Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP): Technical Assistance on State Data Collection--IDEA Data Management Center; Assistance Listing Number 84.373M

The U.S. Department of Education, through its Office for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, has issued a revised notice updating the common instructions for applicants to its discretionary grant programs. This guidance document replaces the prior version released on December 7, 2022. The purpose of this revision is to improve clarity and directness for grant seekers and to introduce formal guidelines for the usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the application development process. These common instructions apply universally across discretionary grant competitions conducted by the Department, unless otherwise specified in a program’s specific Notice Inviting Applications (NIA). Applicants seeking funding under a Department of Education discretionary grant program are required to follow specific submission procedures through Grants.gov, the government-wide portal for federal grants. To apply, organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). This registration process is time-sensitive, typically requiring 7 to 10 business days, and should be initiated well before the application deadline. Applications are submitted electronically via Grants.gov Workspace, which allows collaborative form completion and resubmission in the event of technical errors before the deadline. Applications must be fully uploaded and date- and time-stamped by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date to be eligible for consideration. The Department emphasizes the importance of submitting only PDF or Microsoft Word files, and strongly recommends flattening PDFs to non-interactive formats to avoid processing delays. Applicants are warned against using password-protected files or unsupported file types, which may result in disqualification. Upon successful submission, Grants.gov sends automated confirmation emails. However, these do not guarantee eligibility or completeness—final eligibility is determined after internal Department review. In addition to standard application guidance, this notice incorporates new language regarding the use of AI in preparing application materials. While the use of AI is allowed, applicants are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and appropriateness of content. The Department encourages adherence to federal principles such as those outlined in Executive Order 14110, the AI Bill of Rights, and NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework. Special attention is advised for those developing or proposing the use of AI systems in educational contexts. Paper submissions are discouraged but permitted under exceptional circumstances, such as lack of internet access. In such cases, prior written notification is required at least 14 days before the application deadline, and the paper application must be postmarked by the deadline date. Additional guidance is offered for individuals with disabilities, including how to request accommodations or accessible application materials. Applicants requiring assistance may contact Kelly Terpak at the U.S. Department of Education, Room 4C212, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202, via email at Kelly.Terpak@ed.gov or phone at (202) 280-8472. The Department also provides extensive online resources for those new to the federal grant application process. No specific application cycle, close date, or award amount is given in this notice, as the instructions serve as a universal reference document rather than a standalone funding opportunity.

The Department recommends submitting applications as read-only flattened PDFs to ensure timely processing. Use Grants.gov Workspace for collaborative submissions. Confirm all documents are submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF formats. Ensure SAM.gov registration is active and updated.