1. Where can I go for help for electronically submitting my application?
2. The Federal Register Notice provides a range of estimated awards and a project period of 36 months. What does this mean? Is this the maximum amount of the grant for all three (3) years?
3. What are indirect costs?
4. What are the eligibility requirements for the NHE program?
5. What are the reporting requirements for the NHE program?
6. What is GPRA?

Go to (http://www.grants.gov/ForApplicants) for help with Grants.gov and click on the links in the lower right corner of the screen under Applicant Tips and Tools. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Submit Application Tips found on the Grants.gov homepage (http://www.grants.gov).

Remember that using the Grants.gov requires registration, which could take several days to complete. You must also update your Central Contractor Registry (CCR) registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete. You are encouraged to submit your application early to avoid any last minute registration or electronic issues.

The estimates and ranges provided in the Federal Register Notice are per year awards. Grants may be awarded outside this range, either higher or lower for each year of funding requested. The minimum project period is twelve (12) months; the maximum project period is thirty-six (36) months. An application can request the minimum of twelve (12) months or the maximum of thirty-six (36) months.

Budgets should be delineated per year and be adequate to support the proposed project. The costs should be reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. The costs should be reasonable in relation to the numbers of persons serve and to the anticipated results. In addition, you may include a budget from contributing partners. The estimates listed are a guide to assist in developing an application and budget.

Indirect costs are incurred by a grantee for common objectives that cannot be readily and specifically identified with a particular grant project or other institutional activity without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. Examples include:

1. The costs of operating and maintaining facilities, equipment, and grounds (part of “facilities costs”)
2. Depreciation or use allowances (part of “facilities costs”)
3. Salaries of administrators and services, such as payroll and personnel (known as administrative costs)

These costs are usually charged to the grant as a percentage of direct costs. This percentage is called the indirect cost rate and is obtained by dividing indirect costs by the total direct costs of a grantee (or the modified total direct costs of the grantee).

ED will generally authorize grantees that do not have a federally recognized indirect cost rate on the date ED awards grant funding to use a temporary rate of 10% of budgeted direct salaries and wages. However, grantees must submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency within 90 days after ED issues the GAN.

Grantees using the temporary rate of 10% may only do so for 90 days after ED issues the GAN. Program staff must monitor a grantee’s progress in submitting an indirect cost proposal to its cognizant agency. If after the 90-day period, program staff determine that a grantee has not submitted an indirect cost proposal to its cognizant agency, program staff must disallow the grantee from charging its grant for indirect costs at the temporary rate until it has negotiated an indirect cost rate agreement with its cognizant agency. However, under exceptional circumstances, a license holder may approve the grantee to continue using the temporary indirect cost after the end of the 90-day period even though the grantee did not submit an indirect cost proposal within the 90-day period. Before a license holder approves continued use of the temporary rate, program staff must obtain documentation from the grantee satisfactory to the license holder for determining that exceptional circumstances exist, and consult RMS/GPPT regarding the general interpretation of exceptional circumstances.

For more information, visit the Department's website at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html.

The following entities may apply for NHE funding:

• Native Hawaiian education organizations;
  
• Native Hawaiian community-based organizations;
  
• Public and private nonprofit organizations, agencies, and institutions (including State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and institutions of higher education (IHEs)) with experience in developing or operating Native Hawaiian programs or programs of instruction in the Native Hawaiian language; and
  
• A consortia of the entities listed above.

Recipients of multi-year discretionary awards must submit an annual grant performance report in either hard copy or by utilizing the e-Reports software in e-Grants to receive continuation funding. The annual report provides data on the status of the funded project that corresponds to the scope and objectives established in the approved application and any approved amendments. The report must provide the most current performance and financial information. Final performance reports are due 90 days after the end of the project period. Grantees may use the ED standard annual Grant Performance Report (ED 524B) for continuation and final reporting. The report can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires all federal agencies to establish goals, measures, and targets. The purpose of GPRA is to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of federal programs. GPRA directs agencies to focus management efforts on results GPRA measures have been established for the Native Hawaiian Education program. For further information, please consult the notice inviting applicants.