Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Presidential Academies CFDA Number 84.215A | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): OII Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics (CFDA 84.215A)

1) What is the Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics grant?

It is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), to support the creation and operation of "Presidential Academies" that provide high-quality workshops for teachers of American history and civics.

2) What is the main purpose of the Presidential Academies?

The academies are intended to deepen teachers' subject-matter knowledge and improve their preparation to teach American history and civics effectively, with an emphasis on strong historical understanding and sound instructional practice.

3) Who are the workshops meant to serve?

The workshops are designed for both experienced (veteran) teachers and early-career (new) teachers who teach American history and civics.

4) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA listing is 84.215A.

5) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is ED-GRANTS-022211-001.

6) When was this funding opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on February 22, 2011.

7) When were applications made available?

Applications were made available on February 22, 2011.

8) What was the final application submission deadline?

The final application deadline was April 25, 2011.

9) Was a notice of intent to apply required?

No. A notice of intent to apply was not required, but the Department strongly encouraged applicants to submit one.

10) When was the suggested notice of intent to apply due?

The Department strongly encouraged applicants to send a brief email notice of intent to apply by March 24, 2011.

11) What did the notice of intent to apply need to include?

The notice of intent did not need to include project details. It only needed to indicate that the organization intended to submit an application.

12) How did applicants submit the notice of intent to apply?

The notice of intent was requested via email to Bonnie Carter at academies@ed.gov.

13) If an organization did not submit a notice of intent, could it still apply?

Yes. Applicants who did not submit the notice of intent were still eligible to apply.

14) How were applications required to be submitted?

Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

15) Could applications be submitted by email?

No. The notice explicitly states that applications could not be submitted by email.

16) How do applicants find the application package in Grants.gov?

Applicants were instructed to search by the CFDA number without the letter suffix, meaning they should search for "84.215" rather than "84.215A" to locate the application package.

17) What was the basic Grants.gov application process described in the notice?

The process involved downloading the application package from Grants.gov, completing it offline, and then uploading and submitting it through Grants.gov.

18) How many awards did the program anticipate making?

The program anticipated making 2 awards.

19) What was the estimated total funding amount available?

The estimated total funding amount was $1,805,925.

20) Was there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to provide matching funds as a condition of receiving an award.

21) What is the funding activity category and funding instrument?

The funding activity category is education, and the funding instrument is a grant.

22) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as relatively broad and included entities such as states or local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions. The listing specifically includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education, with final eligibility details referenced in the official Federal Register notice.

23) Did applicants need to demonstrate any specific expertise?

Yes. Applicants were required to include evidence demonstrating their organization's expertise in either historical methodology or the teaching of history.

24) Why does the notice emphasize reviewing the Federal Register?

The posting states that the provided summary is only a synopsis and that the controlling, official requirements are those published in the Federal Register. Applicants were directed to review the Federal Register notice for the full set of rules and expectations.

25) What kinds of details were applicants expected to find in the Federal Register notice?

The Federal Register notice was identified as the source for the complete requirements, including any pre-application and application requirements, submission instructions, performance measures, program priorities, and full contact information.

26) Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov access or technical issues?

For support with accessing the announcement or technical issues related to Grants.gov systems, the notice lists Julius Cotton (ED Grants.gov FIND Systems Admin) at 202-245-6140 and julius.cotton@ed.gov.

27) Who should applicants contact for programmatic questions?

For programmatic questions, the program manager listed is Bonnie Carter at the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 4W107, Washington, DC 20202-5960, telephone 202-401-3576. The notice also references an associated program email mailbox.