OpportunityTitle: Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): First in The World (FITW) Program: VALIDATION Grants CFDA Number 84.116X
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: 1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies.      To qualify as an eligible MSI under the FITW program, an institution of higher education must meet one of two criteria. The first criterion includes: Current eligibility approval as defined by the Department&apos;s FY 2015 eligibility process for Title III and/or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; an open grant under one of the Department&apos;s Title III, Parts A and F and/or Title V programs; or a designation as a Historically Black College of University or a Tribally Controlled College. The second criterion includes: Specific enrollment percentages for minority students served; and, if applicable, needy student and educational and general expenditure criteria for determining income eligibility.      More information on MSI eligibility is in the application package under the section entitled Eligibility. The Department will screen the applications to verify MSI eligibility based on these criteria and, if applicable, will use the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data Systems data. In the event an application does not qualify for MSI eligibility, it will still be reviewed.
Description: Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information. Purpose of Program: The FITW program is designed to support the development, replication, and dissemination of innovative solutions and evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for not persisting in and completing postsecondary programs, including, but not limited to, adult learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and first-generation students. The focus of the FITW program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student persistence and completion outcomes. For FY 2015, the Department will award two types of grants under FITW: ``Development&apos;&apos; grants and ``Validation&apos;&apos; grants. These grants differ in terms of the level of evidence of effectiveness required for consideration of funding, the level of scale the funded project should reach, and, consequently, the amount of funding available to support the project. This notice invites applications for Validation grants only. Validation grants provide funding to support the expansion and replication of projects supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined in this notice) to a scaled multi-site sample (as defined in this notice), which would include multiple institutions of higher education, including multiple institutions within a State system. All Validation grantees must evaluate the effectiveness of the project at each partner entity. The evaluation design will be assessed on the extent to which it could meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards (as defined in this notice) without reservations. The Department has published a separate notice inviting applications for Development grants elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116X.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Program Mailbox
GrantorContactText: Julius Cotton &lt;br/&gt;ED Grants.gov FIND Systems Admin. &lt;br/&gt;Phone 202-245-6288 &lt;br/&gt;EducationGrantInquiries@ed.gov &lt;br/&gt;Program Manager: &lt;br/&gt;Frank Frankfort,  &lt;br/&gt;U.S. Department of Education,  &lt;br/&gt;1990 K Street NW., Room 6166,  &lt;br/&gt;Washington, DC 20006-8544.  &lt;br/&gt;Telephone: (202) 502-7513. FAX: (202) 502-7877 or by email.  &lt;br/&gt;You may send emails to OPEFITWValidation@ed.gov.
CloseDateExplanation: Applications Available: May 11, 2015. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015.