Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Video Description Research and Development Center; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 48957-48961 [2010-19959]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 155 / Thursday, August 12, 2010 / Notices
passed three referenda. The first
referendum requested that the SLA
forego its 15 percent of the annual
revenue that accrued in Fund 650.
Instead, the SLA would apply 100
percent of the revenue to the vendors’
health insurance plan. The second
referendum requested that the SLA
transfer the unused balance of its 15
percent in Fund 650 to the vendors’
health insurance account. The third
referendum requested that the SLA
transfer $650,000 from Fund 33 to the
vendors’ health insurance account so
the money could be used to cover an
impending shortage.
The Complainants alleged, however,
that the SLA did not comply with the
three referenda and actually transferred
a substantial sum of the money to its
own account to pay retroactive salaries
of program staff.
A State fair hearing on this matter was
held. On May 6, 2007, the hearing
officer issued a decision affirming the
CBV’s complaint, finding that the SLA
had violated CBV’s right to actively
participate in the SLA’s administrative
decision making concerning the
collection and use of unassigned
vending machine income and set-aside
funds. The hearing officer ruled that
(1) the SLA should return funds
collected from the unassigned vending
machine income used to pay for staff
salaries, and (2) in all future major
decisions, the SLA should allow active
participation by the CBV.
Following the hearing officer’s
decision, the SLA filed a petition for
review with the Commonwealth Court
of Pennsylvania. On January 28, 2008,
the court denied the SLA’s appeal. The
SLA then filed a motion for reargument, which was denied by the
court on March 14, 2008. Subsequently,
the CBV requested review and
enforcement by a Federal arbitration
panel of the May 7, 2007, hearing
officer’s decision.
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Arbitration Panel Decision
After a hearing at which all testimony
was presented and following extensive
negotiations, the panel majority and the
parties were able to reach a settlement
and entered into a Settlement
agreement. The panel ruled that the
Settlement Agreement would become
the panel’s final Decision and Award.
Additionally, the parties have agreed
that the terms of the Settlement
Agreement should not be revealed or
disclosed.
The views and opinions expressed by
the panel do not necessarily represent
the views and opinions of the
Department.
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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.
Note: The official version of this document
is the document published in the Federal
Register. Free Internet access to the official
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Dated: August 9, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010–19949 Filed 8–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technology and Media
Services for Individuals With
Disabilities—Video Description
Research and Development Center;
Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.327J.
Applications Available: August
12, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: October 12, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: December 10, 2010.
DATES:
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 of educational
materials that are appropriate for use in
the classroom setting. In the context of
this notice, educational materials for use
in the classroom setting include
television programs, videos, and other
materials, including programs and
materials associated with new and
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48957
emerging technologies, such as CDs,
DVDs, and other forms of multimedia.
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(c) and 681(d) of
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1474
and 1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants 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—Video Description
Research and Development Center.
Background
To ensure that children who are blind
or visually impaired have access to all
educational program content, the Office
of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
provides competitive grant funds to
support the video description of
educational television programs. (See
https://publicddb.tadnet.org. Use the
keyword search function with the term
‘‘video description’’.)
However, teachers are increasingly
using the Internet and other
technological devices (e.g., cell phones,
smart phones, digital video cameras)
rather than television for instruction.
Unfortunately, much of the educational
program content provided via the
Internet or through other technological
devices is not accessible to children
who are blind or visually impaired.
While progress has been made in
accessibility—through video
description—for television
programming that is appropriate for the
classroom setting, there is currently no
legal requirement or any OSEP-funded
project for providing video description
for educational program content
delivered via the Internet (e.g.,
YouTube, YouTube EDU, Second Life,
and virtual on-line courses) or through
technological devices (e.g., smart
phones, cell phones, and digital video
cameras). The technology needed to
provide description for educational
program content delivered via the
Internet or through other technological
devices is either just beginning to
emerge or yet to be developed.
It is essential to develop methods for
providing video description that can be
used in conjunction with the Internet
and other technological devices in order
to ensure that all students who are blind
or visually impaired have access to
educational program content delivered
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through those methods. In addition, it is
important to explore emerging
alternatives to video description that
could improve the accessibility of
educational program content (e.g.,
creating description by having sighted
viewers verbally describe video
content).
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to support the
establishment and operation of the
Video Description Research and
Development Center (Center). The
purpose of the Center is to advance the
research and development of video
description, as well as alternative
approaches to video description, to
improve the accessibility of educational
program content delivered via the
Internet or through other technological
devices (other than television) for
students who are blind or visually
impaired.
To be considered for funding under
this absolute priority, applicants must
meet the application requirements
contained in this priority. Any project
funded under this absolute priority also
must meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in
the priority.
Application Requirements. An
applicant must include in its
application the following:
(a) A detailed plan for implementing
the activities described in the Project
Activities and Leadership and
Coordination Activities sections of this
priority.
(b) A budget for attendance at the
following:
(1) A one and one half-day kick-off
meeting to be held in Washington, DC,
within four weeks after receipt of the
award, and an annual planning meeting
held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP
Project Officer during each subsequent
year of the project period.
(2) A three-day Project Directors’
Conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period; and
(3) A two-day technology Project
Director’s meeting in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
Project Activities. To meet the
requirements of this priority, the Center,
at a minimum, must conduct the
following activities:
(a) Complete a systematic review and
synthesis of existing research on
technology that provides accessibility to
educational program content that is
delivered via the Internet or through
other technological devices for children
who are blind or visually impaired.
(b) Develop methods for providing
video description that can be used in
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conjunction with the Internet and other
technological devices in order to ensure
that students who are blind or visually
impaired have access to educational
program content delivered through
these methods.
(c) Conduct research on emerging
alternatives to video description that
could improve the accessibility of
educational program content (e.g.,
creating description by having sighted
viewers verbally describe video
content).
(d) Collaborate with researchers and
technology experts to enhance or
develop new open source technologies
that make educational program
content—appropriate for use in the
classroom and delivered via the Internet
or through other technological devices
(e.g., smart phones, cell phones, and
digital video cameras)—accessible
through video description.
(e) Systematically field-test and
evaluate the efficacy of the technologies
developed under paragraph (d) of this
priority.
(f) Ensure that all technology
developed under paragraph (d) will be
available as open source materials (i.e.,
the source codes for the developed
technology are freely available to the
public).
(g) Develop and implement—upon
review and approval from OSEP—a
strategy for disseminating research and
development findings, in open source
format, to key stakeholders including
educators, technology developers,
vendors, researchers, and federallyfunded technical assistance and
dissemination projects (e.g., the
National Center on Technology and
Innovation and the Family Center on
Technology and Disability).
Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory
committee to review the activities and
outcomes of the project and to provide
programmatic support and advice
throughout the project period. The
committee membership must include
technology experts, technical assistance
providers, representatives of entities
providing video description, educators,
individuals with disabilities, parents of
children with disabilities, and
individuals from communities
representing rural, low-income, urban,
and English language learner
populations. The names of proposed
members of the advisory committee
must be submitted to OSEP for approval
within four weeks after receipt of the
award.
(b) Conduct a summative evaluation
of the Center in collaboration with the
Center to Improve Project Performance
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(CIPP) as described in the following
paragraphs. This summative evaluation
must examine the outcomes or impact of
the Center’s activities in order to assess
the effectiveness of those activities,
specifically the degree to which the
Center’s activities contribute to changed
practice and improved implementation
of technologies that provide educational
program content delivered via the
Internet and through other technological
devices accessible to children who are
blind or visually impaired.
Note: The major tasks of CIPP are to guide,
coordinate, and oversee the summative
evaluations conducted by selected Technical
Assistance, Personnel Development, Parent
Training and Information Center, and
Technology projects that individually receive
$500,000 or more funding from OSEP
annually. The efforts of CIPP are expected to
enhance individual project evaluations by
providing expert and unbiased assistance in
designing evaluations, conducting analyses,
and interpreting data.
To fulfill the requirements of the
summative evaluation to be conducted
under the guidance of CIPP, the Center
must—
(1) Hire or designate, with the
approval of the OSEP Project Officer, a
project liaison staff person with
sufficient dedicated time and
knowledge of the Center to work with
CIPP on the following tasks—
(i) Planning for the Center’s
summative evaluation (e.g., selecting
evaluation questions, developing a
timeline for the evaluation, and locating
sources of relevant data);
(ii) Developing the summative
evaluation design and instrumentation
(e.g., determining quantitative or
qualitative data collection strategies,
selecting respondent samples, and pilot
testing instruments);
(iii) Coordinating the evaluation
timeline with the implementation of the
Center’s activities;
(iv) Collecting summative data; and
(v) Writing reports of summative
evaluation findings;
(2) Cooperate with CIPP staff in order
to accomplish the tasks described in
paragraph (1) of this section; and
(3) Dedicate $55,000.00 per year of the
annual budget request for this project to
cover the costs of carrying out the tasks
described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
this section and of implementing the
Center’s formative evaluation.
(c) Maintain ongoing communication
with the OSEP Project Officer through
regular teleconferences and e-mail
communication.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department
generally offers interested parties the
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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(d).
Applicable Regulations: The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
competition must make positive efforts
to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities
(see section 606 of IDEA (20 U.S.C.
1405)).
(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 (20 U.S.C. 1482(a)(1)(A))).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian tribes.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Education Publications Center
(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
competition as follows: CFDA number
84.327J.
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
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: The
Administration has requested
$41,223,000 for the Technology and
Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program for FY 2011, of
which we intend to use an estimated
$1,000,000 for the competition
announced in this notice. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on
final congressional action. However, we
are inviting applications to allow
enough time to complete the grant
process if Congress appropriates funds
for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2012 from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $1,000,000 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: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
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Project Period: Up to 24 months.
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.
3. Other: General Requirements—(a)
The projects funded under this
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48959
certifications; or the one-page abstract,
the resumes, the bibliography, the
references, or the letters of support.
However, the page limit does apply to
all of the application narrative section
(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: August 12,
2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: October 12, 2010.
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. 7. 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: December 10, 2010.
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. Data Universal Numbering System
Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor
Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) you must
have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN); (2) you
must register both of those numbers
with the Central Contractor Registry
(CCR), the Government’s primary
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registrant database; and (3) you must
provide those same numbers on your
application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from
Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency,
institution, or organization, you can
obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue
Service. If you are an individual, you
can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security
Administration. If you need a new TIN,
please allow 2–5 weeks for your TIN to
become active.
The CCR registration process may take
five or more business days to complete.
If you are currently registered with the
CCR, you may not need to make any
changes. However, please make certain
that the TIN associated with your DUNS
number is correct. Also note that you
will need to update your CCR
registration on an annual basis. This
may take three or more business days to
complete.
7. 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
6:00 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington,
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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
electronic application for this
competition; and
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(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 84.327J) 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.
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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 84.327J) 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.
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
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
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:22 Aug 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
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
children with disabilities, and
contribute to improving outcomes for
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
48961
children with disabilities. We will
collect data on these measures from the
projects funded under this competition.
Grantees will be required to report
information on their projects’
performance in their annual
performance reports to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Jo
Ann McCann, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4076, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202–2550.
Telephone: (202) 245–7434.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS), 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/
index.html.
Dated: August 9, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010–19959 Filed 8–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
E:\FR\FM\12AUN1.SGM
12AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48957-48961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19959]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With
Disabilities--Video Description Research and Development Center; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327J.
Dates: Applications Available: August 12, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 12, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 10, 2010.
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 of educational materials
that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting. In the context
of this notice, educational materials for use in the classroom setting
include television programs, videos, and other materials, including
programs and materials associated with new and emerging technologies,
such as CDs, DVDs, and other forms of multimedia.
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(c) and 681(d) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1474 and
1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants 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--Video Description Research and Development Center.
Background
To ensure that children who are blind or visually impaired have
access to all educational program content, the Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) provides competitive grant funds to support
the video description of educational television programs. (See https://publicddb.tadnet.org. Use the keyword search function with the term
``video description''.)
However, teachers are increasingly using the Internet and other
technological devices (e.g., cell phones, smart phones, digital video
cameras) rather than television for instruction. Unfortunately, much of
the educational program content provided via the Internet or through
other technological devices is not accessible to children who are blind
or visually impaired. While progress has been made in accessibility--
through video description--for television programming that is
appropriate for the classroom setting, there is currently no legal
requirement or any OSEP-funded project for providing video description
for educational program content delivered via the Internet (e.g.,
YouTube, YouTube EDU, Second Life, and virtual on-line courses) or
through technological devices (e.g., smart phones, cell phones, and
digital video cameras). The technology needed to provide description
for educational program content delivered via the Internet or through
other technological devices is either just beginning to emerge or yet
to be developed.
It is essential to develop methods for providing video description
that can be used in conjunction with the Internet and other
technological devices in order to ensure that all students who are
blind or visually impaired have access to educational program content
delivered
[[Page 48958]]
through those methods. In addition, it is important to explore emerging
alternatives to video description that could improve the accessibility
of educational program content (e.g., creating description by having
sighted viewers verbally describe video content).
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of the Video Description
Research and Development Center (Center). The purpose of the Center is
to advance the research and development of video description, as well
as alternative approaches to video description, to improve the
accessibility of educational program content delivered via the Internet
or through other technological devices (other than television) for
students who are blind or visually impaired.
To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this
priority. Any project funded under this absolute priority also must
meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the
priority.
Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its
application the following:
(a) A detailed plan for implementing the activities described in
the Project Activities and Leadership and Coordination Activities
sections of this priority.
(b) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one and one half-day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, within four weeks after receipt of the award, and an
annual planning meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP Project
Officer during each subsequent year of the project period.
(2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period; and
(3) A two-day technology Project Director's meeting in Washington,
DC, during each year of the project period.
Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the
Center, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:
(a) Complete a systematic review and synthesis of existing research
on technology that provides accessibility to educational program
content that is delivered via the Internet or through other
technological devices for children who are blind or visually impaired.
(b) Develop methods for providing video description that can be
used in conjunction with the Internet and other technological devices
in order to ensure that students who are blind or visually impaired
have access to educational program content delivered through these
methods.
(c) Conduct research on emerging alternatives to video description
that could improve the accessibility of educational program content
(e.g., creating description by having sighted viewers verbally describe
video content).
(d) Collaborate with researchers and technology experts to enhance
or develop new open source technologies that make educational program
content--appropriate for use in the classroom and delivered via the
Internet or through other technological devices (e.g., smart phones,
cell phones, and digital video cameras)--accessible through video
description.
(e) Systematically field-test and evaluate the efficacy of the
technologies developed under paragraph (d) of this priority.
(f) Ensure that all technology developed under paragraph (d) will
be available as open source materials (i.e., the source codes for the
developed technology are freely available to the public).
(g) Develop and implement--upon review and approval from OSEP--a
strategy for disseminating research and development findings, in open
source format, to key stakeholders including educators, technology
developers, vendors, researchers, and federally-funded technical
assistance and dissemination projects (e.g., the National Center on
Technology and Innovation and the Family Center on Technology and
Disability).
Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review the
activities and outcomes of the project and to provide programmatic
support and advice throughout the project period. The committee
membership must include technology experts, technical assistance
providers, representatives of entities providing video description,
educators, individuals with disabilities, parents of children with
disabilities, and individuals from communities representing rural, low-
income, urban, and English language learner populations. The names of
proposed members of the advisory committee must be submitted to OSEP
for approval within four weeks after receipt of the award.
(b) Conduct a summative evaluation of the Center in collaboration
with the Center to Improve Project Performance (CIPP) as described in
the following paragraphs. This summative evaluation must examine the
outcomes or impact of the Center's activities in order to assess the
effectiveness of those activities, specifically the degree to which the
Center's activities contribute to changed practice and improved
implementation of technologies that provide educational program content
delivered via the Internet and through other technological devices
accessible to children who are blind or visually impaired.
Note: The major tasks of CIPP are to guide, coordinate, and
oversee the summative evaluations conducted by selected Technical
Assistance, Personnel Development, Parent Training and Information
Center, and Technology projects that individually receive $500,000
or more funding from OSEP annually. The efforts of CIPP are expected
to enhance individual project evaluations by providing expert and
unbiased assistance in designing evaluations, conducting analyses,
and interpreting data.
To fulfill the requirements of the summative evaluation to be
conducted under the guidance of CIPP, the Center must--
(1) Hire or designate, with the approval of the OSEP Project
Officer, a project liaison staff person with sufficient dedicated time
and knowledge of the Center to work with CIPP on the following tasks--
(i) Planning for the Center's summative evaluation (e.g., selecting
evaluation questions, developing a timeline for the evaluation, and
locating sources of relevant data);
(ii) Developing the summative evaluation design and instrumentation
(e.g., determining quantitative or qualitative data collection
strategies, selecting respondent samples, and pilot testing
instruments);
(iii) Coordinating the evaluation timeline with the implementation
of the Center's activities;
(iv) Collecting summative data; and
(v) Writing reports of summative evaluation findings;
(2) Cooperate with CIPP staff in order to accomplish the tasks
described in paragraph (1) of this section; and
(3) Dedicate $55,000.00 per year of the annual budget request for
this project to cover the costs of carrying out the tasks described in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section and of implementing the Center's
formative evaluation.
(c) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer
through regular teleconferences and e-mail communication.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the
[[Page 48959]]
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(d).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions
of higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$41,223,000 for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program for FY 2011, of which we intend to use an
estimated $1,000,000 for the competition announced in this notice. The
actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from this
competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,000,000 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: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
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 (20 U.S.C. 1405)).
(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 (20 U.S.C.
1482(a)(1)(A))).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (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 competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327J.
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, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section (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: August 12, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 12, 2010.
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. 7.
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: December 10, 2010.
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. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary
[[Page 48960]]
registrant database; and (3) you must provide those same numbers on
your application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
7. 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 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 84.327J) 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.
[[Page 48961]]
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 84.327J)
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
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 will be required to report information on their projects'
performance in their annual performance reports to the Department (34
CFR 75.590).
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Jo Ann McCann, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4076, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7434.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 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: August 9, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-19959 Filed 8-11-10; 8:45 am]
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