A Notice by the Education Department on 05/11/2015
Deadline for Development and Validation Grant Applications: June 30, 2015
Purpose: The FITW program is designed to support the development, replication, and dissemination of innovative solutions and evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for not persisting in and completing postsecondary programs, including, but not limited to, adult learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and first-generation students. The focus of the FITW program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student persistence and completion outcomes.
The Department will award two types of grants under this program: “Development” grants and “Validation” grants. These grants differ in terms of the level of evidence of effectiveness required for consideration of funding, the level of scale the funded project should reach, and, consequently, the amount of funding available to support the project.
Eligibility: Institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies.
Development Grants
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000
Description: Development grants will support new or substantially more effective practices for addressing widely shared challenges. Applications for Development grants must be based on Strong Theory (as defined in this notice). The Department has published a separate notice inviting applications for Validation grants elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priority 1: Improving Teaching and Learning
Absolute Priority 2: Developing and Using Assessments of Learning
Absolute Priority 3: Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing and Transfer
Validation Grants
Estimated Range of Awards: $6,000,000 to $10,000,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $7,000,000
Description: The FITW program is designed to support the development, replication, and dissemination of innovative solutions and evidence for what works in addressing persistent and widespread challenges in postsecondary education for students who are at risk for not persisting in and completing postsecondary programs, including, but not limited to, adult learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and first-generation students. The focus of the FITW program is to build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student persistence and completion outcomes.
Validation grants provide funding to support the expansion and replication of projects supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness (as defined in this notice) to a scaled multi-site sample (as defined in this notice), which would include multiple institutions of higher education, including multiple institutions within a State system.
Absolute Priority 1: Improving Success in Developmental Education
Absolute Priority 2: Improving Teaching and Learning
Absolute Priority 3: Improving Student Support Services
Absolute Priority 4: Influencing the Development of Non-Cognitive Factors
For complete FIPSE FITW grant information, click here.
Contact: Lesley Blicker
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