Applications for New Awards; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual Impairments and Other Print Disabilities, 11499-11505 [2012-4547]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices
Dated: February 22, 2012.
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Dated: February 21, 2012.
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[FR Doc. 2012–4458 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities—
Educational Materials in Accessible
Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
Overview Information
Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities—
Educational Materials in Accessible
Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.327D.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 27,
2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 12, 2012.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: June 11, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Technology and Media Services for
Individuals with Disabilities program is
to: (1) Improve results for students 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
for students with disabilities; and (3)
provide support for captioning and
video description that is appropriate for
use in the classroom.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute (see sections 674(c)(1)(D) and
681(d) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20
U.S.C. 1474(c)(1)(D) and 1481(D)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
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Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities—
Educational Materials in Accessible
Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities
after receipt of the award, and an annual
planning meeting held in Washington,
DC, with the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) Project Officer during
each subsequent year of the project
period.
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to support the
establishment and operation of a project
that will provide free educational
materials,1 including textbooks, in
accessible media for students who are
blind, visually impaired, and print
disabled and enrolled in elementary,
secondary, postsecondary, or graduate
schools.
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—
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs,
and outcomes of the proposed project. A
logic model communicates how a
project will achieve its outcomes and
provides a framework for both the
formative and summative evaluations of
the project;
Note: Within 30 days of the award, a postaward teleconference must be held between
the OSEP Project Officer and the grantee’s
project director or other authorized
representative. The primary purposes of this
meeting will be to review the Department’s
grantee requirements, discuss the project’s
planned activities and budget, and confirm
the expectations for the project’s performance
measures and evaluation.
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Note: The following Web sites provide
more information on logic models:
www.researchutilization.org/matrix/
logicmodel_resource3c.html and
www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.
(2) A three-day Project Directors’
Conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period.
(3) Two two-day trips annually to
attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and
other meetings, as requested by OSEP,
and to meet with the OSEP Project
Officer and other funded projects for
purposes of cross-project collaboration
and information exchange; and
(f) A line item in the proposed budget
for an annual set-aside of four percent
of the grant amount to support emerging
needs that are consistent with the
proposed project’s activities, as those
needs are identified in consultation
with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project
Officer, the project must reallocate any
remaining funds from this annual set-aside
no later than the end of the third quarter of
each budget period.
(b) A plan to implement the activities
described in the Project Activities
section of this priority;
(c) A plan, linked to the proposed
project’s logic model, for a formative
evaluation of the proposed project’s
activities. The plan must describe how
the formative evaluation will use clear
performance objectives to ensure
continuous improvement in the
operation of the proposed project,
including objective measures of progress
in implementing the project and
ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A budget for a summative
evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(e) A budget for attendance at the
following:
(1) A one and one half day kick-off
meeting to be held in Washington, DC,
Project Activities. To meet the
requirements of this priority, the
project, at a minimum, must conduct
the following activities:
(a) Provide educational materials,
including textbooks, in accessible
formats to State educational agencies
(SEAs) and local educational agencies
(LEAs) for use by elementary and
secondary education students with print
disabilities. The educational materials,
including any specialized software
needed to use the materials, must be
provided at no cost to students, families,
schools, SEAs, and LEAs. Thus, the
project may not assess membership fees
to individual students or to institutions,
including schools, SEAs, and LEAs.
(b) Provide educational materials in
accessible formats for students with
print disabilities attending
postsecondary and graduate schools.
Materials may be provided directly to
eligible students 2 or to postsecondary
1 For the purposes of this priority, we are using
the term ‘‘educational materials’’ consistent with
the use of this term in section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA
and to be consistent with the term of art used in
the field.
2 For purposes of this priority, eligible students
attending postsecondary and graduate schools are
students with a print disability as defined in section
771 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended. Section 771 defines ‘‘student with a print
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and graduate schools and vocational
rehabilitation agencies requesting
materials in accessible formats on behalf
of eligible students. The accessible
educational materials, including any
specialized software needed to use the
materials, must be provided at no cost
to students, postsecondary and graduate
schools, and vocational rehabilitation
agencies. Thus, the project may not
assess fees to individual students or to
institutions, including postsecondary
schools, graduate schools, and
vocational rehabilitation agencies.
(c) Produce high-quality, user-friendly
educational materials in accessible
formats including, digital text, brailleready files, and audio formats. At least
50 percent of the audio materials
produced must be in text-to-speech
audio format. Materials produced as
part of this cooperative agreement must
include image descriptions, digital
images, and graphics.
(d) Develop and implement an
innovative plan focused on improving
the quality, timeliness, and ease of
access to educational materials for
students with print disabilities,
including, when appropriate, those
materials that are included in open
educational resources.3 To the extent
feasible, the project must provide for the
use of communication and data
technologies available today, including
handheld devices, smart phones, data
pads, etc., and anticipate future needs
across the five years in the development
of this plan.
(e) Develop and implement cost and
efficiency measures for the production
of accessible educational materials.
(f) Provide high-quality, up-to-date
software needed to use the accessible
educational materials, at no cost to
students, families, schools, LEAs, SEAs,
postsecondary and graduate schools,
and vocational rehabilitation agencies.
The project must also keep abreast of
emerging technologies and implement
changes and updates to technology,
software, and other materials that meet
industry standards.
(g) Provide and implement a detailed
digital rights management (DRM) plan
that protects the interests of rights
holders while maintaining ease of
access to the accessible educational
materials for students with print
disabilities.
disability’’ as ‘‘a student with a disability who
experiences barriers to accessing instructional
material in nonspecialized formats, including an
individual described in section 121(d)(2) of title 17,
United States Code.’’
3 For purposes of this priority, ‘‘open educational
resources’’ are teaching, learning, and research
resources that reside in the public domain or have
been released under an intellectual property license
that permits their free use or repurposing by others.
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(h) Develop and implement a plan for
consulting with publishers, software
developers, other manufacturers of
accessible educational materials for
individuals with print disabilities, and
the National Instructional Materials
Access Center (NIMAC) 4 to ensure that
the project uses the most efficient, costeffective technology available to provide
timely access to educational materials.
(i) Produce accessible educational
materials using files that are compliant
with the National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard
(NIMAS).5
(j) Develop and implement a plan for
increasing SEA and LEA use of the
project’s resources and accessible
educational materials as part of their
systems for providing educational
materials in accessible formats to
students with print disabilities.
(k) Ensure that project activities are
conducted in compliance with section
121 of the Copyright Act, as amended:
www.copyright.gov/title17/
92chap1.html#121.
(l) Establish and maintain an advisory
committee consisting of SEA and LEA
representatives, representatives from
community colleges and four-year
institutions of higher education,
representatives from vocational
rehabilitation agencies, parents of
individuals with visual impairments
and other print disabilities ages birth
through 26, consumers with visual
impairments and consumers with other
print disabilities who use educational
materials in accessible formats, and
representatives of schools or other
institutions where educational materials
in accessible formats are used. The
purpose of this advisory committee is to
provide the project with input and
ongoing advice on the project’s goals,
objectives, program activities, and
services. The project must submit the
names of proposed members of the
advisory committee to OSEP for
approval within eight weeks after
receipt of the award.
(m) Maintain a Web site that meets
government or industry-recognized
standards for accessibility and that links
to the Web site operated by the
Technical Assistance Coordination
Center (TACC).6
(n) Communicate and collaborate, on
an ongoing basis, with OSEP-funded
projects, including NIMAS-related
projects. Activities could include the
4 For more information regarding the NIMAC,
please see: www.nimac.us/.
5 For more information regarding the NIMAS,
please see: https://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/
,root,dynamic,TopicalArea,10,.
6 For more information regarding the TACC,
please see: www.tadnet.org.
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joint development of products, training
sessions, and materials, and improving
the accessible educational materials
delivery system to ensure timely and
easy access to accessible educational
materials.
(o) Maintain ongoing communication
with the OSEP Project Officer through
bi-monthly phone conferences and
email communication.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project
In deciding whether to continue
funding the project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider
the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a),
and in addition—
(a) The recommendation of a review
team consisting of experts selected by
the Secretary. This review will be
conducted during a one-day intensive
meeting in Washington, DC, that will be
held during the last half of the second
year of the project period. The project
must budget for travel expenses
associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness
with which all requirements of the
negotiated cooperative agreement have
been or are being met by the project; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and
usefulness of the project’s activities and
products and the degree to which the
project’s activities and products have
contributed to increasing the number of
eligible students that use AIM and
improving the timeliness of delivery of
AIM to students with print 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
only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds:
$6,500,000.
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Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2013 from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $6,500,000 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 36 months with
an optional additional 24 months based
on performance. Applications must
include plans for both the 36-month
award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: National,
nonprofit entities with a proven track
record of meeting the needs of students
with visual impairments and other print
disabilities through services described
in section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA that have
the capacity to produce, maintain, and
distribute, in a timely fashion, up-todate textbooks in digital audio formats
to qualified students and that have a
demonstrated ability to significantly
leverage Federal funds through other
public and private contributions, as well
as through the expansive use of
volunteers (see section 674(d)(2) of
IDEA; 17 U.S.C. 121(d)(1)).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements:
(a) The project funded under this
competition must make positive efforts
to employ, and advance in employment,
qualified individuals with disabilities
(see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) The applicant and grant recipient
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
project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of
IDEA).
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) or a text telephone (TTY),
call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734.
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You can contact ED Pubs at its Web
site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its
email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package
from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA number
84.327D.
Individuals with disabilities can
obtain a copy of the application package
in an accessible format (e.g., braille,
large print, audiotape, or compact disc)
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 25
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.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial. An application submitted
in any other font (including Times
Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
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: February 27,
2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 12, 2012.
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper
format by mail or hand delivery. For
information (including dates and times)
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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: June 11, 2012.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System
Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor
Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must—
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN). A DUNS
number can be obtained online at https://
fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling
the Customer Resource Center at 1–800–
234–3867 from 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday–
Friday;
b. Register both your DUNS number
and TIN with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government’s
primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration
with current information while your
application is under review by the
Department and, if you are awarded a
grant, during the project period.
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
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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.
In addition, if you are submitting your
application via Grants.gov, you must (1)
be designated by your organization as an
Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these
steps are outlined at the following
Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/
applicants/get_registered.jsp.
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
We are participating as a partner in
the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply
site. The Educational Materials in
Accessible Formats for Students with
Visual Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities competition, CFDA number
84.327D, is included in this project. We
request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your
application electronically, you must use
the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply
site at www.Grants.gov. Through this
site, you will be able to download a
copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and
submit your application. You may not
email an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the Educational
Materials in Accessible Formats for
Students with Visual Impairments and
Other Print Disabilities competition at
www.Grants.gov. You must search for
the downloadable application package
for this program by the CFDA number.
Do not include the CFDA number’s
alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search
for 84.327, not 84.327D).
Please note the following:
• Your participation in Grants.gov is
voluntary.
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
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• Applications received by Grants.gov
are date and time stamped. Your
application must be fully uploaded and
submitted and must be date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system no
later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this
section, we will not accept your
application if it is received—that is, date
and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
DC time, on the application deadline
date. We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements. When we retrieve your
application from Grants.gov, we will
notify you if we are rejecting your
application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to
upload an application will vary
depending on a variety of factors,
including the size of the application and
the speed of your Internet connection.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the submission
process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this competition
to ensure that you submit your
application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the
Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News
and Events on the Department’s G5
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional
point value because you submit your
application in electronic format, nor
will we penalize you if you submit your
application in paper format.
• If you submit your application
electronically, you must upload 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.
• If you submit your application
electronically, you must upload any
narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files
in a .PDF (Portable Document) readonly, non-modifiable format. Do not
upload an interactive or fillable .PDF
file. If you upload a file type other than
a read-only, non-modifiable .PDF or
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submit a password-protected file, we
will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must
comply with any page-limit
requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit
your application, you will receive from
Grants.gov an automatic notification of
receipt that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number. (This notification
indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not
receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send a
second notification to you by email.
This second notification indicates that
the Department has received your
application and has assigned your
application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified identifying number unique to
your application).
• We may request that you provide us
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
Application Deadline Date Extension
in Case of Technical Issues with the
Grants.gov System: If you are
experiencing problems submitting your
application through Grants.gov, please
contact the Grants.gov Support Desk,
toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must
obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from
electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline
date because of technical problems with
the Grants.gov system, we will grant you
an extension until 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, the following
business day to enable you to transmit
your application electronically or by
hand delivery. You also may mail your
application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this
notice.
If you submit an application after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date, please
contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in
section VII of this notice and provide an
explanation of the technical problem
you experienced with Grants.gov, along
with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case
Number. We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the
Grants.gov system and that that problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your
application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in
this section apply only to the unavailability
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11503
of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov
system. We will not grant you an extension
if you failed to fully register to submit your
application to Grants.gov before the
application deadline date and time or if the
technical problem you experienced is
unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by
Mail
If you submit your application in
paper format by mail (through the U.S.
Postal Service or a commercial carrier),
you must mail the original and two
copies of your application, on or before
the application deadline date, to the
Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.327D), 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 84.327D), 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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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
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: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, achievement of project
objectives, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department of
Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
108.8, and 110.23).
3. Additional Review and Selection
Process Factors: 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
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18:10 Feb 24, 2012
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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.
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR
74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may
impose special conditions on a grant if
the applicant or grantee is not
financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a
financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 34
CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has
not fulfilled the conditions of a prior
grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) 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 www.ed.gov/
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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 are included in the
application package and 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
project funded under this competition.
The grantee will be required to report
information on its project’s performance
in its final performance report to the
Department (34 CFR 75.590).
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Secretary may
consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the
extent to which a grantee has made
‘‘substantial progress toward meeting
the objectives in its approved
application.’’ This consideration
includes the review of a grantee’s
progress in meeting the targets and
projected outcomes in its approved
application, and whether the grantee
has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application
and budget. In making a continuation
grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in
compliance with the assurances in its
approved application, including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
room 4063, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202–2600.
Telephone: (202) 245–6253.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 compact disc) by
contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices
Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC
20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245–
7363. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call
the FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339.
Electronic Access to This Document:
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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To use PDF you must
have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: February 21, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2012–4547 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Training
and Information for Parents of Children
With Disabilities
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information:
Training and Information for Parents of
Children with Disabilities.
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Numbers: 84.328C and
84.328M.
Note: This notice invites applications for
two separate competitions. For key dates,
contact person information, and funding
information regarding each competition, see
the table in Section II, Award Information.
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
Applications Available: See table in
Section II, Award Information.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: See table in Section II,
Award Information.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: See table in Section II, Award
Information.
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11505
children with disabilities living in the
States, regions of the States, or
I. Funding Opportunity Description
territories served by the centers,
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
particularly underserved parents and
this program is to ensure that parents of parents of children who may be
children with disabilities receive
inappropriately identified as having a
training and information to help
disability. Under these priorities, CPRCs
improve results for their children.
and PTIs will, consistent with sections
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
672 and 671 of IDEA, provide parents of
75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), these priorities
children with disabilities with the
are from allowable activities specified in training and information they need to
the statute, or otherwise authorized in
enable them to participate cooperatively
the statute (see sections 671, 672 and
and effectively in helping their children
681(d) of the Individuals with
to—
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)). Each
(a) Meet developmental and
of the absolute priorities announced in
functional goals and the challenging
this notice corresponds to a separate
academic achievement standards that
competition as follows:
have been established for all children;
and
Competition
(b) Be prepared to lead productive,
Absolute priority
CFDA No.
independent adult lives to the
maximum extent possible.
1. Community Parent
The following Web site provides
Resource Centers ...................
84.328C
further information on the work of
2. Parent Training and
Information Centers ................
84.328M previously funded CPRCs and PTIs:
www.parentcenternetwork.org.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2012 and
Absolute Priority 1—Community
any subsequent year in which we make
Parent Resource Centers (84.328C):
awards from the list of unfunded
To be considered for funding under
applicants from these competitions,
the CPRC absolute priority, applicants
these priorities are absolute priorities.
must meet the application requirements
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), for each
contained in the priority. All projects
competition, we consider only
funded under the absolute priority also
applications that meet the absolute
must meet the programmatic and
priority for that competition.
administrative requirements specified in
The priorities are:
the priority.
Absolute Priority 1—Community
Application Requirements. An
Parent Resource Centers (84.328C) and
applicant must include in its
Absolute Priority 2—Parent Training
application—
and Information Centers (84.328M).
(a) A plan to implement the activities
Background:
described in the Project Activities
Almost 35 years of research and
section of this priority; and
experience has demonstrated that the
(b) A budget for attendance at the
education of children with disabilities
following:
can be made more effective by
(1) The three-day Leadership
strengthening the ability of parents to
Conference in Washington, DC during
participate fully in the education of
each year of the project period.
their children at school and at home
(2) The two-day Regional Technical
(see section 601(c)(5)(B) of IDEA).
Assistance for Parent Centers
This notice announces two priorities
Conference in the region in which the
that are designed to help ensure that
CPRC is located during each year of the
parents of children with disabilities
project period. Applicants should refer
have the training and information they
to www.parentcenternetwork.org for a
need to participate in the education of
list of regions.
their children.
Project Activities. To meet the
Absolute Priority 1 supports
requirements of this priority, the CPRC,
Community Parent Resource Centers
at a minimum, must—
(CPRCs) designed to meet the specific
(a) Maintain a Web site that meets
needs of parents who experience
government or industry-recognized
significant isolation from available
standards for accessibility;
(b) Provide training and information
sources of information and support in
the geographically defined communities that meets the training and information
needs of parents of children with
served by the centers. These parents
disabilities within the proposed targeted
include low-income parents, parents of
limited English proficient children, and community to be served by the CPRC,
particularly underserved parents and
parents with disabilities—.
Absolute Priority 2 supports Parent
parents of children who may be
Training and Information Centers (PTIs) inappropriately identified as having a
designed to meet the needs of parents of disability;
Full Text of Announcement
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11499-11505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4547]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities--Educational Materials in Accessible
Formats for Students With Visual Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327D.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 27, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2012.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 11, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with Disabilities program is to: (1) Improve
results for students 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 for students with disabilities; and (3) provide support for
captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the
classroom.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections
674(c)(1)(D) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1474(c)(1)(D) and 1481(D)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
[[Page 11500]]
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of a project that will provide
free educational materials,\1\ including textbooks, in accessible media
for students who are blind, visually impaired, and print disabled and
enrolled in elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or graduate schools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For the purposes of this priority, we are using the term
``educational materials'' consistent with the use of this term in
section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA and to be consistent with the term of
art used in the field.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals,
activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic
model communicates how a project will achieve its outcomes and provides
a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the
project;
Note: The following Web sites provide more information on logic
models: www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.
(b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project
Activities section of this priority;
(c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a
formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan
must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance
objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the
proposed project, including objective measures of progress in
implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(e) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one and one half day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning
meeting held in Washington, DC, with the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) Project Officer during each subsequent year of the
project period.
Note: Within 30 days of the award, a post-award teleconference
must be held between the OSEP Project Officer and the grantee's
project director or other authorized representative. The primary
purposes of this meeting will be to review the Department's grantee
requirements, discuss the project's planned activities and budget,
and confirm the expectations for the project's performance measures
and evaluation.
(2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(3) Two two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP, and to meet with the OSEP Project Officer and other funded
projects for purposes of cross-project collaboration and information
exchange; and
(f) A line item in the proposed budget for an annual set-aside of
four percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's activities, as those needs are
identified in consultation with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project Officer, the project
must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.
Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the
project, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:
(a) Provide educational materials, including textbooks, in
accessible formats to State educational agencies (SEAs) and local
educational agencies (LEAs) for use by elementary and secondary
education students with print disabilities. The educational materials,
including any specialized software needed to use the materials, must be
provided at no cost to students, families, schools, SEAs, and LEAs.
Thus, the project may not assess membership fees to individual students
or to institutions, including schools, SEAs, and LEAs.
(b) Provide educational materials in accessible formats for
students with print disabilities attending postsecondary and graduate
schools. Materials may be provided directly to eligible students \2\ or
to postsecondary and graduate schools and vocational rehabilitation
agencies requesting materials in accessible formats on behalf of
eligible students. The accessible educational materials, including any
specialized software needed to use the materials, must be provided at
no cost to students, postsecondary and graduate schools, and vocational
rehabilitation agencies. Thus, the project may not assess fees to
individual students or to institutions, including postsecondary
schools, graduate schools, and vocational rehabilitation agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ For purposes of this priority, eligible students attending
postsecondary and graduate schools are students with a print
disability as defined in section 771 of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended. Section 771 defines ``student with a print
disability'' as ``a student with a disability who experiences
barriers to accessing instructional material in nonspecialized
formats, including an individual described in section 121(d)(2) of
title 17, United States Code.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Produce high-quality, user-friendly educational materials in
accessible formats including, digital text, braille-ready files, and
audio formats. At least 50 percent of the audio materials produced must
be in text-to-speech audio format. Materials produced as part of this
cooperative agreement must include image descriptions, digital images,
and graphics.
(d) Develop and implement an innovative plan focused on improving
the quality, timeliness, and ease of access to educational materials
for students with print disabilities, including, when appropriate,
those materials that are included in open educational resources.\3\ To
the extent feasible, the project must provide for the use of
communication and data technologies available today, including handheld
devices, smart phones, data pads, etc., and anticipate future needs
across the five years in the development of this plan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ For purposes of this priority, ``open educational
resources'' are teaching, learning, and research resources that
reside in the public domain or have been released under an
intellectual property license that permits their free use or
repurposing by others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(e) Develop and implement cost and efficiency measures for the
production of accessible educational materials.
(f) Provide high-quality, up-to-date software needed to use the
accessible educational materials, at no cost to students, families,
schools, LEAs, SEAs, postsecondary and graduate schools, and vocational
rehabilitation agencies. The project must also keep abreast of emerging
technologies and implement changes and updates to technology, software,
and other materials that meet industry standards.
(g) Provide and implement a detailed digital rights management
(DRM) plan that protects the interests of rights holders while
maintaining ease of access to the accessible educational materials for
students with print disabilities.
[[Page 11501]]
(h) Develop and implement a plan for consulting with publishers,
software developers, other manufacturers of accessible educational
materials for individuals with print disabilities, and the National
Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) \4\ to ensure that the
project uses the most efficient, cost-effective technology available to
provide timely access to educational materials.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ For more information regarding the NIMAC, please see:
www.nimac.us/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Produce accessible educational materials using files that are
compliant with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standard (NIMAS).\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ For more information regarding the NIMAS, please see: https://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalArea,10,.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(j) Develop and implement a plan for increasing SEA and LEA use of
the project's resources and accessible educational materials as part of
their systems for providing educational materials in accessible formats
to students with print disabilities.
(k) Ensure that project activities are conducted in compliance with
section 121 of the Copyright Act, as amended: www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#121.
(l) Establish and maintain an advisory committee consisting of SEA
and LEA representatives, representatives from community colleges and
four-year institutions of higher education, representatives from
vocational rehabilitation agencies, parents of individuals with visual
impairments and other print disabilities ages birth through 26,
consumers with visual impairments and consumers with other print
disabilities who use educational materials in accessible formats, and
representatives of schools or other institutions where educational
materials in accessible formats are used. The purpose of this advisory
committee is to provide the project with input and ongoing advice on
the project's goals, objectives, program activities, and services. The
project must submit the names of proposed members of the advisory
committee to OSEP for approval within eight weeks after receipt of the
award.
(m) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility and that links to the Web site
operated by the Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC).\6\
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\6\ For more information regarding the TACC, please see:
www.tadnet.org.
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(n) Communicate and collaborate, on an ongoing basis, with OSEP-
funded projects, including NIMAS-related projects. Activities could
include the joint development of products, training sessions, and
materials, and improving the accessible educational materials delivery
system to ensure timely and easy access to accessible educational
materials.
(o) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer
through bi-monthly phone conferences and email communication.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project
In deciding whether to continue funding the project for the fourth
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary. This review will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during the
last half of the second year of the project period. The project must
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the project's
activities and products and the degree to which the project's
activities and products have contributed to increasing the number of
eligible students that use AIM and improving the timeliness of delivery
of AIM to students with print 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 only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,500,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2013 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $6,500,000 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 36 months with an optional additional 24
months based on performance. Applications must include plans for both
the 36-month award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: National, nonprofit entities with a proven
track record of meeting the needs of students with visual impairments
and other print disabilities through services described in section
674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA that have the capacity to produce, maintain, and
distribute, in a timely fashion, up-to-date textbooks in digital audio
formats to qualified students and that have a demonstrated ability to
significantly leverage Federal funds through other public and private
contributions, as well as through the expansive use of volunteers (see
section 674(d)(2) of IDEA; 17 U.S.C. 121(d)(1)).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements:
(a) The project funded under this competition must make positive
efforts to employ, and advance in employment, qualified individuals
with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) The applicant and grant recipient 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 project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).
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) or
a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
[[Page 11502]]
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to
identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327D.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) 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 25 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.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
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: February 27, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2012.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or 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: June 11, 2012.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). A DUNS number can be obtained
online at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling the Customer
Resource Center at 1-800-234-3867 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday;
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
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.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
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
We are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov
Apply site. The Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for
Students with Visual Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
competition, CFDA number 84.327D, is included in this project. We
request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through
this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application
package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your
application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Educational
Materials in Accessible Formats for Students with Visual Impairments
and Other Print Disabilities competition at www.Grants.gov. You must
search for the downloadable application package for this program by the
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.327, not 84.327D).
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
[[Page 11503]]
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
If you submit your application electronically, you must
upload 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.
If you submit your application electronically, you must
upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your
application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-
modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable .PDF file.
If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable .PDF
or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.327D), 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
84.327D), 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.
[[Page 11504]]
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 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: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: 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.
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) 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 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 are included in the application
package and 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 project funded under this
competition. The grantee will be required to report information on its
project's performance in its final performance report to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4063, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6253.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 compact disc) by contacting
the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
[[Page 11505]]
Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: February 21, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-4547 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
