Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities; and Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals Who Are Deaf; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 33294-33299 [E6-8913]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 110 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33294-33299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8913]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services 
and Results for Children With Disabilities; Personnel Development To 
Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities; and 
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals Who Are Deaf; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326D

    Dates: Applications Available: June 8, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local 
educational agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are LEAs under 
State law, institutions of higher education (IHEs), other public 
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, outlying areas, freely 
associated States, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000. Included in this amount is 
$1,300,000 to be provided from the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program; $1,700,000 from the Personnel Development to 
Improve Services and results for Children with Disabilities program; 
and $1,000,000 from the Technology and Media Services for Individuals 
with Disabilities program.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget that does not equal $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 
months.


    Note: In each budget period of 12 months $325,000 must be 
budgeted for the technical assistance and dissemination activities 
described under Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities 
(Consistent with section 663(c)(8)(C) of the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, as amended (IDEA)); $425,000 must be 
budgeted for the personnel development activities described under 
Personnel Development Activities (Consistent with section 662(c)(2) 
of IDEA); and $250,000 must be budgeted for the technology use 
activities described under Technology Use Activities (Consistent 
with section 674(b) of IDEA). The Assistant Secretary for Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services may change these amounts 
through a notice published in the Federal Register.


    Estimated Number of Awards: 4.


    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 Technical Assistance and Dissemination to 
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program 
promotes academic achievement and improves results for children with 
disabilities by supporting technical assistance, model demonstration 
projects, dissemination of useful information, and implementation 
activities that are supported by scientifically-based research. The 
Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program:
    (1) Helps address State-identified needs for highly qualified 
personnel--in special education, related services, early intervention, 
and regular education--to work with children with disabilities and (2) 
ensures that those personnel have the skills and knowledge--derived 
from practices that have been determined through research and 
experience to be successful--that are needed to serve those children. 
The Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities 
program (1) improves results for children with disabilities by 
promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology, (2) 
supports educational media services activities designed to be of 
educational value in the classroom setting to children with 
disabilities, and (3) provides support for captioning and video 
description that is appropriate for use in the classroom setting.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
662(c)(2), 663(c)(8)(C), 674(b), and 681(d) of IDEA).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals who are Deaf

Background

    Section 682(d)(1)(B) of IDEA requires the Secretary of Education to 
provide not less than $4,000,000 of the funds appropriated under Part 
D, subparts 2 and 3 of IDEA to address the postsecondary, vocational, 
technical, continuing, and adult education needs of individuals with 
deafness. The Secretary intends to meet this requirement through 
funding new awards under this competition in fiscal year 2007 and by 
providing continuation awards in fiscal years 2008 through 2011.

Priority

    This priority provides support for four regional centers that will 
help secondary and postsecondary institutions more effectively address 
the postsecondary, vocational, technical, continuing, and adult 
education needs of individuals with deafness, including those who are 
deaf with co-occurring disabilities such as learning and emotional 
disabilities.
    With the objective of improving results for students who are deaf, 
each

[[Page 33295]]

regional center must conduct: (1) Technical assistance and 
dissemination activities authorized under section 663(c)(8)(C) of IDEA, 
(2) personnel development activities authorized under section 662(c)(2) 
of IDEA, and (3) technology use activities authorized under section 
674(b) of IDEA. In carrying out the objectives of this priority, each 
center must take into account the population and size of each State 
where services are provided to help ensure that services are provided 
equitably within the targeted region.
    To ensure that all States benefit from these projects, the 
Secretary will support four projects. Projects will be required to 
serve each State within one of the following regions:
    Northeast Region--Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, 
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and U.S. Virgin 
Islands.
    Southern Region--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, 
Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
    Midwest Region--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, 
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South 
Dakota, and Wisconsin.
    Western Region--Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, 
Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Federated 
States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, 
Oregon, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Utah, 
Washington, and Wyoming.
    Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities (Consistent with 
section 663(c)(8)(C) of IDEA)
    Each regional center's technical assistance and dissemination 
activities must, at a minimum--
    (a) Conduct an assessment to determine current technical assistance 
needs and priorities of postsecondary institutions related to 
recruiting, enrolling, retaining, and instructing students who are 
deaf, and addressing the varying communication needs of and methods 
used by individuals who are deaf, such as oral transliteration 
services, cued language transliteration services, sign language 
transliteration and interpreting services, and transcription services.
    (b) Provide consultation, in-service training, and planning and 
development assistance to appropriate staff at postsecondary education 
institutions to address the needs identified in the assessment 
conducted under paragraph (a). These activities must (1) be designed to 
enhance access to programs by and accommodation of individuals who are 
deaf and (2) as needed, provide information about continuing and adult 
education programs that are available to help students who are deaf 
further develop their basic skills to prepare them to enter job 
training programs or matriculate into postsecondary education programs.
    (c) Provide technical assistance to secondary and postsecondary 
institutions, vocational rehabilitation agencies, community service 
agencies, centers for independent living, and One Stop Centers funded 
under the Workforce Investment Act within the region. These technical 
assistance activities must focus on (1) the responsibilities of 
postsecondary education institutions under Federal statutes, including 
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, with respect to students who are deaf, 
and (2) the implementation of effective systems of postsecondary 
educational supports for students who are deaf.
    (d) Disseminate information about resources (e.g., financial, 
support services) available to students who are deaf and to 
postsecondary institutions to help them accommodate these students.
    (e) Encourage the use of consortia of postsecondary institutions 
and other cooperative arrangements to provide services and assistance 
to students who are deaf, including coordination of postsecondary 
education options with existing public and private community services 
that may address the educational, remedial, support service, 
transitional, independent living, and employment needs of individuals 
who are deaf.
    (f) Provide, in collaboration with postsecondary education 
programs, vocational rehabilitation agencies, and public and private 
community service agencies, technical assistance to professionals, 
parents, and families to improve postsecondary educational services to 
individuals with deafness, including those who are deaf with co-
occurring disabilities such as learning and emotional disabilities.
    Personnel Development Activities (Consistent with section 662(c)(2) 
of IDEA)
    Each regional center's personnel development activities must, at a 
minimum--
    (a) Conduct an assessment of the personnel development training 
needs of secondary school professional and support staff (e.g., 
teachers, counselors, transition specialists, and other support 
personnel) who provide transitional services to students who are deaf.
    (b) Conduct an assessment of the personnel development training 
needs of postsecondary, vocational, and adult education professional 
and support staffs who provide transitional and postsecondary 
educational services to students who are deaf.
    (c) Provide interdisciplinary training to secondary and 
postsecondary teachers, guidance counselors, interpreters, speech 
pathologists, audiologists, social workers, rehabilitation counselors, 
and other staff, that addresses the needs identified in the assessments 
conducted under paragraphs (a) and (b) and that will contribute to 
improvements in transitional and postsecondary educational results for 
students who are deaf.
    (d) Train personnel in the innovative uses and applications of 
technology, including universally designed technologies, assistive 
technology devices, and assistive technology services.
    (e) Provide specialized in-service training on key topics, such as 
orientation to deafness, to personnel who provide postsecondary 
services to students who are deaf and have limited English proficiency 
or secondary disabilities.
    Technology Use Activities (Consistent with section 674(b) of IDEA)
    Each regional center's technology use activities must, at a 
minimum--
    (a) Conduct an assessment to determine the technology needs and 
priorities of postsecondary institutions related to recruiting, 
enrolling, retaining, and instructing students who are deaf, and 
addressing the varying communication needs of and methods used by 
individuals who are deaf, such as oral transliteration services, cued 
language transliteration services, sign language transliteration and 
interpreting services, and transcription services.
    (b) Provide technical assistance and consultation, in-service 
training, and planning and development assistance to administrators, 
faculty, and support staff at postsecondary education institutions to 
address the needs identified in the assessment conducted under 
paragraph (a). These activities must (1) be designed to enhance access 
to programs by and accommodation of individuals who are deaf; and (2) 
as needed, provide information and technological support and in-service 
training to personnel at postsecondary institutions who provide 
services to students who are deaf.

[[Page 33296]]

    (c) Demonstrate how postsecondary institutions can use technology 
to meet their responsibilities under Federal statutes, including 
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the 
Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide access and accommodations 
to individuals who are deaf.
    In addition, the four regional centers must coordinate the 
development and implementation of all required activities (e.g., needs 
assessments, materials development, personnel development training, 
technical assistance, outreach, and information dissemination) for the 
purpose of avoiding overlap and duplication of efforts. Centers must 
ensure that secondary education programs, parents, and individuals who 
are deaf have information on postsecondary programs throughout the 
country, including information on services these institutions provide, 
and that information on proven models and other exemplary practices, 
including innovative technology, is available in each of the four 
regions. This coordination must include carrying out collaborative 
activities and cross-regional initiatives, where appropriate.
    In addition, each center must--
    (a) Coordinate with the National Dissemination Center for Children 
with Disabilities to ensure timely and accurate dissemination of 
information and report to the Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP) project officer on coordination efforts and proposed 
coordination outcomes.
    (b) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or 
electronic, submit for review and approval a proposal describing the 
content and purpose of the product to the Product Advisory Board of the 
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
    (c) Contribute to the maintenance of a single user-friendly Web 
site for the four centers, with individual links to grantee host 
institutions, that includes relevant information and documents in a 
form that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for 
accessibility.
    (d) Develop a strategic plan for conducting needs assessments for 
personnel development, technical assistance and dissemination, and 
technology use activities within the first three months of the grant 
award. This plan must be submitted to the OSEP Project Officer for 
review and approval and updated annually.
    (e) Ensure that the information and services provided respond to 
the needs assessments, are based on evidence-based research to the 
extent possible, and use criteria established by the What Works 
Clearinghouse or other rigorous standards for determining what is 
evidence-based.
    (f) Retain the services of an independent external evaluator to 
provide consultation in developing a formative and summative evaluation 
plan to report inter/intra regional center activities in the annual 
grant performance reports. Such plan will be submitted to the 
Department for review and approval no later than 90 days before the 
first annual performance reports are due. The centers shall address how 
the effectiveness and outcomes of its activities shall be measured.
    (g) Maintain communication with the OSEP Project Officer through 
monthly phone conversations and e-mail communication, as needed. Each 
center must submit annual performance reports and provide additional 
written materials as needed by the OSEP Project Officer to monitor the 
centers' work.
    (h) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an 
advisory committee consisting of individuals with deafness, parents, 
educators, researchers, and other appropriate individuals to review and 
advise on the center's activities and plans.
    (i) Budget for annual attendance at the three-day Technical 
Assistance Project Directors' meeting and at least two two-day planning 
meetings in Washington, DC. The center must also budget to attend three 
two-day meetings such as Department briefings, Department-sponsored 
conferences, and other OSEP-requested activities.

Fourth and Fifth Years of Project

    In deciding whether to continue each project for the fourth and 
fifth years, the Secretary will consider requirements of 34 CFR 
75.253(a), and in addition--
    (a) The recommendations of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary that will conduct its review in Washington, 
DC during the last half of each project's second year. Projects must 
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive 
review.
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
center; and
    (c) Evidence of the degree to which the center's activities 
contributed to changed practices and improved postsecondary education 
and training outcomes for youth with deafness.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, 
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462(c)(2), 1463(c)(8)(C), 1474(b), 
and 1481(d).
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.


    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 IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,000,000. Included in this amount is 
$1,300,000 to be provided from the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program; $1,700,000 from the Personnel Development to 
Improve Services and results for Children with Disabilities program; 
and $1,000,000 from the Technology and Media Services for Individuals 
with Disabilities program.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget that does not equal $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 
months.


    Note: In each budget period of 12 months $325,000 must be 
budgeted for the technical assistance and dissemination activities 
described under Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities 
(Consistent with section 663(c)(8)(C) of IDEA); $425,000 must be 
budgeted for the personnel development activities described under 
Personnel Development Activities (Consistent with section 662(c)(2) 
of IDEA); and $250,000 must be budgeted for the technology use 
activities described under Technology Use Activities (Consistent 
with section 674(b) of IDEA). The Assistant Secretary for Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services may change these maximum 
amounts through a notice published in the Federal Register.

    Number of Awards: 4.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, public charter schools that are 
LEAs under State law, IHEs, other public agencies, private nonprofit 
organizations, outlying areas, freely associated States, Indian tribes 
or tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations.

[[Page 33297]]

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) the projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment-qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA). (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this 
competition must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of 
individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, 
implementing, and evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of 
IDEA).

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 84.326D.
    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 listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section 
VII of this notice.
    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 50 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; the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, the references, 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: June 8, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), 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: September 
21, 2006.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. The Postsecondary Education Programs 
for Individuals who are Deaf--CFDA Number 84.326D is one of the 
competitions included in this project. We request your participation in 
Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at https://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for The 
Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals who are Deaf at: 
https://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration

[[Page 33298]]

process (see https://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting 
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are 
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://
www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must 
provide on your application the same D U N S Number used with this 
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five 
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all 
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application 
via Grants.gov.
     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 may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative 
sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich 
text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type 
other than the three file types specified above or submit a password 
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
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 of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.


    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 84.326D), 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 
84.326D), 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 
84.326D), 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 Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (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 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed 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

[[Page 33299]]

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 period, 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: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department has developed measures that will 
yield information on various aspects of the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program. These measures, which will be used for the 
Postsecondary Education Programs for Individuals who are Deaf 
competition, focus on: The extent to which projects provide high 
quality products and services, the relevance of project products and 
services to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and 
the use of products and services to improve educational and early 
intervention policy and practice.
    We will notify grantees if they will be required to provide any 
information related to these measures.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Louise Tripoli, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4117, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7554.
    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 by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.

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: June 2, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E6-8913 Filed 6-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P