comprehensive Program (FIPSE) will accept competitive FY10 proposals. FIPSE supports innovative reforms and improvements in postsecondary education that respond to problems of national significance. Approximately $27 million will be available for 37 awards of up to $750,000 per year; projects can last up to three years.

Over the past several years, FIPSE funds have been largely distributed through congressionally directed appropriations. While the majority of new FIPSE funds will continue to be distributed in this manner, the competitive program represents a signficant opportunity for colleges and universities. The following priority areas are identified in the full solicitation:

Invitational Priority 1
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in centers of
excellence for teacher preparation as described in section 242 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
Invitational Priority 2
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in university
sustainability initiatives as described in section 881 of HEA.
Invitational Priority 3
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in rural
development initiatives for rural-serving colleges and universities as
described in section 861 of HEA.
Invitational Priority 4
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in initiatives
to assist highly qualified minorities and women to acquire doctoral
degrees in fields where they are underrepresented as described in
section 807 of HEA.
Invitational Priority 5
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in modeling and
simulation programs as described in section 891 of HEA.
Invitational Priority 6
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in higher
education consortia to design and offer interdisciplinary programs that
focus on poverty and human capability as described in section
741(a)(11) of HEA.
Invitational Priority 7
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in innovative
postsecondary models to improve college matriculation and graduation
rates, including activities to facilitate transfer of credits between
institutions of higher education (IHEs), alignment of curricula on a
State or multi-State level between high schools and colleges and
between two-year and four-year postsecondary programs, dual enrollment,
articulation agreements, partnerships between high schools and
community colleges, and partnerships between K-12 organizations and
colleges for college access and retention programs.
Invitational Priority 8
Under this priority, we are particularly interested in activities
to develop or enhance educational partnerships and cross-cultural
cooperation between postsecondary educational institutions in the
United States and similar institutions in Haiti.