From: U.S. Department of Education [mailto:ed.gov@public.govdelivery.com] Sent: Monday, May 11, 2015 8:11 AM To: Sandra Phoenix Subject: U.S. Department of Education Announces $60 Million Available for First in the World Grant Competition Dear HBCU Leaders and Friends, Below is a copy of the Department of Education's press release announcing $60M in grants, including $16M set-aside for minority-serving institutions under the First in the World grant competition. All the information you will need is available by visiting the First in the World home<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/index.html?exp=0> page. Applications will be accepted Today, May 11th, 2015 - Friday, June 26, 2015. Applying for a grant For the first time this year, the First in the World program will have two tiers: a "development" tier for innovative projects that are supported by "strong theory" (defined in the grant announcement) and larger grants in the "validation" tier will be awarded to applications for interventions supported by significant evidence. Since a key goal of the FITW program is building an evidence base, all funded grants will include rigorous evaluation. Listed below are the series of pre-application webinars the Office of Postsecondary Education will host: Date Time Webinar May 14, 2015 3:00pm, EST FITW-Development Grants May 15, 2015 3:00pm, EST FITW-Validation Grants May 19, 2015 3:00pm, EST FITW-Evidence & Evaluation Requirements To learn more about this grant opportunity or to register for a webinar, please visit the First in the World home<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/index.html?exp=0> page on the Office of Postsecondary Education's website. Call for peer reviewers Peer reviewers, not ED staff, review and rate all FITW proposals - they play a critical role! So we need strong, knowledgeable, innovation-minded peer reviewers. If your institution is not applying for a grant, please consider applying, or encourage colleagues with the requisite skills to apply. Information can be found on the FITW website<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/applicant.html>. Please share this distribution widely with your networks. Sincerely, Staff White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications & Outreach, Press Office 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20202 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2015 CONTACT: Press Office, (202) 401-1576 or press@ed.gov<mailto:press@ed.gov> U.S. Department of Education Announces $60 Million Available for First in the World Grant Competition With two years of grants, the Department will have invested $135 million in in higher education innovation through FITW As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to drive innovations in higher education and increase college completion, affordability and quality outcomes, the U.S. Department of Education today announced the availability of $60 million in Fiscal Year 2015 in the First in the World (FITW)<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw> program. FITW grants will fund the development and testing of innovative approaches and strategies to improve postsecondary education attainment. Of the $60 million available this year, the competition has a set-aside of $16 million for institutions designated as minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "Through the First in the World program, the Obama Administration is calling on colleges and universities to help develop the most promising approaches to improve outcomes for students, particularly for those who are underrepresented, underprepared or from low income backgrounds," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said." We look forward to hearing from institutions as they seek to pioneer new and innovative ways to increase college success." Encouraging and expanding innovation in higher education is a key element in helping more students complete college and reaching the President's goal to once again lead the world in college attainment. FITW is a key part of ensuring more Americans have the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of a growing global economy and builds on the Obama Administration's historic investments in college affordability, including increasing the maximum Pell grant award by over $1,000 and creating the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit. It underscores the importance of new efforts to ensure college opportunity, including the President's new proposal to make two years of college free for responsible students, letting students earn the first half of a bachelor's degree and the skills needed in the workforce at no cost. That is why the Administration started the First in the World Program, which provides grants to colleges and universities to test new approaches to fostering success among disadvantaged students. The goals of the grant program are to improve student outcomes today and to build a stronger evidence base of what works so that all colleges and universities can better shape their programs. The first $75 million in grants were awarded in 2014 to 24 colleges and universities. <http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&104&&&http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-awards-75-million-first-world-grants-24-colleges-and-universities> The President has proposed increasing First in the World to $200 million in Fiscal Year 2016. This and other key investments are possible only because the President's Budget reverses the harmful effects of sequestration, providing resources for the investments we need to strengthen the economy and expand opportunity. FITW is an evidence-based program that draws on the design of the Department's Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). This year's FITW competition will feature two types of grants -development grants focused on testing innovative practices associated with student success; and validation grants with more rigorous evidence criteria, intended to confirm the effectiveness of promising practices when implemented more broadly. Successful applicants must demonstrate not only an innovative project design, but outline a rigorous plan for how the project will be evaluated to demonstrate its effectiveness. The deadline for applications is June 26, 2015. All grants will be awarded no later than September 30, 2015. For additional information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&105&&&http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw>. ### ________________________________ [Ed.gov logo]<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNTExLjQ0ODY3ODkxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDUxMS40NDg2Nzg5MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzI5MTI1JmVtYWlsaWQ9c3Bob2VuaXhAaGJjdWxpYnJhcmllcy5vcmcmdXNlcmlkPXNwaG9lbml4QGhiY3VsaWJyYXJpZXMub3JnJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&106&&&http://www.ed.gov/> Questions? 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