Call for Peer Reviewers

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EQUITY ASSISTANCE CENTERS 2022 GRANT COMPETITION

Program Information

Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) are funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide technical assistance and training, upon request, in the areas of race, sex, national origin, and religion to public school districts and other responsible governmental agencies to promote equitable education opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has received fiscal year 2022 funding for the Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) and intends to make four (4) new grant awards, to support the establishment of four regional grants Equity Assistance Centers, one for each geographic region.

More information about the EAC program can be found here. More information about the FY 2022 competition can be found here.

Reviewer Roles and Responsibilities

The Department seeks qualified peer reviewers for this grant opportunity. Peer Reviewers will read, rate, and score applications objectively, based on the criteria provided, both independently and after consultation with other selected peer reviewers. They will collaborate with their peers, remain open to other viewpoints, and consider constructive feedback..

Peer reviewers will:

Participate in all required training sessions
Commit to the timeline established for the review
Independently read, review, and evaluate assigned applications

Participate in all panel calls (each several hours in length) and engage in discussions with fellow peer reviewers and panel facilitators
Maintain professionalism in their interaction with others and in both oral discussions and written feedback
Complete written evaluations of applications based on the selection criteria, allowing for revisions after panel discussions
Respond to feedback provided from others, including Department staff
Submit reviews in ED’s online G5 system

Conflict of Interest

Selected reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest with submitted applications. A conflict of interest may be present if a peer reviewer has or will apply for this fiscal year competition, has been or will be involved in the preparation of a grant application, or if a peer reviewer would stand to benefit from an application were it to receive funding in this competition.

Current or past EAC grantees who are not submitting a new application under the Equity Assistance Center competition may serve as peer reviewers.

Successful Peer Reviewers Skills and Qualifications

Desired qualifications of peer reviewers include:

Subject matter experts who have an educational background or experience in one or more of the following areas: multicultural education, equity issues including sex, race, religion, and national origin, elementary education; secondary education, educational administration, curriculum development, staff development, school desegregation, vocational programs, or minority education.
Professionals with wide-ranging experience in training, technical assistance, and research informing an ability to distinguish varying merits of evidence-based approaches to improving equity issues in education.
State/district education leaders, school leaders, teachers, foundation officers, university faculty who work with K-12 schools, and researchers.
Excellent writers, critical thinkers, and reflective individuals open to feedback from others.
Individuals with scheduling flexibilities who can commit to completing tasks in a timely manner during a compressed review period.
Former grant reviewers or grantees for education programs.

Review Details

Please consider the following:

Review Dates: Peer review activities will occur over approximately a two week time period in June 2022.
Review Location: This review will be facilitated virtually.
Reviewer Training: Peer reviewer and facilitator training will occur in late May/early June 2022.
Review Structure: This review is anticipated to occur over a two-week period, not including training activities.
- In week one, peer reviewers will review, rate, and score applications independently.
- In week two, peer reviewers will panel as a team, with Department panel facilitators, to discuss the merits of each submitted application, finalize comments and scores, and submit for approval to Department staff.
Reviewer Tool: This review will utilize the Department’s G5 grants management portal.
Estimated Number of Panels and Application Assignments: Up to two panels are anticipated, with three (3) peer reviewers and six (6) to nine (9) applications per panel. Additionally, up to two (2) alternate reviewers may also be selected.
Reviewer Stipends: Peer reviewers and panel facilitators will receive a stipend for this review, estimated at up to $400 per application after successful completion of all required tasks. *The actual stipend amount is contingent upon the number of applications submitted.

Reviewer Application and Selection Process

If interested in serving as a peer reviewer, please send your resume or CV to OESE.EACcompetition@ed.gov. Please also indicate dates in which you are not available.

If selected, you will be contacted to confirm availability for specific dates.