Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, 5291-5296 [2010-2182]
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Dated: January 28, 2010.
Stephanie Valentine,
Acting Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of Management.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
AGENCY:
Department of Education.
The Acting Director,
Information Collection Clearance
Division, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management invites comments on the
submission for OMB review as required
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
SUMMARY:
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2010.
Federal Student Aid
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Title: Regulations for Equity in
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Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour
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ADDRESSES:
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Burden Hours: 11,000.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[FR Doc. 2010–2157 Filed 2–1–10; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technology and Media
Services for Individuals With
Disabilities—Steppingstones of
Technology Innovation for Children
With Disabilities Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.327A.
Note: This notice includes one absolute
priority with two phases, and funding
information for each phase of the
competition.
Dates:
Applications Available: February 2,
2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: See the chart in the
Award Information section of this notice
(Chart).
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: See Chart.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of
the Technology and Media Services for
Individuals with Disabilities program
are to: (1) Improve results for children
with disabilities by promoting the
development, demonstration, and use of
technology; (2) support educational
media services activities designed to be
of educational value in the classroom
setting to children with disabilities; and
(3) provide support for captioning and
video description that are 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, or otherwise authorized in the
statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2010 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards based on the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities—
Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children With
Disabilities
Background
The Department has made
Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with
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Disabilities awards for several years
under the Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program. Awards are made
in two phases: (1) Development and (2)
research on effectiveness. Abstracts of
projects funded under these two phases
can be found at https://
publicddb.tadnet.org/.
Priority
The Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with
Disabilities absolute priority requires
grantees to develop, implement, and
evaluate innovative technology
approaches designed to improve results
for children with disabilities. Phase 1
projects must develop, refine, and test
the feasibility of specific technologybased approaches. Phase 2 projects must
subject technology-based approaches to
rigorous field-based research to
determine their effectiveness.
To be considered for funding under
the Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with
Disabilities absolute priority, applicants
must meet the application requirements
contained in the priority. All projects
funded under the absolute priority also
must meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in
the priority. The application,
programmatic, and administrative
requirements are as follows:
(a) In the application, an applicant
must—
(1) Describe a technology-based
approach for improving the results of (a)
early intervention programs, (b)
response-to-intervention (RTI)
assessment techniques, or (c) preschool,
elementary school, middle school, or
high school educational programs for
children with disabilities. The
technology-based approach must be an
innovative combination of new
technology and additional materials and
methodologies that enable the
technology to improve early
intervention programs, RTI assessment
techniques, or educational results for
children with disabilities;
(2) Present a justification, based on
scientifically rigorous research or
theory, that supports the potential
effectiveness of the technology-based
approach described pursuant to
paragraph (a)(1) of this priority for
improving results for children with
disabilities. The approach must have the
potential to improve child outcomes,
not just parent or provider outcomes.
Child outcomes may include improved
academic or pre-academic skills,
improved behavioral or social
functioning, and improved functional
performance, provided that valid and
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reliable measurement instruments are
employed to assess the outcomes.
Technology-based approaches intended
for use by providers or parents may not
be funded under this priority unless
child-level benefits are clearly
demonstrated. Technology-based
approaches for professional
development will not be funded under
this priority;
(3) Provide a detailed plan for
conducting work in one of the following
two phases:
(i) Phase 1—Development: Projects
funded under Phase 1 must develop and
refine a technology-based approach, and
test its feasibility for use with children
with disabilities. Activities under Phase
1 of the priority may include
development, adaptation, and
refinement of technology, materials, or
methodologies. Activities under Phase 1
of the priority must include a formative
evaluation of the technology-based
approach’s usability and feasibility for
use with children with disabilities. Each
project funded under Phase 1 must be
designed to develop, as its primary
product, a promising technology-based
approach that is suitable for field-based
evaluation of its effectiveness in
improving results for children with
disabilities.
(ii) Phase 2—Research on
Effectiveness: Projects funded under
Phase 2 must select a promising
technology-based approach that has
been developed and tested in a manner
consistent with the criteria for activities
funded under Phase 1, and subject the
approach to rigorous field-based
research to determine its effectiveness
in educational or early intervention
settings. Approaches studied under
Phase 2 may have been developed with
previous funding under Phase 1 of this
priority or with funding from other
sources. Phase 2 of this priority is
primarily intended to produce sound
research-based evidence demonstrating
that the technology-based approach can
improve educational or early
intervention results for children with
disabilities in a defined range of real
world contexts.
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this
priority must conduct research that
poses a causal question and must seek
to answer that question through
randomized assignment to treatment
and comparison conditions, unless a
strong justification is made for why a
randomized trial is not possible. If a
randomized trial is not possible, the
applicant must employ alternatives that
substantially minimize selection bias or
allow the selection bias to be modeled.
These alternatives include appropriately
structured regression-discontinuity
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designs and natural experiments in
which naturally occurring
circumstances or institutions (perhaps
unintentionally) divide people into
treatment and comparison groups in a
manner akin to purposeful random
assignment. In their applications,
applicants proposing to use an
alternative system must (1) make a
compelling case that randomization is
not possible, and (2) describe in detail
how the procedures will result in
substantially minimizing the effects of
selection bias on estimates of effect size.
Choice of randomizing unit or units
(e.g., students, classrooms, schools)
must be grounded in a theoretical
framework. Observational, survey, or
qualitative methodologies may
complement experimental
methodologies to assist in the
identification of factors that may
explain the effectiveness or
ineffectiveness of the technology-based
approach being evaluated. Applicants
must propose research designs that
permit the identification and assessment
of factors that may have an impact on
the fidelity of implementation.
Mediating and moderating variables that
are both measured in the practice or
model condition and are likely to affect
outcomes in the comparison condition
must be measured in the comparison
condition (e.g., student time-on-task,
teacher experience, or time in position).
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this
priority must conduct comprehensive
research in order to provide convincing
evidence of the effectiveness or
ineffectiveness of the technology-based
approach under study, at least within a
defined range of settings. Applicants
must provide documentation that
available sample sizes, methodologies,
and treatment effects are likely to result
in conclusive findings regarding the
effectiveness of the technology-based
approach;
(4) Provide a plan for forming
collaborative relationships with
vendors, other dissemination or
marketing resources, or both to ensure
that the technology-based approach can
be made widely available if sufficient
evidence of effectiveness is obtained.
Applicants should document the
availability and willingness of
dissemination or marketing resources to
participate. Applicants are encouraged
to plan these collaborative relationships
early in their projects, even in Phase 1
(if applicable), but should refrain from
widespread dissemination of the
technology-based approach to
practitioners until evidence of its
effectiveness is obtained in Phase 2; and
(5) Budget for the project director to
attend an annual three-day Project
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Directors’ meeting in Washington, DC,
and another annual two-day trip to
Washington, DC to collaborate with the
Federal project officer and the other
projects funded under this priority to
share information, and to discuss
findings and methods of dissemination.
(b) The project also must conduct the
following activities:
(1) If the project maintains a Web site,
include relevant information and
documents in a format that meets a
government or industry-recognized
standard for accessibility.
(2) If the project produces
instructional materials for
dissemination, produce them in
accessible formats (e.g., with captioning,
with video description, or complying
with the National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard
(NIMAS), as appropriate).
Within this absolute priority, we are
particularly interested in applications
that address the following invitational
priorities.
Invitational Priorities: Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
application that meets one of these
invitational priorities a competitive or
absolute preference over other
applications.
These priorities are:
(1) Projects led by a project director or
principal investigator who is in the
initial phase of his or her career. For
purpose of this invitational priority, the
initial phase of an individual’s career is
considered to be the first three years
after the individual completes and
graduates from a doctoral program (i.e.,
for FY 2010 awards, projects may
support individuals who completed and
graduated from a doctoral program no
earlier than the 2006–2007 academic
year).
(2) Projects focusing on technologybased approaches for children with
disabilities, ages birth to age three.
(3) Projects focusing on technologybased approaches to response-tointervention assessment techniques.
(4) Projects focusing on technologybased approaches for instruction in
science, mathematics, or both for
children with disabilities.
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 and requirements. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the
public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this
notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474
and 1481.
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 institutions of higher education
(IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$2,400,000. Please refer to the
‘‘Estimated Range of Awards’’ column in
the Chart for the estimated dollar
amounts for the two phases of this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: See
Chart.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
See Chart.
Maximum Award: Phase 1: $200,000,
per year and Phase 2: $300,000, per
year. We will reject any application that
proposes a budget exceeding the
maximum award for a single budget
period of 12 months. The Assistant
Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the
maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: See
Chart.
Project Period: Projects funded under
Phase 1 will be funded for up to 24
months. Projects funded under Phase 2
will be funded for up to 36 months. We
will reject any application that proposes
a project period exceeding 24 months
for Phase 1 or 36 months for Phase 2.
STEPPINGSTONES OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2010
Deadline for
transmittal of
applications
Deadline for
intergovernmental review
Estimated
available funds
March 19,
2010.
March 19,
2010.
May 18, 2010
$1,200,000
May 18, 2010
1,200,000
CFDA number and name
84.327A—Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with Disabilities:
Phase 1—Development ......................
Phase 2—Research on Effectiveness
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Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State
educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (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 forprofit organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
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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).
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Estimated
range of
awards
$100,000–
$200,000
200,000–
300,000
Estimated
average size
of awards
Estimated
number of
awards
$200,000
6
300,000
4
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of
Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria,
VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1–877–
433–7827. FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1–877–576–
7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web
site, also: https://www.EDPubs.gov or at
its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package
from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this
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competition as follows: CFDA number
84.327A.
Individuals with disabilities can
obtain a copy of the application package
in an accessible format (e.g., braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) by contacting the person or
team listed under Accessible Format in
section VIII 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″ × 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part
I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget
section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page abstract,
the resumes, the bibliography, 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
exceed the page limit; or if you apply
other standards and exceed the
equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 2,
2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: See Chart.
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application)
accessible through the Department’s eGrants site, or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery. For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to
section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
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Individuals with disabilities who
need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
in connection with the application
process should contact the person listed
under For Further Information Contact
in section VII of this notice. If the
Department provides an accommodation
or auxiliary aid to an individual with a
disability in connection with the
application process, the individual’s
application remains subject to all other
requirements and limitations in this
notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: See Chart.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
If you choose to submit your
application to us electronically, you
must use e-Application, accessible
through the Department’s e-Grants Web
site at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic
application, you will be entering data
online that will be saved into a
database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to
us.
Please note the following:
• Your participation in e-Application
is voluntary.
• You must complete the electronic
submission of your grant application by
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date. E–
Application will not accept an
application for this competition after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the application
process.
• The hours of operation of the eGrants Web site are 6:00 a.m. Monday
until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00
a.m. Thursday until 8:00 p.m. Sunday,
Washington, DC time. Please note that,
because of maintenance, the system is
unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on
Sundays and 6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and
between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and
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6:00 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington,
DC time. Any modifications to these
hours are posted on the e-Grants Web
site.
• You will not receive additional
point value because you submit your
application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize you if you submit your
application in paper format.
• You must submit all documents
electronically, including all information
you typically provide on the following
forms: the Application for Federal
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for
SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
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 in this paragraph 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.
• Prior to submitting your electronic
application, you may wish to print a
copy of it for your records.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive an
automatic acknowledgment that will
include a PR/Award number (an
identifying number unique to your
application).
• Within three working days after
submitting your electronic application,
fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the
Application Control Center after
following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant’s Authorizing
Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the
upper right hand corner of the hardcopy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the
Application Control Center at (202)
245–6272.
• We may request that you provide us
original signatures on other forms at a
later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of System Unavailability: If you
are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the
application deadline date because eApplication is unavailable, we will
grant you an extension of one business
day to enable you to transmit your
application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if—
(1) You are a registered user of eApplication and you have initiated an
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electronic application for this
competition; and
(2) (a) E–Application is unavailable
for 60 minutes or more between the
hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) E–Application is unavailable for
any period of time between 3:30 p.m.
and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm
these periods of unavailability before
granting you an extension. To request
this extension or to confirm our
acknowledgment of any system
unavailability, you may contact either
(1) the person listed elsewhere in this
notice under For Further Information
Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2)
the e-Grants help desk at 1–888–336–
8930. If e-Application is unavailable
due to technical problems with the
system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be
sent to all registered users who have
initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section
apply only to the unavailability of eApplication. If e-Application is
available, and, for any reason, you are
unable to submit your application
electronically or you do not receive an
automatic acknowledgment of your
submission, you may submit your
application in paper format by mail or
hand delivery in accordance with the
instructions in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications
by Mail.
If you submit your application in
paper format by mail (through the U.S.
Postal Service or a commercial carrier),
you must mail the original and two
copies of your application, on or before
the application deadline date, to the
Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.327A), LBJ Basement
Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202–4260.
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.
(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.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:52 Feb 01, 2010
Jkt 220001
(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 84.327A), 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,
including suffix letter, if any, of the
competition under which you are submitting
your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will
mail to you a notification of receipt of your
grant application. If you do not receive this
grant notification 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
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this program are from 34 CFR
75.210 and are listed in the application
package.
2. Review and Selection Process: In
the past, the Department has had
difficulty finding peer reviewers for
certain competitions, because so many
individuals who are eligible to serve as
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest.
The Standing Panel requirements under
IDEA also have placed additional
constraints on the availability of
reviewers. Therefore, the Department
has determined that, for some
discretionary grant competitions,
applications may be separated into two
or more groups and ranked and selected
for funding within specific groups. This
procedure will make it easier for the
Department to find peer reviewers, by
ensuring that greater numbers of
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5295
individuals who are eligible to serve as
reviewers for any particular group of
applicants will not have conflicts of
interest. It also will increase the quality,
independence, and fairness of the
review process, while permitting panel
members to review applications under
discretionary grant competitions for
which they also have submitted
applications. However, if the
Department decides to select an equal
number of applications in each group
for funding, this may result in different
cut-off points for fundable applications
in each group.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN). We may notify you informally,
also.
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 directed by
the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The
Secretary may also require more
frequent performance reports under 34
CFR 75.720(c). For specific
requirements on reporting, please go to
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has
established a set of performance
measures, including long-term
measures, that are designed to yield
information on various aspects of the
effectiveness and quality of the
Technology and Media Services for
Individuals with Disabilities program.
These measures focus on the extent to
which projects are of high quality, are
relevant to improving outcomes of
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 21 / Tuesday, February 2, 2010 / Notices
children with disabilities, and
contribute to improving outcomes for
children with disabilities. We will
collect data on these measures from the
projects funded under this competition.
Grantees also will 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:
Terry Jackson, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Room 4081, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202–2550.
Telephone: (202) 245–6039.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal
Relay Service, toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
VIII. Other Information
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.
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
Dated: January 28, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010–2182 Filed 2–1–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
16:52 Feb 01, 2010
Office of Postsecondary Education;
Overview Information; National
Resource Centers (NRC) Program for
Foreign Language and Area Studies or
Foreign Language and International
Studies Program and Foreign
Language and Area Studies (FLAS)
Fellowships Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.015A
and 84.015B.
Dates:
Applications Available: February 2,
2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: March 23, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: May 24, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document
and a copy of the application package in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette)
by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC
20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245–
7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll
free, at 1–800–877–8339.
Electronic Access to This Document:
You can 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.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Jkt 220001
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The NRC
Program makes awards to institutions of
higher education or consortia of
institutions of higher education to
establish or strengthen nationally
recognized foreign language and area or
international studies centers or
programs. NRC awards are used to
support undergraduate centers or
comprehensive centers, which include
undergraduate, graduate, and
professional school components.
The FLAS Fellowships Program
provides allocations of fellowships to
institutions of higher education or
consortia of institutions of higher
education to assist meritorious
undergraduate and graduate students
undergoing training in modern foreign
languages and related area or
international studies.
Priorities: This notice includes one
absolute priority, one competitive
preference priority, and five invitational
priorities.
NRC Program Absolute Priority: In
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii),
this priority is from the regulations for
the NRC program (34 CFR 656.23(a)(4)).
For FY 2010, this priority is an absolute
priority for the NRC program. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Applications that provide for teacher
training activities on the language,
languages, area studies, or thematic
focus of the center. Within this absolute
priority, we are particularly interested
in applications that address the
following invitational priorities.
NRC Program Invitational Priorities:
For FY 2010, these priorities are
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invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(1), we do not give an
application that meets these invitational
priorities a competitive or absolute
preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
NRC Invitational Priority 1
Applications that propose activities
designed to coordinate with other
programs in title VI of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA) with the objective of increasing
the Nation’s capacity to train and
produce Americans with advanced
proficiency in the less and least
commonly taught languages along with
an understanding of the societies in
which those languages are spoken.
NRC Invitational Priority 2
Applications that propose
collaborative activities with institutions
of higher education that are eligible to
receive assistance under part A or B of
Title III or under Title V of the HEA or
community colleges designed to
internationalize curriculum and
improve foreign language and area and
international studies instruction at these
institutions.
NRC Invitational Priority 3
Applications that propose
collaborative activities with professional
schools such as Business, Law, Public
Health, Public Policy, Environmental
Science, Communication, Journalism
and Schools of Education in order to
strengthen international components of
study in those fields and to promote
foreign language study by students in
professional schools.
NRC Invitational Priority 4
Programs or projects that develop,
maintain, or enhance linkages with
overseas institutions of higher education
or other educational organizations in
areas with substantial Muslim
populations in order to improve
understanding of these societies and
provide for greater engagement with
institutions in these areas.
FLAS Program Competitive Preference
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from the
regulations for the FLAS program (34
CFR 657.22(a)(2)). For FY 2010, this
priority is a competitive preference
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i),
we award an additional five points to an
application that meets this priority.
This FLAS Competitive Preference
Priority is:
Applications that propose to make at
least 25% of their academic year
fellowships in any of the 78 priority
languages listed below that were
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5291-5296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2182]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With
Disabilities--Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With
Disabilities Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327A.
Note: This notice includes one absolute priority with two
phases, and funding information for each phase of the competition.
Dates:
Applications Available: February 2, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See the chart in the
Award Information section of this notice (Chart).
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with Disabilities program are to: (1) Improve
results for children with disabilities by promoting the development,
demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media
services activities designed to be of educational value in the
classroom setting to children with disabilities; and (3) provide
support for captioning and video description that are 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, or otherwise
authorized in the statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities
Background
The Department has made Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for
Children with
[[Page 5292]]
Disabilities awards for several years under the Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. Awards are made in
two phases: (1) Development and (2) research on effectiveness.
Abstracts of projects funded under these two phases can be found at
https://publicddb.tadnet.org/.
Priority
The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with
Disabilities absolute priority requires grantees to develop, implement,
and evaluate innovative technology approaches designed to improve
results for children with disabilities. Phase 1 projects must develop,
refine, and test the feasibility of specific technology-based
approaches. Phase 2 projects must subject technology-based approaches
to rigorous field-based research to determine their effectiveness.
To be considered for funding under the Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with Disabilities absolute priority, applicants
must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All
projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the
programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.
The application, programmatic, and administrative requirements are as
follows:
(a) In the application, an applicant must--
(1) Describe a technology-based approach for improving the results
of (a) early intervention programs, (b) response-to-intervention (RTI)
assessment techniques, or (c) preschool, elementary school, middle
school, or high school educational programs for children with
disabilities. The technology-based approach must be an innovative
combination of new technology and additional materials and
methodologies that enable the technology to improve early intervention
programs, RTI assessment techniques, or educational results for
children with disabilities;
(2) Present a justification, based on scientifically rigorous
research or theory, that supports the potential effectiveness of the
technology-based approach described pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of
this priority for improving results for children with disabilities. The
approach must have the potential to improve child outcomes, not just
parent or provider outcomes. Child outcomes may include improved
academic or pre-academic skills, improved behavioral or social
functioning, and improved functional performance, provided that valid
and reliable measurement instruments are employed to assess the
outcomes. Technology-based approaches intended for use by providers or
parents may not be funded under this priority unless child-level
benefits are clearly demonstrated. Technology-based approaches for
professional development will not be funded under this priority;
(3) Provide a detailed plan for conducting work in one of the
following two phases:
(i) Phase 1--Development: Projects funded under Phase 1 must
develop and refine a technology-based approach, and test its
feasibility for use with children with disabilities. Activities under
Phase 1 of the priority may include development, adaptation, and
refinement of technology, materials, or methodologies. Activities under
Phase 1 of the priority must include a formative evaluation of the
technology-based approach's usability and feasibility for use with
children with disabilities. Each project funded under Phase 1 must be
designed to develop, as its primary product, a promising technology-
based approach that is suitable for field-based evaluation of its
effectiveness in improving results for children with disabilities.
(ii) Phase 2--Research on Effectiveness: Projects funded under
Phase 2 must select a promising technology-based approach that has been
developed and tested in a manner consistent with the criteria for
activities funded under Phase 1, and subject the approach to rigorous
field-based research to determine its effectiveness in educational or
early intervention settings. Approaches studied under Phase 2 may have
been developed with previous funding under Phase 1 of this priority or
with funding from other sources. Phase 2 of this priority is primarily
intended to produce sound research-based evidence demonstrating that
the technology-based approach can improve educational or early
intervention results for children with disabilities in a defined range
of real world contexts.
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct
research that poses a causal question and must seek to answer that
question through randomized assignment to treatment and comparison
conditions, unless a strong justification is made for why a randomized
trial is not possible. If a randomized trial is not possible, the
applicant must employ alternatives that substantially minimize
selection bias or allow the selection bias to be modeled. These
alternatives include appropriately structured regression-discontinuity
designs and natural experiments in which naturally occurring
circumstances or institutions (perhaps unintentionally) divide people
into treatment and comparison groups in a manner akin to purposeful
random assignment. In their applications, applicants proposing to use
an alternative system must (1) make a compelling case that
randomization is not possible, and (2) describe in detail how the
procedures will result in substantially minimizing the effects of
selection bias on estimates of effect size. Choice of randomizing unit
or units (e.g., students, classrooms, schools) must be grounded in a
theoretical framework. Observational, survey, or qualitative
methodologies may complement experimental methodologies to assist in
the identification of factors that may explain the effectiveness or
ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach being evaluated.
Applicants must propose research designs that permit the identification
and assessment of factors that may have an impact on the fidelity of
implementation. Mediating and moderating variables that are both
measured in the practice or model condition and are likely to affect
outcomes in the comparison condition must be measured in the comparison
condition (e.g., student time-on-task, teacher experience, or time in
position).
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct
comprehensive research in order to provide convincing evidence of the
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach under
study, at least within a defined range of settings. Applicants must
provide documentation that available sample sizes, methodologies, and
treatment effects are likely to result in conclusive findings regarding
the effectiveness of the technology-based approach;
(4) Provide a plan for forming collaborative relationships with
vendors, other dissemination or marketing resources, or both to ensure
that the technology-based approach can be made widely available if
sufficient evidence of effectiveness is obtained. Applicants should
document the availability and willingness of dissemination or marketing
resources to participate. Applicants are encouraged to plan these
collaborative relationships early in their projects, even in Phase 1
(if applicable), but should refrain from widespread dissemination of
the technology-based approach to practitioners until evidence of its
effectiveness is obtained in Phase 2; and
(5) Budget for the project director to attend an annual three-day
Project
[[Page 5293]]
Directors' meeting in Washington, DC, and another annual two-day trip
to Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and
the other projects funded under this priority to share information, and
to discuss findings and methods of dissemination.
(b) The project also must conduct the following activities:
(1) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a format that meets a government or
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
(2) If the project produces instructional materials for
dissemination, produce them in accessible formats (e.g., with
captioning, with video description, or complying with the National
Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), as
appropriate).
Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following invitational priorities.
Invitational Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give
an application that meets one of these invitational priorities a
competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
(1) Projects led by a project director or principal investigator
who is in the initial phase of his or her career. For purpose of this
invitational priority, the initial phase of an individual's career is
considered to be the first three years after the individual completes
and graduates from a doctoral program (i.e., for FY 2010 awards,
projects may support individuals who completed and graduated from a
doctoral program no earlier than the 2006-2007 academic year).
(2) Projects focusing on technology-based approaches for children
with disabilities, ages birth to age three.
(3) Projects focusing on technology-based approaches to response-
to-intervention assessment techniques.
(4) Projects focusing on technology-based approaches for
instruction in science, mathematics, or both for children with
disabilities.
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 and
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481.
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 institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,400,000. Please refer to the
``Estimated Range of Awards'' column in the Chart for the estimated
dollar amounts for the two phases of this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: See Chart.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: See Chart.
Maximum Award: Phase 1: $200,000, per year and Phase 2: $300,000,
per year. We will reject any application that proposes a budget
exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months.
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: See Chart.
Project Period: Projects funded under Phase 1 will be funded for up
to 24 months. Projects funded under Phase 2 will be funded for up to 36
months. We will reject any application that proposes a project period
exceeding 24 months for Phase 1 or 36 months for Phase 2.
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline for Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated
CFDA number and name transmittal of Deadline for available range of average size number of
applications intergovernmental review funds awards of awards awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.327A--Steppingstones of
Technology Innovation for Children
with Disabilities:
Phase 1--Development............ March 19, 2010......... May 18, 2010............. $1,200,000 $100,000-$200, $200,000 6
000
Phase 2--Research on March 19, 2010......... May 18, 2010............. 1,200,000 200,000-300,00 300,000 4
Effectiveness. 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (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.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 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: ED Pubs, U.S. Department
of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-
576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: https://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to
identify this
[[Page 5294]]
competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327A.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII 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; or 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 exceed the page limit; or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 2, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See Chart.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.
Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you
must use e-Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants
Web site at: https://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m.
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. 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 in this paragraph 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.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an
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electronic application for this competition; and
(2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of e-Application. If e-Application is available, and,
for any reason, you are unable to submit your application
electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgment of
your submission, you may submit your application in paper format by
mail or hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this
notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.327A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
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.
(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.
(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
84.327A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this grant notification 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
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: In the past, the Department has
had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain competitions, because
so many individuals who are eligible to serve as peer reviewers have
conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also
have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers.
Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary
grant competitions, applications may be separated into two or more
groups and ranked and selected for funding within specific groups. This
procedure will make it easier for the Department to find peer
reviewers, by ensuring that greater numbers of individuals who are
eligible to serve as reviewers for any particular group of applicants
will not have conflicts of interest. It also will increase the quality,
independence, and fairness of the review process, while permitting
panel members to review applications under discretionary grant
competitions for which they also have submitted applications. However,
if the Department decides to select an equal number of applications in
each group for funding, this may result in different cut-off points for
fundable applications in each group.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
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 directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and
quality of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program. These measures focus on the extent to which
projects are of high quality, are relevant to improving outcomes of
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children with disabilities, and contribute to improving outcomes for
children with disabilities. We will collect data on these measures from
the projects funded under this competition.
Grantees also will 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: Terry Jackson, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4081, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-6039.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by
contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC
20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS,
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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.
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: January 28, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-2182 Filed 2-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
