Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview Information Indian Education Professional Development Grants 84.299B | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the Indian Education Professional Development Grants program?

The Indian Education Professional Development Grants program (CFDA 84.299B) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. It supports education and training efforts intended to benefit American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

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

The core goal is to strengthen the pipeline of qualified American Indian and Alaska Native professionals who work in education and related services for Native communities.

3) What specific goals does the program aim to achieve?

The program is designed to:

• Increase the number of qualified Indian individuals in professions that serve Indians.
• Train qualified Indian individuals to become teachers, administrators, teacher aides, social workers, and other educational support personnel.
• Improve the skills of qualified Indian individuals already working in the education field.

4) What types of activities can be supported with grant funds?

Supported activities can include continuing education programs and professional learning events such as symposia, workshops, and conferences. The program may also provide direct financial support tied to training and preparation.

5) Which federal agency administers this opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

6) What CFDA number is associated with this grant?

The CFDA number listed for this program is 84.299B.

7) What fiscal year did the referenced competition cover?

The funding announcement referenced here was for FY 2010.

8) How much total funding was estimated for the FY 2010 competition?

The estimated total funding amount for the FY 2010 competition was $3,000,000.

9) About how many awards were expected?

The announcement anticipated approximately 9 awards.

10) What was the anticipated award size range?

Individual awards were anticipated to range from a minimum (floor) of $125,000 up to a maximum (ceiling) of $333,000.

11) Was cost sharing or matching required?

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

12) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is centered on education and training partnerships. Eligible applicants include:

• Institutions of higher education (including Indian institutions of higher education).
• State educational agencies (SEAs) or local educational agencies (LEAs) applying in consortium with an institution of higher education.
• Indian tribes or organizations applying in consortium with an institution of higher education.
• Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools applying in consortium with an institution of higher education.

13) Does the program require a consortium for certain applicant types?

Yes. The notice describes several eligible applicant categories that must apply in consortium with an institution of higher education (for example, SEAs/LEAs, Indian tribes or organizations, and BIE-funded schools).

14) Are charter schools eligible?

The notice clarifies that LEAs include charter schools when they are considered LEAs under state law.

15) Are federally recognized tribal governments included in the eligible applicant types?

Yes. The listing of eligible applicant types references federally recognized Native American tribal governments, reinforcing that tribal entities can be key applicants or partners depending on the consortium structure described in the notice.

16) Are public or state-controlled institutions of higher education included?

Yes. The eligible applicant listings reference public or state-controlled institutions of higher education.

17) How were applications required to be submitted?

The application process required electronic submission of the full application package.

18) What standard forms were applicants expected to submit?

Applicants were expected to submit standard federal forms, including:

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
• Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424
• Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (ED-524)

The submission also included required assurances and certifications.

19) What file formats were accepted for narrative attachments?

Narrative components had to be uploaded as attachments in DOC, RTF, or PDF format.

20) What happens if an attachment is submitted in another file type?

The program explicitly noted that materials submitted in other file types would not be reviewed.

21) Are password-protected files allowed?

No. The notice stated that password-protected files would not be reviewed.

22) What helpdesk number was provided for electronic submission issues?

For technical issues with electronic submission, the e-Applications Helpdesk number provided was 1-888-336-8930.

23) When did applications become available for the FY 2010 competition?

Applications became available on December 18, 2009.

24) What was the deadline to submit (transmit) applications?

The deadline for transmittal of applications was February 25, 2010.

25) What was the intergovernmental review deadline (and was it corrected)?

The Federal Register notice included a correction affecting the intergovernmental review timeline. The corrected deadline for intergovernmental review was April 26, 2010.

26) What do the posted and archive dates indicate?

The opportunity is listed as posted on December 18, 2009, with an archive date of March 27, 2010, indicating it was a time-limited competition for that fiscal year.

27) What source should applicants rely on for official program details?

Applicants were directed to rely on the Federal Register notice as the authoritative source for official details.

28) Who can be contacted for access issues?

For access issues, the notice provided the contact Joyce Mays (Management Analyst) at 202-245-6122 and joyce.mays@ed.gov.

29) Who can be contacted for program-related questions?

For program-related questions, the notice listed Program Manager Lana Shaughnessy at 202-205-2528 at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC.