National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)-Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program-Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs), 39000-39005 [E8-15503]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
39000
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Availability of Finding
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations (40
CFR parts 1500–1508), implementing
procedural provisions of NEPA, and
Executive Order (EO) 12114,
Environmental Effects Abroad of Major
Federal Actions, the Department of the
Navy (DON) gives notice that a
combined Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI)/Finding of No
Significant Harm (FONSH) has been
issued and is available for Carrier Strike
Group Joint Task Force Exercise (CSG
JTFEX) July 2008.
DATES: The effective date of the finding
is July 2, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the
combined FONSI/FONSH are available
for public viewing or downloading at
https://www.navydocuments.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Commander, Second Fleet Public
Affairs, Commander Phillips telephone:
757–443–9822 or visit https://
www.navydocuments.com.
CSG
JTFEX (July 2008) is a major Navy
Atlantic Fleet training exercise
proposed to occur in July 2008 in the
offshore Charleston and Jacksonville
Operating Areas (OPAREAs) and
adjacent military installations. The
purpose of this exercise is to certify
naval forces as combat-ready. Activities
conducted during the exercise include
air-to-ground (ATG) bombing at land
ranges, Combat Search and Rescue
(CSAR), Maritime Interdiction
Operations (MIO), Naval Gunfire using
non-explosive ordnance, Fast Attack
Craft/Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FAC/
FIAC), and Anti-Submarine Warfare
(ASW), including use of mid-frequency
active (MFA) sonar.
The FONSI is based on analysis
contained in a Comprehensive
Environmental Assessment (EA)
addressing environmental impacts
associated with land-based training for
Major Atlantic Fleet Training Exercises
on the East and Gulf Coasts of the U.S.
(February 2006). The FONSH is based
on analysis contained in a
Comprehensive Overseas Environmental
Assessment (OEA) (February 2006) and
a Supplement to the Comprehensive
OEA (SOEA) for environmental impacts
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
associated with Navy’s conduct of major
exercise training in offshore operating
areas along the East and Gulf Coasts of
the U.S. (April 2008).
Environmental concerns addressed in
the EA included land use, community
facilities, coastal zone management,
socioeconomics, cultural resources,
airspace, air quality, noise, geology,
soils, water resources, biological
resources, munitions and hazardous
materials management, and safety. The
EA and OEA addressed potential
impacts to the ocean physical
environment, fish and Essential Fish
Habitat; sea turtles and marine
mammals; seabirds and migratory birds;
endangered and threatened species;
socioeconomics; and cultural resources.
The SOEA included an updated analysis
of MFA sonar use.
This action includes mitigation
measures to reduce impacts to a level
that is less than significant. In
accordance with the Major Atlantic
Fleet Training Exercise EA and OEA
and the SOEA and the evaluation of the
nature, scope and intensity of the
proposed action, the Navy finds that the
conduct of the CSG JTFEX in July 2008
will not significantly impact or harm the
environment and, therefore, an
Environmental Impact Statement or
Overseas Environmental Impact
Statement is not required.
Dated: July 1, 2008.
T. M. Cruz,
Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate
General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–15400 Filed 7–7–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)—
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Projects and Centers Program—
Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers (RRTCs)
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities for
RRTCs.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for
Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces four priorities for
RRTCs under the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and
Centers Program administered by
NIDRR. The Assistant Secretary may use
one or more of these priorities for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2008
and later years. We take this action to
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
focus research attention on areas of
national need. We intend these
priorities to improve rehabilitation
services and outcomes for individuals
with disabilities.
DATES: Effective Date: These priorities
are effective August 7, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 6029, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone:
(202) 245–7462 or by e-mail:
donna.nangle@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities can
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
We
published a notice of proposed
priorities (NPP) for NIDRR’s RRTC
program in the Federal Register on
April 28, 2008 (73 FR 22932). The NPP
included background statements that
described our rationale for the priorities
proposed in that notice.
There are differences between the
NPP and this notice of final priorities
(NFP) as discussed in the following
section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the
NPP, five parties submitted comments
on the proposed priorities. An analysis
of the comments and of any changes in
the priorities since publication of the
NPP follows.
Generally, we do not address
technical and other minor changes, or
suggested changes the law does not
authorize us to make under the
applicable statutory authority. In
addition, we do not address comments
that raised concerns not directly related
to the proposed priorities.
General Comments
Comment: With regard to priorities 1
through 3, one commenter noted that
‘‘scientifically based research’’ is
required only for research activities that
require testing interventions. This
commenter recommended that all
research conducted under these
priorities be ‘‘scientifically based.’’
Discussion: NIDRR only requires
‘‘scientifically based research’’ for
research activities that involve testing
interventions. The definition of
‘‘scientifically based research’’ used in
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
all of the priorities in this notice
emphasizes the use of ‘‘experimental or
quasi-experimental designs in which
individuals, entities, programs, or
activities are assigned to different
conditions and with appropriate
controls to evaluate the effects of the
condition of interest, with a preference
for random-assignment experiments’’
(See section 9101(37) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended by the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 for the definition of the term
‘‘scientifically based research.’’). NIDRR
believes that experimental research
designs are appropriate for research that
involves testing interventions, but not
necessarily for the other research
activities to be carried out under these
priorities. For example, experimental
designs are not generally appropriate or
necessary in the initial stages of
developing new measures and methods,
identifying or developing interventions,
or determining the experiences and
outcomes of individuals with
disabilities who seek to return to work.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter noted that
each of the proposed priorities included
an incorrect reference for the
Department’s definition of the term
scientifically based research.
Discussion: We agree and will make
this change.
Changes: In all four priorities, we
have changed the reference for the
Department’s definition of scientifically
based research to section 9101(37) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended by the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Comment: Two commenters
recommended that NIDRR remove all
references to employment from
priorities 1 through 3. One of these
commenters noted that NIDRR’s Long
Range Plan for fiscal years 2005–2009
(Plan) acknowledges the continued need
for research on medical rehabilitation
interventions to improve function, as
well as health research to improve
outcomes such as health and wellness.
This commenter suggested that
including an employment-related
outcome in the priorities that focus
primarily on health and function topics
will dilute the impact of research
carried out under NIDRR’s employment
and health and function domains. This
commenter also expressed concern that
the focus on employment outcomes
would preclude research on community
participation outcomes and
recommended that NIDRR include in
each priority a statement from its Plan
that acknowledges the importance of
health and function among people with
disabilities to achieve NIDRR’s mission
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
and the goals of employment and
community participation.
Discussion: NIDRR does not agree
with these comments and the associated
recommendations. In the Plan, we state:
‘‘While the proposed plan is organized
along domains of research [e.g.,
employment, health and function,
participation and community living] for
the sake of manageability, it also makes
clear that disability is a holistic
phenomenon that involves many
overlapping and cross-domain issues.’’
(See 71 FR 8166, 8166.) We also note,
‘‘In addition, with respect to those
programs for which NIDRR establishes
annual priorities—Rehabilitation
Research and Training Centers (RRTCs),
Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Centers (RERCs), and Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects
(DRRPs)—NIDRR may require
applicants to focus on one or more
target populations or issues that cut
across domains.’’ We indicate clearly in
the Plan that RRTCs are expected to be
multidisciplinary—in other words, to
combine the strengths and perspectives
of researchers from multiple disciplines
and areas of expertise. (See 71 FR 8166,
8177.) Therefore, we believe that a focus
on employment in priorities 1 through
3 is consistent with the
multidisciplinary approach in the Plan.
Although a mandatory focus on
employment outcomes in these
priorities may limit research activities
related to outcomes in other domains,
NIDRR believes that research involving
both the health and function and
employment domains will generate
knowledge that can be used to improve
both medical rehabilitation and
vocational rehabilitation (VR) services
for individuals with disabilities. NIDRR
recognizes that there are many factors
likely to affect the relationship between
health and functional abilities, on the
one hand, and employment outcomes,
on the other. Research under these
priorities can help provide insight into
this relationship so that medical and VR
services can be optimized and targeted
appropriately.
Changes: None.
Comment: Referring to priorities 1
through 3, one commenter
recommended removing the
requirement that the centers recruit
research participants from VR
populations. The commenter noted that
such a requirement would unnecessarily
limit study populations, create
recruitment barriers, and result in
unnecessarily expensive and lengthy
studies to demonstrate empirical
relationships between health and
functional status and employment
outcomes.
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39001
Discussion: Proposed priorities 1
through 3 did not require recruitment of
research participants from populations
of individuals who are served by State
VR programs. The priorities state that
the center must conduct research on
individuals who are served by the State
VR Services program, or who receive
rehabilitation services from other
sources.
Changes: None.
Priority 2—Enhancing the Functional
and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis
Comment: In reference to language in
paragraph (b) of this priority, one
commenter noted that research and
clinical information indicate that the
vast majority of individuals with
multiple sclerosis (MS) already live in
community settings. The commenter
stated that it is important to support
research that improves the ability of
individuals with MS to participate in
the community and suggested that
NIDRR revise the priority to reflect that
focus.
Discussion: We intended to
emphasize the need for research to
improve employment and community
participation outcomes in this priority.
We will change the priority to clarify
our intent.
Changes: In paragraph (b) of this
priority, we have clarified that the
grantee must examine, among other
things, interventions to enhance
community participation.
Comment: One commenter stated that
there is a need for research on strategies
and assistive devices that enhance the
functional and community participation
outcomes among individuals with MS.
Discussion: While NIDRR agrees with
the commenter that there is a need for
research about strategies and assistive
devices to enhance the functional and
community participation outcomes for
individuals with MS, NIDRR does not
believe that it is necessary to revise the
priority to address this specific need.
Applicants under this priority already
have flexibility to choose the types of
interventions they propose to identify,
or to develop and evaluate. Assistive
devices are one specific type of
intervention that could be examined
under this priority.
Changes: None.
Priority 3—Aging With Physical
Disability: Reducing Secondary
Conditions and Enhancing Health and
Participation, Including Employment
Comment: One commenter asked
whether applicants under this priority
must choose from the list of impairment
groups in the second paragraph of the
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
39002
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
priority when selecting the groups that
will be the focus of their research.
Discussion: The short list of
impairment groups in the priority
provides examples; applicants are not
restricted to this list. Applicants are free
to select the group or groups that will
be the focus of their research.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter asked
whether the focus of this priority is
exclusively on individuals with
disabilities who are 65 years of age or
older, or if the focus is also on adults
with disabilities in middle age.
Discussion: NIDRR does not intend for
this center to focus only on individuals
with disabilities who are 65 years of age
or older. As we describe in the
background statement for this priority,
NIDRR is interested in the experience of
individuals who acquired their
disability at birth, childhood, or early
adulthood and who are now aging. We
will add language to the priority to
make this clear.
Changes: We have changed the
language to clarify that the center
funded under this priority must focus
its research on individuals with a
physical disability, including those who
acquired their disability at birth, in
childhood, or in early adulthood and
who are now aging into middle or late
adulthood.
Comment: One commenter noted that
the prevention of falls among
individuals with physical disabilities
should be a key research priority.
Discussion: NIDRR agrees that the
prevention of falls is a topic that is
relevant to individuals who are aging
with physical disabilities. Applicants
are free to propose research on this topic
under this priority.
Changes: None.
Priority 4—Participation and
Community Living for Individuals With
Psychiatric Disabilities
Comment: One commenter requested
that NIDRR provide references to the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s)
Best Practices Planning and
Implementation Grants program, to
facilitate collaboration of the center
funded under this priority with this
program.
Discussion: NIDRR agrees that
SAMHSA’s Best Practices Planning and
Implementation Grants program may be
a potential source of information for, or
potential collaborator of, the center
funded under this priority. NIDRR
typically references in its priorities only
those programs or entities with which
the grantee is required to collaborate. In
this case, NIDRR does not believe it is
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
appropriate to require all applicants to
propose to collaborate with this
SAMHSA program. For this reason,
NIDRR declines to reference the
SAMHSA program in the text of this
priority.
Changes: None.
Note: This notice does not solicit
applications. In any year in which we choose
to use these final priorities, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal
Register. When inviting applications we
designate each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational. The
effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute
priority, we consider only applications that
meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a
competitive preference priority, we give
competitive preference to an application by
either (1) awarding additional points,
depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the competitive
preference priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i));
or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive preference priority over an
application of comparable merit that does not
meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational
priority, we are particularly interested in
applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an
application that meets the invitational
priority a competitive or absolute preference
over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
This notice of final priorities (NFP) is
in concert with President George W.
Bush’s New Freedom Initiative (NFI)
and NIDRR’s Final Long-Range Plan for
FY 2005–2009 (Plan). Background
information on the NFI can be accessed
on the Internet at the following site:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/
newfreedom.
The Plan, which was published in the
Federal Register on February 15, 2006
(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the
Internet at the following site: https://
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/
nidrr/policy.html.
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
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.
Priorities
In this notice, we are announcing four
priorities for RRTCs.
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
• Priority 1—Enhancing the
Functional and Employment Outcomes
of Individuals Who Experience a Stroke.
• Priority 2—Enhancing the
Functional and Employment Outcomes
of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.
• Priority 3—Aging With Physical
Disability: Reducing Secondary
Conditions and Enhancing Health and
Participation, Including Employment.
• Priority 4—Participation and
Community Living for Individuals With
Psychiatric Disabilities.
Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers (RRTCs)
The purpose of the RRTC program is
to improve the effectiveness of services
authorized under the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, as amended, through advanced
research, training, technical assistance,
and dissemination activities in general
problem areas, as specified by NIDRR.
Such activities are designed to benefit
rehabilitation service providers,
individuals with disabilities, and the
family members or other authorized
representatives of individuals with
disabilities. In addition, NIDRR intends
to require all RRTC applicants to meet
the requirements of the General
Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers (RRTC) Requirements priority,
which was published in a notice of final
priorities in the Federal Register on
February 1, 2008 (73 FR 6132).
Additional information on the RRTC
program can be found at: https://
www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/resprogram.html#RRTC.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
of RRTCs
RRTCs must—
• Carry out coordinated advanced
programs of rehabilitation research;
• Provide training, including
graduate, pre-service, and in-service
training, to help rehabilitation
personnel more effectively provide
rehabilitation services to individuals
with disabilities;
• Provide technical assistance to
individuals with disabilities, their
representatives, providers, and other
interested parties;
• Demonstrate in their applications
how they will address, in whole or in
part, the needs of individuals with
disabilities from minority backgrounds;
• Disseminate informational materials
to individuals with disabilities, their
representatives, providers, and other
interested parties; and
• Serve as centers of national
excellence in rehabilitation research for
individuals with disabilities, their
representatives, providers, and other
interested parties.
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
Priorities
Priority 1—Enhancing the Functional
and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals Who Experience a Stroke
The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services
announces a priority for a Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center (RRTC) on
Enhancing the Functional and
Employment Outcomes of Individuals
Who Experience a Stroke. This RRTC
must conduct rigorous research,
training, technical assistance, and
dissemination activities to enhance the
functional and employment outcomes of
individuals who experience a stroke.
In doing so, the RRTC must focus on
no more than two of the following
dimensions: Improved mobility,
secondary conditions (e.g., pain,
fatigue), and emotional well-being.
Under this priority, the RRTC must be
designed to contribute to the following
outcomes:
(a) Improved outcome measures for
use with individuals who experience a
stroke. The RRTC must contribute to
this outcome by identifying or
developing and testing methods and
measures to assess outcomes in the
dimensions that the RRTC chooses to
focus on (e.g., mobility, secondary
conditions, emotional well-being).
(b) Improved medical rehabilitation or
community-based rehabilitation
interventions for individuals who
experience a stroke. The RRTC must
contribute to this outcome by
identifying or developing and testing
new rehabilitation interventions that are
designed to improve mobility, reduce
the onset of secondary conditions, or
improve emotional well-being among
individuals who experience a stroke.
Where possible, the RRTC must use
scientifically based research (as this
term is defined in section 9101(37) of
the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
methods to test these interventions.
(c) Improved employment outcomes
among individuals who experience a
stroke. The RRTC must contribute to
this outcome by conducting research on
the experiences and outcomes of
individuals who experience a stroke and
who seek to return to work. The RRTC’s
research must include research on
individuals who are served by the State
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services
program or who receive stroke/neurorehabilitation services from other
sources, and must identify neurorehabilitation services that are
associated with positive outcomes in the
treatment of specific stroke-related
impairments and functional limitations
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
thereby allowing individuals to return
to work.
Priority 2—Enhancing the Functional
and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis
The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services
announces a priority for a Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center (RRTC) on
Enhancing the Functional and
Employment Outcomes of Individuals
With Multiple Sclerosis. This RRTC
must conduct rigorous research,
training, technical assistance, and
dissemination activities to enhance the
functional and employment outcomes of
individuals with multiple sclerosis
(MS).
In doing so, the RRTC must focus on
how one or both of the following
dimensions affect the employment
outcomes of individuals with MS: The
prevention or reduction of secondary
conditions (e.g., pain, fatigue,
depression, cognitive impairment) and
improved mobility. Under this priority,
the RRTC must be designed to
contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Improved outcome measures for
use with individuals with MS. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by identifying or developing and testing
methods and measures to assess
outcomes in the dimensions on which
the RRTC chooses to focus.
(b) Improved medical rehabilitation or
community-based rehabilitation
interventions. The RRTC must
contribute to this outcome by improving
the ability of individuals with MS to
remain in the workforce and to
participate in the community through
identifying or developing and testing
new rehabilitation interventions. Where
possible, the Center must use
scientifically based research (as this
term is defined in section 9101(37) of
the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
methods to test these interventions.
(c) Improved employment outcomes
among individuals with MS. The RRTC
must contribute to this outcome by
conducting research on the experiences
and outcomes of individuals with MS
who are served by the State Vocational
Rehabilitation Services (VR) program or
who receive MS-rehabilitation services
from other sources, and by identifying
rehabilitation services that are
associated with the reduction of specific
MS-related symptoms and functional
limitations. Research must include
investigation of job modifications and
accommodations associated with
successful employment.
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39003
Priority 3—Aging With Physical
Disability: Reducing Secondary
Conditions and Enhancing Health and
Participation, Including Employment
The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services
announces a priority for a Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center (RRTC) on
Aging With Physical Disability:
Reducing Secondary Conditions and
Enhancing Health and Participation,
Including Employment. This RRTC
must conduct rigorous research,
training, technical assistance, and
dissemination activities to improve
rehabilitation outcome measures and
rehabilitation interventions that can be
applied in clinical or community-based
settings and used by other researchers.
The intended outcome of the RRTC is to
enhance community participation,
including employment, of individuals
aging with long-term physical
disabilities by advancing knowledge
about the identification, assessment,
treatment, and improved management of
the secondary conditions likely
experienced by individuals aging with a
physical disability. Individuals aging
with a physical disability include those
who acquired their disability at birth, in
childhood, or in early adulthood and
who are now aging into middle or late
adulthood.
In addressing this priority, the RRTC
must propose a limited number of highquality, cross-disability research
projects to address the secondary
conditions that are most relevant to the
lives of individuals with physical
disabilities. To ensure the feasibility of
the RRTC’s proposed activities and
increase the likelihood of achieving the
planned outcomes, the RRTC must focus
on two to four discrete impairment
groups (e.g., spinal cord injury, cerebral
palsy, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid
arthritis, stroke, post-polio) and must
limit intervention strategies to no more
than two of the following modalities:
exercise, health promotion,
psychological adaptation, life planning
or self-management skills, and
environmental or technological
supports. Under this priority, the RRTC
must be designed to contribute to the
following outcomes:
(a) Enhanced understanding of the
natural course of aging with a physical
disability. The RRTC must contribute to
this outcome by documenting the life
trajectories and average age of onset of
the major types of secondary conditions
experienced by individuals living with
long-term physical disabilities in the
selected impairment groups, and
examining the interrelationships among
different types of secondary conditions
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
39004
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
and the consequences of variations in
timing of onset for health and
community participation.
(b) Improved tools and measures for
use with individuals aging with longterm physical disabilities. The RRTC
must contribute to this outcome by
identifying, developing or modifying,
and testing measurement tools that
improve the identification and
assessment of the major types of
secondary conditions affecting
individuals in the selected impairment
groups, as well as the outcomes of
interventions designed to prevent or
reduce these conditions.
(c) Improved rehabilitation or
community-based interventions that
enhance the health and participation in
work and the community of individuals
aging with physical disabilities. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by identifying, developing or modifying,
and testing interventions that show
promise in preventing the onset of or
improving the management and
reducing the impact of secondary
conditions on individuals in the
selected impairment groups. Where
possible, the RRTC must use
scientifically based research (as this
term is defined in section 9101(37) of
the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
methods to test these interventions.
(d) Improved employment outcomes
among working-age individuals aging
with long-term physical disabilities. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by conducting research on the
experiences, including employment
outcomes, of individuals aging with
long-term physical disabilities in the
selected impairment groups who are
served by the State Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) Services program or
who receive rehabilitation services from
other sources, and by identifying
specific secondary conditions that
require improved and unique VR
services and approaches.
Priority 4—Participation and
Community Living for Individuals With
Psychiatric Disabilities
The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services
announces a priority for a Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center (RRTC) on
Participation and Community Living for
Individuals With Psychiatric
Disabilities. The RRTC must conduct
rigorous research, training, technical
assistance, and dissemination activities
that contribute to improved community
participation and community living
outcomes for individuals with
psychiatric disabilities. Under this
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
priority, the RRTC must be designed to
contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Improved individual and system
capacity to maximize the participation
of individuals with psychiatric
disabilities in community life. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by:
(1) Generating new knowledge
through research on effective strategies
to meet the needs of individuals with
psychiatric disabilities who are served
by centers for independent living and
identifying independent living services
and service-delivery approaches that
meet the unique needs of this
population.
(2) Increasing the knowledge base and
advancing the application of theories,
measures, methods, or interventions
that facilitate participation and
community living of individuals with
psychiatric disabilities. In this regard,
the RRTC must focus its efforts on at
least three of the following areas:
Employment, housing, education, health
and mental health care, recreation,
social relationships, or other public and
private sector activities related to
community living. If the RRTC engages
in testing interventions, the RRTC must
use scientifically based research (as this
term is defined in section 9101(37) of
the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001)
methods.
(3) Reducing disparities in service
delivery and program development by
focusing its work on one or more of the
following understudied areas: (i)
Emergency preparedness for individuals
with psychiatric disabilities; (ii)
individuals with psychiatric disabilities
from diverse racial, ethnic, and
linguistic backgrounds; or (iii)
individuals with psychiatric disabilities
who have co-occurring sensory or
physical disabilities.
(b) Increased incorporation of mental
health research findings into practice or
policy. The RRTC must contribute to
this outcome by coordinating with
appropriate NIDRR-funded knowledge
translation grantees to advance or add to
their work in the following areas:
(1) Developing and implementing
procedures to evaluate the readiness of
mental health research findings for
translation into practice.
(2) Collaborating with stakeholder
groups to develop, evaluate, or
implement strategies to increase
utilization of mental health research
findings.
(3) Conducting training, technical
assistance, and dissemination activities
to increase utilization of mental health
research findings.
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Information on knowledge translation
projects funded by NIDRR can be found
at https://www.naric.com/research/pd/
priority.cfm.
Executive Order 12866
This NFP has been reviewed in
accordance with Executive Order 12866.
Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits
of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with
this NFP are those resulting from
statutory requirements and those we
have determined as necessary for
administering this program effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and
benefits—both quantitative and
qualitative—of this NFP, we have
determined that the benefits of the final
priorities justify the costs.
Summary of Potential Costs and
Benefits
The benefits of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and
Centers Programs have been well
established over the years in that similar
projects have been completed
successfully. These final priorities will
generate new knowledge and
technologies through research,
development, dissemination, utilization,
and technical assistance projects.
Another benefit of these final
priorities is that the establishment of
new RRTCs will support the President’s
NFI and improve the lives of
individuals with disabilities. The new
RRTCs will generate, disseminate, and
promote the use of new information that
will improve employment and
community living options for
individuals with disabilities.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34
CFR part 350.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well
as all other Department of Education
documents 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.
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 8, 2008 / Notices
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Numbers 84.133B Rehabilitation Research
and Training Centers Program)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and
764(b)(2).
Dated: July 2, 2008.
Tracy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E8–15503 Filed 7–7–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
President’s Board of Advisors (Board),
The White House Initiative on Tribal
Colleges and Universities (WHI/TCU)
Meeting
The White House Initiative on
Tribal Colleges and Universities,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of An Open Meeting.
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This purpose of this notice is
to announce an open meeting of the
President’s Board of Advisors (Board),
The White House Initiative on Tribal
Colleges and Universities (WHI/TCU) on
Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.,
at the Navajo Technical College, Lower
Point Road, Crownpoint, New Mexico
87313; and, on Wednesday, July 16,
2008, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Southwestern
Indian Polytechnic Institute, 9169 Coors
Road, NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico
87184. This notice sets forth the
schedule and proposed agenda of the
upcoming meeting of the President’s
Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges
and Universities. This notice also
describes the functions of the Board.
Notice of this meeting is required by
Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act and is intended to notify
the public of its opportunity to attend.
DATES AND TIMES: Tuesday, July 15,
2008, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday,
July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 1
p.m. to 5 p.m., Navajo Technical
College, Lower Point Road, Crownpoint,
New Mexico 87313; and, on
Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 9 a.m. to 3
p.m., at Southwestern Indian
Polytechnic Institute, 9169 Coors Road,
NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87184.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anselm Davis, Executive Director,
White House Initiative on Tribal
Colleges and Universities, 1990 K Street,
NW., Room 7014, Washington, DC
20006; Telephone: 202–219–7040; Fax:
202–219–7086.
Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:11 Jul 07, 2008
Jkt 214001
The
President’s Board of Advisors on Tribal
Colleges and Universities was
established under Executive Order
13270, dated July 3, 2002, and Executive
Order 13446, dated September 28, 2007.
The Board was established: (a) To report
to the President annually on the results
of the participation of Tribal Colleges
and Universities in Federal programs,
including recommendations on how to
increase the private sector role,
including the role of private
foundations, in strengthening these
institutions, with particular emphasis
also given to enhancing institutional
planning and development,
strengthening fiscal stability and
financial management, and improving
institutional infrastructure, including
the use of technology, to ensure the
long-term viability and enhancement of
these institutions; (b) to advise the
President and the Secretary of
Education (Secretary) on the needs of
TCUs in the areas of infrastructure,
academic programs, and faculty and
institutional development; (c) to advise
the Secretary in the preparation of a
three-year Federal plan for assistance to
TCUs in increasing their capacity to
participate in Federal programs; (d) to
provide the President with an annual
progress report on enhancing the
capacity of TCUs to serve their students;
and (e) to develop, in consultation with
the Department of Education and other
Federal agencies, a private sector
strategy to assist TCUs.
The purpose of the meeting is to
update and document the Board’s
Action Agenda through a review of
collaborative efforts, to review the final
draft of the Fiscal Year 2006 Report to
the President, and to discuss relevant
issues to be addressed as the Board
pursues opportunities to strengthen
capacity of programs at the Tribal
Colleges and Universities.
Additional Information: Individuals
who will need accommodations for a
disability in order to attend the meeting
(e.g., interpreting services, assistive
listening devices, or material in
alternative format) should notify Tonya
Ewers 1990 K Street, NW., Washington,
DC 20006, Telephone: 202–219–7040,
no later than July 10, 2008. We will
attempt to meet requests for
accommodations after this date, but we
cannot guarantee their availability. The
meeting sites are accessible to
individuals with disabilities.
An opportunity for public comment is
available on Tuesday, July 15, 2008,
between 2:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
Comments will be limited to five (5)
minutes for those who sign up to speak.
Those members of the public interested
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00038
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39005
in submitting written comments may do
so by submitting them to Tonya Ewers,
1990 K Street, NW., Washington, DC
20006, by Thursday, July 10, 2008.
Records are kept of all Board
proceedings and are available for public
inspection at the Office of the White
House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and
Universities, U.S. Department of
Education, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20006, during the
hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
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/
federegister.
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 at GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Sara Martinez Tucker,
Under Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8–15394 Filed 7–7–08; 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)—Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects and Centers
Program—Rehabilitation Research and
Training Centers (RRTCs); Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.133B–
7, 84.133B–8, 84.133B–9, and 84.133B–
10.
Note: This notice invites applications for
four separate competitions. For key dates,
contact person information, and funding
information regarding each of the four
competitions, see the chart in the Award
Information section of this notice.
DATES: Applications Available: See
chart.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: See
chart.
E:\FR\FM\08JYN1.SGM
08JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39000-39005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15503]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers
Program--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs)
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities for RRTCs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services announces four priorities for RRTCs under the
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program
administered by NIDRR. The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of
these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2008 and later
years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of
national need. We intend these priorities to improve rehabilitation
services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: Effective Date: These priorities are effective August 7, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6029, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7462 or by e-mail:
donna.nangle@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We published a notice of proposed priorities
(NPP) for NIDRR's RRTC program in the Federal Register on April 28,
2008 (73 FR 22932). The NPP included background statements that
described our rationale for the priorities proposed in that notice.
There are differences between the NPP and this notice of final
priorities (NFP) as discussed in the following section.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the NPP, five parties submitted
comments on the proposed priorities. An analysis of the comments and of
any changes in the priorities since publication of the NPP follows.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes, or
suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the
applicable statutory authority. In addition, we do not address comments
that raised concerns not directly related to the proposed priorities.
General Comments
Comment: With regard to priorities 1 through 3, one commenter noted
that ``scientifically based research'' is required only for research
activities that require testing interventions. This commenter
recommended that all research conducted under these priorities be
``scientifically based.''
Discussion: NIDRR only requires ``scientifically based research''
for research activities that involve testing interventions. The
definition of ``scientifically based research'' used in
[[Page 39001]]
all of the priorities in this notice emphasizes the use of
``experimental or quasi-experimental designs in which individuals,
entities, programs, or activities are assigned to different conditions
and with appropriate controls to evaluate the effects of the condition
of interest, with a preference for random-assignment experiments'' (See
section 9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 for the definition
of the term ``scientifically based research.''). NIDRR believes that
experimental research designs are appropriate for research that
involves testing interventions, but not necessarily for the other
research activities to be carried out under these priorities. For
example, experimental designs are not generally appropriate or
necessary in the initial stages of developing new measures and methods,
identifying or developing interventions, or determining the experiences
and outcomes of individuals with disabilities who seek to return to
work.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter noted that each of the proposed priorities
included an incorrect reference for the Department's definition of the
term scientifically based research.
Discussion: We agree and will make this change.
Changes: In all four priorities, we have changed the reference for
the Department's definition of scientifically based research to section
9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Comment: Two commenters recommended that NIDRR remove all
references to employment from priorities 1 through 3. One of these
commenters noted that NIDRR's Long Range Plan for fiscal years 2005-
2009 (Plan) acknowledges the continued need for research on medical
rehabilitation interventions to improve function, as well as health
research to improve outcomes such as health and wellness. This
commenter suggested that including an employment-related outcome in the
priorities that focus primarily on health and function topics will
dilute the impact of research carried out under NIDRR's employment and
health and function domains. This commenter also expressed concern that
the focus on employment outcomes would preclude research on community
participation outcomes and recommended that NIDRR include in each
priority a statement from its Plan that acknowledges the importance of
health and function among people with disabilities to achieve NIDRR's
mission and the goals of employment and community participation.
Discussion: NIDRR does not agree with these comments and the
associated recommendations. In the Plan, we state: ``While the proposed
plan is organized along domains of research [e.g., employment, health
and function, participation and community living] for the sake of
manageability, it also makes clear that disability is a holistic
phenomenon that involves many overlapping and cross-domain issues.''
(See 71 FR 8166, 8166.) We also note, ``In addition, with respect to
those programs for which NIDRR establishes annual priorities--
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs), Rehabilitation
Engineering Research Centers (RERCs), and Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects (DRRPs)--NIDRR may require applicants to focus on one
or more target populations or issues that cut across domains.'' We
indicate clearly in the Plan that RRTCs are expected to be
multidisciplinary--in other words, to combine the strengths and
perspectives of researchers from multiple disciplines and areas of
expertise. (See 71 FR 8166, 8177.) Therefore, we believe that a focus
on employment in priorities 1 through 3 is consistent with the
multidisciplinary approach in the Plan.
Although a mandatory focus on employment outcomes in these
priorities may limit research activities related to outcomes in other
domains, NIDRR believes that research involving both the health and
function and employment domains will generate knowledge that can be
used to improve both medical rehabilitation and vocational
rehabilitation (VR) services for individuals with disabilities. NIDRR
recognizes that there are many factors likely to affect the
relationship between health and functional abilities, on the one hand,
and employment outcomes, on the other. Research under these priorities
can help provide insight into this relationship so that medical and VR
services can be optimized and targeted appropriately.
Changes: None.
Comment: Referring to priorities 1 through 3, one commenter
recommended removing the requirement that the centers recruit research
participants from VR populations. The commenter noted that such a
requirement would unnecessarily limit study populations, create
recruitment barriers, and result in unnecessarily expensive and lengthy
studies to demonstrate empirical relationships between health and
functional status and employment outcomes.
Discussion: Proposed priorities 1 through 3 did not require
recruitment of research participants from populations of individuals
who are served by State VR programs. The priorities state that the
center must conduct research on individuals who are served by the State
VR Services program, or who receive rehabilitation services from other
sources.
Changes: None.
Priority 2--Enhancing the Functional and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis
Comment: In reference to language in paragraph (b) of this
priority, one commenter noted that research and clinical information
indicate that the vast majority of individuals with multiple sclerosis
(MS) already live in community settings. The commenter stated that it
is important to support research that improves the ability of
individuals with MS to participate in the community and suggested that
NIDRR revise the priority to reflect that focus.
Discussion: We intended to emphasize the need for research to
improve employment and community participation outcomes in this
priority. We will change the priority to clarify our intent.
Changes: In paragraph (b) of this priority, we have clarified that
the grantee must examine, among other things, interventions to enhance
community participation.
Comment: One commenter stated that there is a need for research on
strategies and assistive devices that enhance the functional and
community participation outcomes among individuals with MS.
Discussion: While NIDRR agrees with the commenter that there is a
need for research about strategies and assistive devices to enhance the
functional and community participation outcomes for individuals with
MS, NIDRR does not believe that it is necessary to revise the priority
to address this specific need. Applicants under this priority already
have flexibility to choose the types of interventions they propose to
identify, or to develop and evaluate. Assistive devices are one
specific type of intervention that could be examined under this
priority.
Changes: None.
Priority 3--Aging With Physical Disability: Reducing Secondary
Conditions and Enhancing Health and Participation, Including Employment
Comment: One commenter asked whether applicants under this priority
must choose from the list of impairment groups in the second paragraph
of the
[[Page 39002]]
priority when selecting the groups that will be the focus of their
research.
Discussion: The short list of impairment groups in the priority
provides examples; applicants are not restricted to this list.
Applicants are free to select the group or groups that will be the
focus of their research.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter asked whether the focus of this priority is
exclusively on individuals with disabilities who are 65 years of age or
older, or if the focus is also on adults with disabilities in middle
age.
Discussion: NIDRR does not intend for this center to focus only on
individuals with disabilities who are 65 years of age or older. As we
describe in the background statement for this priority, NIDRR is
interested in the experience of individuals who acquired their
disability at birth, childhood, or early adulthood and who are now
aging. We will add language to the priority to make this clear.
Changes: We have changed the language to clarify that the center
funded under this priority must focus its research on individuals with
a physical disability, including those who acquired their disability at
birth, in childhood, or in early adulthood and who are now aging into
middle or late adulthood.
Comment: One commenter noted that the prevention of falls among
individuals with physical disabilities should be a key research
priority.
Discussion: NIDRR agrees that the prevention of falls is a topic
that is relevant to individuals who are aging with physical
disabilities. Applicants are free to propose research on this topic
under this priority.
Changes: None.
Priority 4--Participation and Community Living for Individuals With
Psychiatric Disabilities
Comment: One commenter requested that NIDRR provide references to
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's
(SAMHSA's) Best Practices Planning and Implementation Grants program,
to facilitate collaboration of the center funded under this priority
with this program.
Discussion: NIDRR agrees that SAMHSA's Best Practices Planning and
Implementation Grants program may be a potential source of information
for, or potential collaborator of, the center funded under this
priority. NIDRR typically references in its priorities only those
programs or entities with which the grantee is required to collaborate.
In this case, NIDRR does not believe it is appropriate to require all
applicants to propose to collaborate with this SAMHSA program. For this
reason, NIDRR declines to reference the SAMHSA program in the text of
this priority.
Changes: None.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use these final priorities, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting
applications we designate each priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority
follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent
to which the application meets the competitive preference priority
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets
the competitive preference priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over
other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
This notice of final priorities (NFP) is in concert with President
George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative (NFI) and NIDRR's Final Long-
Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). Background information on the NFI
can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom.
The Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on February
15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the Internet at the following
site: https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
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 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.
Priorities
In this notice, we are announcing four priorities for RRTCs.
Priority 1--Enhancing the Functional and Employment
Outcomes of Individuals Who Experience a Stroke.
Priority 2--Enhancing the Functional and Employment
Outcomes of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.
Priority 3--Aging With Physical Disability: Reducing
Secondary Conditions and Enhancing Health and Participation, Including
Employment.
Priority 4--Participation and Community Living for
Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs)
The purpose of the RRTC program is to improve the effectiveness of
services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
through advanced research, training, technical assistance, and
dissemination activities in general problem areas, as specified by
NIDRR. Such activities are designed to benefit rehabilitation service
providers, individuals with disabilities, and the family members or
other authorized representatives of individuals with disabilities. In
addition, NIDRR intends to require all RRTC applicants to meet the
requirements of the General Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers (RRTC) Requirements priority, which was published in a notice
of final priorities in the Federal Register on February 1, 2008 (73 FR
6132). Additional information on the RRTC program can be found at:
https://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#RRTC.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements of RRTCs
RRTCs must--
Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation
research;
Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
Provide technical assistance to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
Demonstrate in their applications how they will address,
in whole or in part, the needs of individuals with disabilities from
minority backgrounds;
Disseminate informational materials to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties; and
Serve as centers of national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives,
providers, and other interested parties.
[[Page 39003]]
Priorities
Priority 1--Enhancing the Functional and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals Who Experience a Stroke
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center (RRTC) on Enhancing the Functional and Employment
Outcomes of Individuals Who Experience a Stroke. This RRTC must conduct
rigorous research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination
activities to enhance the functional and employment outcomes of
individuals who experience a stroke.
In doing so, the RRTC must focus on no more than two of the
following dimensions: Improved mobility, secondary conditions (e.g.,
pain, fatigue), and emotional well-being. Under this priority, the RRTC
must be designed to contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Improved outcome measures for use with individuals who
experience a stroke. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by
identifying or developing and testing methods and measures to assess
outcomes in the dimensions that the RRTC chooses to focus on (e.g.,
mobility, secondary conditions, emotional well-being).
(b) Improved medical rehabilitation or community-based
rehabilitation interventions for individuals who experience a stroke.
The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by identifying or developing
and testing new rehabilitation interventions that are designed to
improve mobility, reduce the onset of secondary conditions, or improve
emotional well-being among individuals who experience a stroke. Where
possible, the RRTC must use scientifically based research (as this term
is defined in section 9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001) methods to test these interventions.
(c) Improved employment outcomes among individuals who experience a
stroke. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by conducting research
on the experiences and outcomes of individuals who experience a stroke
and who seek to return to work. The RRTC's research must include
research on individuals who are served by the State Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) Services program or who receive stroke/neuro-
rehabilitation services from other sources, and must identify neuro-
rehabilitation services that are associated with positive outcomes in
the treatment of specific stroke-related impairments and functional
limitations thereby allowing individuals to return to work.
Priority 2--Enhancing the Functional and Employment Outcomes of
Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center (RRTC) on Enhancing the Functional and Employment
Outcomes of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis. This RRTC must conduct
rigorous research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination
activities to enhance the functional and employment outcomes of
individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
In doing so, the RRTC must focus on how one or both of the
following dimensions affect the employment outcomes of individuals with
MS: The prevention or reduction of secondary conditions (e.g., pain,
fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment) and improved mobility. Under
this priority, the RRTC must be designed to contribute to the following
outcomes:
(a) Improved outcome measures for use with individuals with MS. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome by identifying or developing and
testing methods and measures to assess outcomes in the dimensions on
which the RRTC chooses to focus.
(b) Improved medical rehabilitation or community-based
rehabilitation interventions. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by improving the ability of individuals with MS to remain in the
workforce and to participate in the community through identifying or
developing and testing new rehabilitation interventions. Where
possible, the Center must use scientifically based research (as this
term is defined in section 9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001) methods to test these interventions.
(c) Improved employment outcomes among individuals with MS. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome by conducting research on the
experiences and outcomes of individuals with MS who are served by the
State Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) program or who receive
MS-rehabilitation services from other sources, and by identifying
rehabilitation services that are associated with the reduction of
specific MS-related symptoms and functional limitations. Research must
include investigation of job modifications and accommodations
associated with successful employment.
Priority 3--Aging With Physical Disability: Reducing Secondary
Conditions and Enhancing Health and Participation, Including Employment
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center (RRTC) on Aging With Physical Disability: Reducing
Secondary Conditions and Enhancing Health and Participation, Including
Employment. This RRTC must conduct rigorous research, training,
technical assistance, and dissemination activities to improve
rehabilitation outcome measures and rehabilitation interventions that
can be applied in clinical or community-based settings and used by
other researchers. The intended outcome of the RRTC is to enhance
community participation, including employment, of individuals aging
with long-term physical disabilities by advancing knowledge about the
identification, assessment, treatment, and improved management of the
secondary conditions likely experienced by individuals aging with a
physical disability. Individuals aging with a physical disability
include those who acquired their disability at birth, in childhood, or
in early adulthood and who are now aging into middle or late adulthood.
In addressing this priority, the RRTC must propose a limited number
of high-quality, cross-disability research projects to address the
secondary conditions that are most relevant to the lives of individuals
with physical disabilities. To ensure the feasibility of the RRTC's
proposed activities and increase the likelihood of achieving the
planned outcomes, the RRTC must focus on two to four discrete
impairment groups (e.g., spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple
sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, post-polio) and must limit
intervention strategies to no more than two of the following
modalities: exercise, health promotion, psychological adaptation, life
planning or self-management skills, and environmental or technological
supports. Under this priority, the RRTC must be designed to contribute
to the following outcomes:
(a) Enhanced understanding of the natural course of aging with a
physical disability. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by
documenting the life trajectories and average age of onset of the major
types of secondary conditions experienced by individuals living with
long-term physical disabilities in the selected impairment groups, and
examining the interrelationships among different types of secondary
conditions
[[Page 39004]]
and the consequences of variations in timing of onset for health and
community participation.
(b) Improved tools and measures for use with individuals aging with
long-term physical disabilities. The RRTC must contribute to this
outcome by identifying, developing or modifying, and testing
measurement tools that improve the identification and assessment of the
major types of secondary conditions affecting individuals in the
selected impairment groups, as well as the outcomes of interventions
designed to prevent or reduce these conditions.
(c) Improved rehabilitation or community-based interventions that
enhance the health and participation in work and the community of
individuals aging with physical disabilities. The RRTC must contribute
to this outcome by identifying, developing or modifying, and testing
interventions that show promise in preventing the onset of or improving
the management and reducing the impact of secondary conditions on
individuals in the selected impairment groups. Where possible, the RRTC
must use scientifically based research (as this term is defined in
section 9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) methods to test
these interventions.
(d) Improved employment outcomes among working-age individuals
aging with long-term physical disabilities. The RRTC must contribute to
this outcome by conducting research on the experiences, including
employment outcomes, of individuals aging with long-term physical
disabilities in the selected impairment groups who are served by the
State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services program or who receive
rehabilitation services from other sources, and by identifying specific
secondary conditions that require improved and unique VR services and
approaches.
Priority 4--Participation and Community Living for Individuals With
Psychiatric Disabilities
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center (RRTC) on Participation and Community Living for
Individuals With Psychiatric Disabilities. The RRTC must conduct
rigorous research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination
activities that contribute to improved community participation and
community living outcomes for individuals with psychiatric
disabilities. Under this priority, the RRTC must be designed to
contribute to the following outcomes:
(a) Improved individual and system capacity to maximize the
participation of individuals with psychiatric disabilities in community
life. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
(1) Generating new knowledge through research on effective
strategies to meet the needs of individuals with psychiatric
disabilities who are served by centers for independent living and
identifying independent living services and service-delivery approaches
that meet the unique needs of this population.
(2) Increasing the knowledge base and advancing the application of
theories, measures, methods, or interventions that facilitate
participation and community living of individuals with psychiatric
disabilities. In this regard, the RRTC must focus its efforts on at
least three of the following areas: Employment, housing, education,
health and mental health care, recreation, social relationships, or
other public and private sector activities related to community living.
If the RRTC engages in testing interventions, the RRTC must use
scientifically based research (as this term is defined in section
9101(37) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) methods.
(3) Reducing disparities in service delivery and program
development by focusing its work on one or more of the following
understudied areas: (i) Emergency preparedness for individuals with
psychiatric disabilities; (ii) individuals with psychiatric
disabilities from diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds;
or (iii) individuals with psychiatric disabilities who have co-
occurring sensory or physical disabilities.
(b) Increased incorporation of mental health research findings into
practice or policy. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by
coordinating with appropriate NIDRR-funded knowledge translation
grantees to advance or add to their work in the following areas:
(1) Developing and implementing procedures to evaluate the
readiness of mental health research findings for translation into
practice.
(2) Collaborating with stakeholder groups to develop, evaluate, or
implement strategies to increase utilization of mental health research
findings.
(3) Conducting training, technical assistance, and dissemination
activities to increase utilization of mental health research findings.
Information on knowledge translation projects funded by NIDRR can
be found at https://www.naric.com/research/pd/priority.cfm.
Executive Order 12866
This NFP has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order
12866. Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential
costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with this NFP are those resulting
from statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary
for administering this program effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this NFP, we have determined that the benefits of
the final priorities justify the costs.
Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits
The benefits of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
and Centers Programs have been well established over the years in that
similar projects have been completed successfully. These final
priorities will generate new knowledge and technologies through
research, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical
assistance projects.
Another benefit of these final priorities is that the establishment
of new RRTCs will support the President's NFI and improve the lives of
individuals with disabilities. The new RRTCs will generate,
disseminate, and promote the use of new information that will improve
employment and community living options for individuals with
disabilities.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents 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/.
[[Page 39005]]
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers 84.133B
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers Program)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Dated: July 2, 2008.
Tracy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E8-15503 Filed 7-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
