Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training-Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, 11951-11954 [05-4693]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 46 / Thursday, March 10, 2005 / Notices
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Dorsey, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 3E336, Washington, DC 20202–
6450. Telephone: (202) 708–4674 or by
e-mail: Karen.Dorsey@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person
listed in this section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document:
You may view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the
following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/
fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
You may also view this document in
text or PDF at the following Web site:
https://www.ed.gov/programs/
dvpsafeschools/applicant.html.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html
Dated: March 7, 2005.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and DrugFree Schools.
[FR Doc. 05–4741 Filed 3–9–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Rehabilitation Training:
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training—
Comprehensive System of Personnel
Development; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.129W.
Applications Available: March
10, 2005.
DATES:
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Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 11, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 8, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: States and public
or nonprofit agencies and organizations,
including Indian tribes and institutions
of higher education.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,200,000.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$190,000—$210,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$200,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
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Multi-State projects and projects that
involve consortia of institutions and
agencies are also authorized, although
other projects will be considered.
The regulations in 34 CFR 386.31
require that a minimum of 75 percent of
project funds be used to support student
scholarships and stipends. The
regulations also provide that the
Secretary may waive this requirement
under certain circumstances, including
new training programs.
Finally, the Secretary intends to
approve a wide range of approaches for
providing training and different levels
of funding, based on the quality of
individual projects. The Secretary takes
these factors into account in making
grants under this priority.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training
program provides financial assistance
for projects that provide basic or
advanced training leading to an
academic degree in areas of personnel
shortages, provide a specified series of
courses or program of study leading to
award of a certificate in areas of
personnel shortages, or provide support
for medical residents enrolled in
residency training programs in the
specialty of physical medicine and
rehabilitation.
Priority: This priority is from the
notice of final priority for this program,
published in the Federal Register on
October 16, 1998 (63 FR 55764).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is: Comprehensive
System of Personnel Development.
Projects must—
(1) Provide training leading to
academic degrees or academic
certificates to current vocational
rehabilitation (VR) counselors,
including counselors with disabilities,
ethnic minorities, and those from
diverse backgrounds, toward meeting
designated State unit (DSU) personnel
standards required under section
101(a)(7) of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended, commonly referred
to as the Comprehensive System of
Personnel Development (CSPD);
(2) Address the academic degree and
academic certificate needs specified in
the CSPD plans of those States with
which the project will be working; and
(3) Develop innovative approaches
(e.g., distance learning, competencybased programs, and other methods)
that would maximize participation in,
and the effectiveness of, project training.
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Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 86, and 99. (b) The regulations
for this program in 34 CFR parts 385
and 386.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to institutions of higher education
only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,200,000.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$190,000—$210,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$200,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: States and
public or nonprofit agencies and
organizations, including Indian tribes
and institutions of higher education.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost
sharing of at least 10 percent of the total
cost of the project is required of grantees
under the Rehabilitation Training
program (34 CFR 386.30).
Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect
cost reimbursement on a training grant is
limited to the recipient’s actual indirect
costs, as determined by its negotiated
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent
of modified total direct cost base, whichever
amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the
eight percent limit may not be charged
directly, used to satisfy matching or costsharing requirements, or charged to another
Federal award.
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IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Education Publications Center
(ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD
20794–1398. Telephone (toll free): 1–
877–433–7827. Fax: (301) 470–1244. If
you use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll
free): 1–877–576–7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its
Web site: https://www.ed.gov/pubs/
edpubs.html or you may contact ED
Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED
Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA number
84.129W.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain a copy of the application package
in an alternative format (e.g., Braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the Grants and
Contracts Services Team, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 5075, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–
2550. Telephone: (202) 245–7363. If you
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative
(Part III of the application) is where you,
the applicant, address the selection
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate
your application. You must limit Part III
to the equivalent of no more than 45
pages, using the following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5’’ × 11’’, on one side
only, with 1’’ margins at the top,
bottom, and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part
I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget
section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page abstract,
the resumes, the bibliography, or the
letters of support. However, you must
include all of the application narrative
in Part III.
We will reject your application if—
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• You apply these standards and
exceed the page limit; or
• You apply other standards and
exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 10, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 11, 2005.
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application)
accessible through the Department’s eGrants system, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery. For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or by mail or hand
delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.
Other Submission Requirements in this
notice.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 8, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications. If you choose to submit
your application to us electronically,
you must use e-Application available
through the Department’s e-Grants
system, accessible through the e-Grants
portal page at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic
application, you will be entering data
online that will be saved into a
database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to
us.
Please note the following:
• Your participation in e-Application
is voluntary.
• You must complete the electronic
submission of your grant application by
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The eApplication system will not accept an
application for this competition after
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not
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wait until the application deadline date
to begin the application process.
• The regular hours of operation of
the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday
until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m.
Thursday until midnight Saturday,
Washington, DC time. Please note that
the system is unavailable on Sundays,
and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and
6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC
time, for maintenance. Any
modifications to these hours are posted
on the e-Grants Web site.
• You will not receive additional
point value because you submit your
application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize you if you submit your
application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents
electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information—Non-Construction
Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
• Any narrative sections of your
application should be attached as files
in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text),
or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
• Your electronic application must
comply with any page limit
requirements described in this notice.
• Prior to submitting your electronic
application, you may wish to print a
copy of it for your records.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive an
automatic acknowledgement that will
include a PR/Award number (an
identifying number unique to your
application).
• Within three working days after
submitting your electronic application,
fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the
Application Control Center after
following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant’s Authorizing
Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the
upper right hand corner of the hardcopy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the
Application Control Center at (202)
245–6272.
• We may request that you provide us
original signatures on other forms at a
later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of System Unavailability: If you
are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the
application deadline date because the eApplication system is unavailable, we
will grant you an extension of one
business day in order to transmit your
application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if—
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(1) You are a registered user of eApplication and you have initiated an
electronic application for this
competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is
unavailable for 60 minutes or more
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is
unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm
these periods of unavailability before
granting you an extension. To request
this extension or to confirm our
acknowledgement of any system
unavailability, you may contact either
(1) the person listed elsewhere in this
notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2)
the e-Grants help desk at 1–888–336–
8930. If the system is down and
therefore the application deadline is
extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an eApplication.
Extensions referred to in this section
apply only to the unavailability of the
Department’s e-Application system. If
the e-Application system is available,
and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically
or you do not receive an automatic
acknowledgement of your submission,
you may submit your application in
paper format by mail or hand delivery
in accordance with the instructions in
this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications
By Mail. If you submit your application
in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial
carrier), you must mail the original and
two copies of your application, on or
before the application deadline date, to
the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal
Service: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.129W), 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20202–4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center—Stop 4260,
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129W),
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD
20785–1506.
Regardless of which address you use,
you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark,
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(2) A legible mail receipt with the
date of mailing stamped by the U.S.
Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or
receipt from a commercial carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing
acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
If you mail your application through
the U.S. Postal Service, we do not
accept either of the following as proof
of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by
the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after
the application deadline date, we will
not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not
uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before
relying on this method, you should check
with your local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications
by Hand Delivery. If you submit your
application in paper format by hand
delivery, you (or a courier service) must
deliver the original and two copies of
your application by hand, on or before
the application deadline date, to the
Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.129W), 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between 8
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC
time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and
Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of
Paper Applications: If you mail or hand
deliver your application to the
Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope
and—if not provided by the
Department—in Item 4 of the ED 424 the
CFDA number—and suffix letter, if
any—of the competition under which
you are submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center
will mail a grant application receipt
acknowledgment to you. If you do not
receive the grant application receipt
acknowledgment within 15 business
days from the application deadline date,
you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at
(202) 245–6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this competition are in the
application package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
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11953
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN). We may also notify you
informally.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your
project, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial
information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year
award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the
most current performance and financial
expenditure information as specified by
the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The
Government Performance and Results
Act (GPRA) of 1993 directs Federal
departments and agencies to improve
the effectiveness of their programs by
engaging in strategic planning, setting
outcome-related goals for programs, and
measuring program results against those
goals.
The goal of this priority is to increase
the number of currently employed VR
agency counselors who meet their
States’ Comprehensive System of
Personnel Development standards.
Grantees will be required to provide
information in their annual performance
reports on the number of trainees who
complete the training with credentials
that meet their States’ CSPD standards.
The Rehabilitation Services
Administration will use these data,
along with information provided
annually by the State VR agencies in
conjunction with their State plans
(Attachment 4.11(b)—Procedures and
Activities for the Establishment and
Maintenance of a Comprehensive
System of Personnel Development) to
determine the extent to which this
program is assisting States in
maintaining qualified personnel who
meet the States’ CSPD standards.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Beverly Steburg, U.S. Department of
Education, Rehabilitation Services
Administration, 61 S. Forsyth Street,
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SW., suite 18T91, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Telephone: (404) 562–6336.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person
listed in this section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document:
You may view this document, as well as
all other documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the
following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/
fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: March 7, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05–4693 Filed 3–9–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)—Small Business Innovative
Research Program (SBIR) Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.133S–1.
Applications Available: March
10, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: May 9, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Small business
concerns as defined by the Small
Business Administration (SBA) at the
time of the award. This definition is
included in the application package.
All technology, science, or
engineering firms with strong research
capabilities in any of the priority areas
DATES:
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Jkt 205001
listed in this notice are encouraged to
participate.
Consultative or other arrangements
between these firms and universities or
other non-profit organizations are
permitted, but the small business
concern must serve as the grantee.
If it appears that an applicant
organization does not meet the
eligibility requirements, we will request
an evaluation by the SBA. Under
circumstances in which eligibility is
unclear, we will not make a SBIR award
until the SBA makes a determination.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,275,000 for new Phase I awards.
Note: The estimated amount of funds
available for new Phase I awards is based
upon the estimated threshold SBIR allocation
for OSERS, less prior commitments for Phase
II continuation awards.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$75,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $75,000 for a single budget
period of 6 months.
Note: Maximum award amount includes
direct and indirect costs and fees.
Estimated Number of Awards: 17.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 6 months for
Phase I.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
this program is to stimulate
technological innovation in the private
sector, strengthen the role of small
business in meeting Federal research or
research and development (R/R&D)
needs, increase the commercial
application of Department of Education
(ED) supported research results, and
improve the return on investment from
federally funded research for economic
and social benefits to the Nation.
Note: NIDRR supports the goals of
President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative
(NFI). The NFI can be accessed on the
Internet at the following site: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom/.
The goals of the SBIR program are in
concert with NIDRR’s 1999–2003 LongRange Plan (Plan). The Plan can be
accessed on the Internet at the following
site: https://www.ed.gov/rschstat/
research/pubs/.
Through the implementation of the
NFI and the Plan, NIDRR seeks to—(1)
improve the quality and utility of
disability and rehabilitation research;
(2) foster an exchange of expertise,
information, and training to facilitate
the advancement of knowledge and
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understanding of the unique needs of
traditionally underserved populations;
(3) determine best strategies and
programs to improve rehabilitation
outcomes for underserved populations;
(4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms of integrating research and
practice; and (6) disseminate findings.
Background
The Small Business Reauthorization
Act of 2000 (Act) was enacted on
December 21, 2000. The Act requires
certain agencies, including ED, to
establish SBIR programs by reserving a
statutory percentage of their extramural
research and development budgets to be
awarded to small business concerns for
R/R&D through a uniform, highly
competitive three-phase process.
The three phases of the SBIR program
are:
Phase I: Phase I projects determine,
insofar as possible, the scientific or
technical merit and feasibility of ideas
submitted under the SBIR program. The
application should concentrate on
research that will significantly
contribute to proving the scientific or
technical feasibility of the approach or
concept and that would be a
prerequisite to further Department
support in Phase II.
Phase II: Phase II projects expand on
the results of and further pursue the
development of Phase I projects. Phase
II is the principal R/R&D effort. It
requires a more comprehensive
application, outlining the effort in detail
including the commercial potential.
Phase II applicants must be Phase I
awardees with approaches that appear
sufficiently promising as a result of
Phase I. Awards are for periods of up to
2 years in amounts up to $500,000.
Phase III: In Phase III, the small
business must use non-SBIR capital to
pursue commercial applications of the
R/R&D. Also, under Phase III, Federal
agencies may award non-SBIR follow-on
funding for products or processes that
meet the needs of those agencies.
All SBIR projects funded by NIDRR
must address the needs of individuals
with disabilities and their families. 29
U.S.C. 762. Activities may include
exploring the uses of technology to
ensure equal access to education,
employment, community environments,
and information for individuals with
disabilities and improving the quality
and utility of disability and
rehabilitation research.
Priorities: Under this competition we
are particularly interested in
applications that address one of the
following priorities.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2005
these priorities are invitational
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 46 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11951-11954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4693]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term
Training--Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.129W.
DATES: Applications Available: March 10, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 11, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 8, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and
organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher
education.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,200,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $190,000--$210,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program
provides financial assistance for projects that provide basic or
advanced training leading to an academic degree in areas of personnel
shortages, provide a specified series of courses or program of study
leading to award of a certificate in areas of personnel shortages, or
provide support for medical residents enrolled in residency training
programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for
this program, published in the Federal Register on October 16, 1998 (63
FR 55764).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is: Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
Projects must--
(1) Provide training leading to academic degrees or academic
certificates to current vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors,
including counselors with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and those
from diverse backgrounds, toward meeting designated State unit (DSU)
personnel standards required under section 101(a)(7) of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, commonly referred to as the
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD);
(2) Address the academic degree and academic certificate needs
specified in the CSPD plans of those States with which the project will
be working; and
(3) Develop innovative approaches (e.g., distance learning,
competency-based programs, and other methods) that would maximize
participation in, and the effectiveness of, project training.
Multi-State projects and projects that involve consortia of
institutions and agencies are also authorized, although other projects
will be considered.
The regulations in 34 CFR 386.31 require that a minimum of 75
percent of project funds be used to support student scholarships and
stipends. The regulations also provide that the Secretary may waive
this requirement under certain circumstances, including new training
programs.
Finally, the Secretary intends to approve a wide range of
approaches for providing training and different levels of funding,
based on the quality of individual projects. The Secretary takes these
factors into account in making grants under this priority.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34
CFR parts 385 and 386.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,200,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $190,000--$210,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and
organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher
education.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing of at least 10 percent of
the total cost of the project is required of grantees under the
Rehabilitation Training program (34 CFR 386.30).
Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on
a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect
costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement,
or eight percent of modified total direct cost base, whichever
amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the eight percent limit
may not be charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-
sharing requirements, or charged to another Federal award.
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IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. Fax: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.129W.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:
(202) 245-7363. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 45 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must
include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 10,
2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 11, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 8, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. If you choose to submit
your application to us electronically, you must use e-Application
available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through
the e-Grants portal page at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process.
The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Any narrative sections of your application should be
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically,
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
[[Page 11953]]
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all
registered users who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an
automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with
the instructions in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications By Mail. If you submit your
application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or
a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of
your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the
Department at the applicable following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.129W), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.129W), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you submit
your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier
service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application
by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department
at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129W), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter,
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
in the application package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34
CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) of 1993 directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning,
setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program
results against those goals.
The goal of this priority is to increase the number of currently
employed VR agency counselors who meet their States' Comprehensive
System of Personnel Development standards. Grantees will be required to
provide information in their annual performance reports on the number
of trainees who complete the training with credentials that meet their
States' CSPD standards. The Rehabilitation Services Administration will
use these data, along with information provided annually by the State
VR agencies in conjunction with their State plans (Attachment 4.11(b)--
Procedures and Activities for the Establishment and Maintenance of a
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development) to determine the extent
to which this program is assisting States in maintaining qualified
personnel who meet the States' CSPD standards.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly Steburg, U.S. Department of
Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, 61 S. Forsyth
Street,
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SW., suite 18T91, Atlanta, GA 30303. Telephone: (404) 562-6336.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.
Dated: March 7, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-4693 Filed 3-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
