Indian Education Demonstration Grants for Indian Children CFDA 84.299A | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the Indian Education Demonstration Grants for Indian Children program (CFDA 84.299A)?

It is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Education. The program funds projects that develop, test, and demonstrate effective services and programs intended to improve educational opportunities and academic achievement for American Indian and Alaska Native students in preschool, elementary, and secondary settings.

2) What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?

The central goal is to support applicants in piloting or expanding evidence-informed approaches that can show measurable improvements for Indian students, and to share lessons learned so successful approaches can be replicated in other places.

3) Which students and grade levels are the focus of projects funded under this program?

The notice describes a focus on American Indian and Alaska Native students in preschool, elementary school, and secondary school settings.

4) How many awards did the Department expect to make for the FY 2010 competition?

For FY 2010, the Department anticipated making about 8 awards.

5) What was the estimated total funding available for FY 2010?

The estimated total funding amount was $2,000,000.

6) What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

Individual awards were capped at $300,000.

7) Is cost sharing or a match required?

No. The notice states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the grant.

8) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants included: State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that qualify as LEAs under State law; Indian tribes; Indian organizations; federally supported elementary or secondary schools for Indian students; Indian institutions (including Indian institutions of higher education); and consortia made up of any of these entities.

9) Can charter schools apply?

Yes, if they qualify as LEAs under State law (as described in the eligibility list).

10) Can an applicant apply as a consortium?

Yes. Consortia made up of eligible entities were permitted.

11) Are there specific rules that apply to consortium applications?

Yes. The applicant had to meet the consortium rules in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 and include a signed consortium agreement as part of the application package.

12) Are letters of support enough to meet the consortium agreement requirement?

No. The notice explicitly states that letters of support were not sufficient to meet the consortium agreement requirement; a signed consortium agreement was required.

13) What additional eligibility step applies when an application involves an Indian organization?

The notice indicates the applicant needed to demonstrate that the Indian organization met all criteria in 34 CFR 263.20.

14) How does the notice address the definition of an "Indian institution of higher education"?

The notice clarifies what counts as an Indian institution of higher education by pointing to specific federal definitions and lists, including institutions covered under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act and Dine College.

15) How were applications required to be submitted?

Applications had to be submitted electronically through the U.S. Department of Education e-Application system via the e-Grants website (http://e-grants.ed.gov).

16) Could applicants email their application instead of using e-Application?

No. The notice emphasized that applicants could not email an electronic copy of the application. Submission needed to occur through the official online system, where entered data would be stored in a database as part of the submission process.

17) When did the FY 2010 application become available?

Applications were available beginning December 3, 2009.

18) What was the original application deadline, and what was the revised deadline?

The original deadline was February 18, 2010. The Department extended the deadline to February 25, 2010.

19) Why was the application deadline extended?

The Department learned the e-Application system would be shut down for a system update from February 10 through February 15, 2010, and extended the deadline to provide applicants adequate time to submit.

20) What was the revised deadline for intergovernmental review?

The updated intergovernmental review deadline was April 26, 2010.

21) Which dates should applicants rely on if they saw different dates elsewhere?

The notice states the revised dates (including the February 25, 2010 application deadline and the April 26, 2010 intergovernmental review deadline) replaced the earlier dates listed in the Federal Register notice.

22) Where can applicants find the full official requirements and details for applying?

The opportunity posting notes that the summary is only a synopsis and directs applicants to the official Federal Register application notice for full details on application requirements, submission instructions, performance measures, priorities, and program contacts.

23) Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the announcement or systems?

For technical issues, the listing provided a Department contact: Julius Cotton.

24) Who should be contacted for program questions?

For program questions, the listing provided the program manager: Lana Shaughnessy at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC, with phone and email contact information.

25) What kinds of projects does the program intend to fund?

Based on the notice description, the program is intended to fund projects that develop, test, and demonstrate effective services and programs that improve educational opportunities and academic achievement for American Indian and Alaska Native students, with an emphasis on approaches that can produce measurable improvements and be shared for possible replication.