Applications for New Awards; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research-Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program-Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers, 8317-8323 [2015-03122]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 31 / Tuesday, February 17, 2015 / Notices
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Award (NOA); or we may send you an
email containing a link to access an
electronic version of your NOA. 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 NOA. The
NOA 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 45 CFR part 75 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 45 CFR part 75.
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living.
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
Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living under 45 CFR part
75. All NIDILRR grantees will submit
their annual and final reports through
NIDILRR’s online reporting system and
as designated in the terms and
conditions of your NOA. The
Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living may also require
more frequent performance reports
under 45 CFR part 75. For specific
requirements on reporting, please go to
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
(c) FFATA and FSRS Reporting
The Federal Financial Accountability
and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires
data entry at the FFATA Subaward
Reporting System (https://
www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and
sub-contracts issued for $25,000 or more
as well as addressing executive
compensation for both grantee and subaward organizations.
For further guidance please see the
following link: https://www.acl.gov/
Funding_Opportunities/Grantee_Info/
FFATA.aspx
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If you receive a multi-year award, you
must submit an annual performance
report that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information. Annual and Final
Performance reports will be submitted
through NIDILRR’s online Performance
System and as designated in the terms
and conditions of your NOA. At the end
of your project period, you must submit
a final performance report, including
financial information.
Note: NIDILRR will provide information by
letter to successful grantees on how and
when to submit the report.
4. Performance Measures: To evaluate
the overall success of its research
program, NIDILRR assesses the quality
of its funded projects through a review
of grantee performance and
accomplishments. Each year, NIDILRR
examines a portion of its grantees to
determine:
• The number of products (e.g., new
or improved tools, methods, discoveries,
standards, interventions, programs, or
devices developed or tested with
NIDILRR funding) that have been judged
by expert panels to be of high quality
and to advance the field.
• The average number of publications
per award based on NIDILRR-funded
research and development activities in
refereed journals.
• The percentage of new NIDILRR
grants that assess the effectiveness of
interventions, programs, and devices
using rigorous methods.
NIDILRR uses information submitted
by grantees as part of their Annual
Performance Reports for these reviews.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Administrator
of the Administration for Community
Living may consider, under 45 CFR part
75, 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 Administrator 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.
Continuation funding is also subject to
availability of funds.
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VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 400
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142,
PCP, Washington, DC 20202–2700.
Telephone: (202) 245–6211 or by email:
patricia.barrett@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
VIII. Other Information
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.
John Tschida,
Director, National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
Research.
[FR Doc. 2015–03121 Filed 2–13–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Applications for New Awards; National
Institute on Disability, Independent
Living, and Rehabilitation Research—
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Projects and Centers Program—
Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Centers
Administration for Community
Living, Department of Health and
Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information
National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)—
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Projects and Centers Program—
Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Centers (RERCs)—Individual Mobility
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 31 / Tuesday, February 17, 2015 / Notices
and Manipulation, Information and
Communication Technologies Access,
and Physical Access and
Transportation.
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Numbers: 84.133E–1, 84.133E–3, and
84.133E–5.
Note: This notice invites applications for
three separate competitions. For funding and
other key information for each of the three
competitions, see the chart in the Award
Information section of this notice.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 17,
2015.
Note: On July 22, 2014, President Obama
signed the Workforce Innovation
Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was
effective immediately. One provision of
WIOA transferred the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR) from the Department of Education to
the Administration for Community Living
(ACL) in the Department of Health and
Human Services. In addition, NIDRR’s name
was changed to the Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDILRR). For FY 2015, all
NIDILRR priority notices will be published as
ACL notices, and ACL will make all NIDILRR
awards. During this transition period,
however, NIDILRR will continue to review
grant applications using Department of
Education tools. NIDILRR will post
previously-approved application kits to
grants.gov, and NIDILRR applications
submitted to grants.gov will be forwarded to
the Department of Education’s G–5 system
for peer review. We are using Department of
Education application kits and peer review
systems during this transition year in order
to provide for a smooth and orderly process
for our applicants.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting:
March 10, 2015.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To
Apply: March 24, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: April 20, 2015.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects and Centers Program
(Program) is to plan and conduct
research, demonstration projects,
training, and related activities,
including international activities, to
develop methods, procedures, and
rehabilitation technology. The
Program’s activities are designed to
maximize the full inclusion and
integration into society, employment,
independent living, family support, and
economic and social self-sufficiency of
individuals with disabilities, especially
individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the
effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended (Rehabilitation Act).
Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Centers Program
The purpose of the RERCs program,
which is funded through the Program, is
to improve the effectiveness of services
authorized under the Rehabilitation Act.
The RERCs program encourages
advanced engineering research,
develops and evaluates innovative
technologies, facilitates service delivery
system changes, stimulates the
production and distribution of new
technologies and equipment in the
private sector, and provides training
opportunities. RERCs seek to solve
rehabilitation problems and remove
environmental barriers to improvements
in employment, community living and
participation, and health and function
outcomes of individuals with
disabilities.
The general requirements for RERCs
are set out in subpart D of 34 CFR part
350 (What Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Centers Does the Secretary
Assist?).
Additional information on the RERCs
program can be found at: www.ed.gov/
rschstat/research/pubs/.
Priorities: NIDILRR has established
three priorities for the three
competitions announced in this notice.
These priorities are from the notice of
final priorities for this program,
published in the Federal Register on
June 11, 2013 (78 FR 34897).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applicants from these competitions,
these priorities are absolute priorities.
Under 45 CFR part 75, for each
competition, we consider only
applications that meet the program
priority designated for that competition.
These priorities are:
Corresponding
competition CFDA
No.
Absolute priority
Individual Mobility and Manipulation ..............................................................................................................................................
Information and Communication Technologies Access ................................................................................................................
Physical Access and Transportation .............................................................................................................................................
Note: The full text of these priorities is
included in the notice of final priorities
published in the Federal Register on June 11,
2013 (78 FR 34897) and in the applicable
application package.
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Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g)
and 764(b)(3)(A).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Department of Health and Human
Services General Administrative
Regulations in 45 CFR part 75 (b) Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards in 45
CFR part 75 Subpart F; (c) 45 CFR part
75 Non-procurement Debarment and
Suspension; (d) 45 CFR part 75
Requirement for Drug-Free Workplace
(Financial Assistance); The regulations
for this program in 34 CFR part 350; and
(f) The notice of final priorities for this
program, published in the Federal
Register on June 11, 2013 (78 FR 34897).
CFDA Number and
name
Applications available
Deadline for transmittal
of applications
84.133E–1, Individual
Mobility and Manipulation.
February 17, 2015 ......
Estimated
available
funds1
April 20, 2015 ..............
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$925,000
84.133E–1
84.133E–3
84.133E–5
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds:
$2,775,000.
Maximum Award: See chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: See
chart.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: See chart.
Maximum
award amount
(per year)2 3
$925,000
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Estimated
number of
awards
Project period
(months)
1
60
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Estimated
available
funds1
Maximum
award amount
(per year)2 3
Estimated
number of
awards
CFDA Number and
name
Applications available
Deadline for transmittal
of applications
Project period
(months)
84.133E–3, Information
and Communication
Technologies Access.
84.133E–5, Physical
Access and Transportation.
February 17, 2015 ......
April 20, 2015 ..............
925,000
925,000
1
60
February 17, 2015 ......
April 20, 2015 ..............
925,000
925,000
1
60
1 Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 or any subsequent year
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
2 We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount. The Administration for Community Living may change
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
3 The maximum award amount includes both direct and indirect costs.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: States; public
or private agencies, including for-profit
agencies; public or private
organizations, including for-profit
organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes
and tribal organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: You can obtain an application
package via grants.gov, or by contacting
Patricia Barrett: U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 5142, PCP, Washington, DC
20202–2700. Telephone: (202) 245–6211
or by email: patricia.barrett@ed.gov.
If you request an application from
Patricia Barrett, be sure to identify these
competitions as follows: CFDA number
84.133E–1 Individual Mobility and
Manipulation; 84.133E–3 Information
and Communication Technologies
Access; or 84.133E–5 Physical Access
and Transportation.
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 each
competition announced in this notice.
Notice of Intent to Apply: Due to the
open nature of the priorities in these
competitions, and to assist with the
selection of reviewers for these
competitions, NIDILRR is requesting all
potential applicants submit a letter of
intent (LOI). The submission is not
mandatory and the content of the LOI
will not be peer reviewed or otherwise
used to rate an applicant’s application.
Each LOI should be limited to a
maximum of four pages and include the
following information: (1) The priority
to which the potential applicant is
responding; (2) the title of the proposed
project, the name of the applicant, the
name of the Project Director or Principal
Investigator (PI), and the names of
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partner institutions and entities; (3) a
brief statement of the vision, goals, and
objectives of the proposed project and a
description of its proposed activities at
a sufficient level of detail to allow
NIDILRR to select potential peer
reviewers; (4) a list of proposed project
staff including the Project Director or PI
and key personnel; (5) a list of
individuals whose selection as a peer
reviewer might constitute a conflict of
interest due to involvement in proposal
development, selection as an advisory
board member, co-PI relationships, etc.;
and (6) contact information for the
Project Director or PI. Submission of a
LOI is not a prerequisite for eligibility
to submit an application.
NIDILRR will accept the optional LOI
via mail (through the U.S. Postal Service
or commercial carrier) or email, by
March 24, 2015. The LOI must be sent
to: Carolyn Baron, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 550 12th
Street SW., Room 5134, PCP,
Washington, DC 20202; or by email to:
Carolyn.Baron@ed.gov.
For further information regarding the
LOI submission process, contact
Carolyn Baron at (202) 245–6211. 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. We recommend that you
limit Part III to the equivalent of no
more than 100 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. You are not
required to double space titles,
headings, footnotes, references, and
captions, or 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).
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• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial.
The recommended 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, or the letters of support.
However, the recommended page limit
does apply to all of the application
narrative section (Part III).
An applicant should consult NIDRR’s
Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2013–
2017 (78 FR 20299) (Plan) when
preparing its application. The Plan is
organized around the following research
domains: (1) Community Living and
Participation; (2) Health and Function;
and (3) Employment.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 17,
2015.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting:
Interested parties are invited to
participate in a pre-application meeting
and to receive information and technical
assistance through individual
consultation with NIDILRR staff. The
pre-application meeting will be held on
March 10, 2015. Interested parties may
participate in this meeting by
conference call with NIDILRR staff
between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time. NIDILRR staff
also will be available from 3:30 p.m. to
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
same day, by telephone, to provide
information and technical assistance
through individual consultation. For
further information or to make
arrangements to participate in the
meeting via conference call or to arrange
for an individual consultation, contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To
Apply: March 24, 2015. Deadline for
Transmittal of Applications: April 20,
2015.
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Applications for grants under these
competitions must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by
mail if you qualify for an exception to
the electronic submission requirement,
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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is not subject to Executive
Order 12372.
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 System for Award
Management: To do business with the
Department of Health and Human
Services, you must—
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number
and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM
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-to-two
business days.
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,
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please allow two to five weeks for your
TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take
approximately seven business days, but
may take upwards of several weeks,
depending on the completeness and
accuracy of the data entered into the
SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you
think you might want to apply for
Federal financial assistance under a
program administered by the
Department, please allow sufficient time
to obtain and register your DUNS
number and TIN. We strongly
recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active,
you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the
information to be available in Grants.gov and
before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with
SAM, 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 registration
annually. This may take three or more
business days.
Information about SAM is available at
www.SAM.gov. To further assist you
with obtaining and registering your
DUNS number and TIN in SAM or
updating your existing SAM account,
we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,
which you can find at: https://
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/samfaqs.html.
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/
web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under the
program must be submitted
electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in
accordance with the instructions in this
section.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
Applications for grants under the
RERC competitions (CFDA numbers
84.133E–1, 84.133E–3 and 84.133E–5)
must be submitted electronically using
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.
We will reject your application if you
submit it in paper format unless, as
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described elsewhere in this section, you
qualify for one of the exceptions to the
electronic submission requirement and
submit, no later than two weeks before
the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you
qualify for one of these exceptions.
Further information regarding
calculation of the date that is two weeks
before the application deadline date is
provided later in this section under
Exception to Electronic Submission
Requirement.
You may access an electronic grant
application for the RERC competitions
(CFDA numbers 84.133E–1, 84.133E–3
and 84.133E–5) at www.Grants.gov. You
must search for the downloadable
application package for the applicable
competition by the CFDA number. Do
not include the CFDA number’s alpha
suffix in your search (e.g., search for
84.133, not 84.133E).
Please note the following:
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov
are 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
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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 qualify for
an exception to the electronic
submission requirement, as described
elsewhere in this section, and 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 upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to
your application as files in a PDF
(Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable PDF or submit a
password-protected file, we will not
review that material. Additional,
detailed information on how to attach
files is in the application instructions.
• 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.,
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Washington, DC time, the following
business day to enable you to transmit
your application electronically. 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 the 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.
Exception to Electronic Submission
Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission
requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are
unable to submit an application through
the Grants.gov system because—
• You do not have access to the
Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to
upload large documents to the
Grants.gov system; and
• No later than two weeks before the
application deadline date (14 calendar
days or, if the fourteenth calendar day
before the application deadline date
falls on a Federal holiday, the next
business day following the Federal
holiday), you mail or fax a written
statement to the Department, explaining
which of the two grounds for an
exception prevents you from using the
Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to
the Department, it must be postmarked
no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the
Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks
before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your
statement to: Patricia Barrett, U.S.
Department of Health and Human
PO 00000
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8321
Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
room 5142, PCP, Washington, DC
20202–2700. FAX: (202) 245–7323.
Your paper application must be
submitted in accordance with the mail
instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications
by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the
electronic submission requirement, you
may mail (through the U.S. Postal
Service or a commercial carrier) your
application to the Department. 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 84.133E–1, 84.133E–3
or 84.133E–5), 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 Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living
of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
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.
Note for Mail of Paper Applications:
If you mail 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 program 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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 31 / Tuesday, February 17, 2015 / Notices
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for the competitions announced
in this notice are from 34 CFR 350.54
and are listed in the application
package.
2. Review and Selection Process: Final
award decisions will be made by the
Administrator, ACL. In making these
decisions, the Administrator will take
into consideration: The rank order of the
peer review panel; reviews for
programmatic and grants management
compliance; the reasonableness of the
estimated cost to the government
considering the available funding and
anticipated results; and the likelihood
that the proposed project will result in
the benefits expected. Under 45 part
Section 75.205, item (3) history of
performance is an item that is reviewed.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living
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 Health and
Human Services.
3. Special Conditions: Under 45 CFR
part 75, the Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living
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 45
CFR part 75, as applicable; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;
or is otherwise not responsible.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we send you a Notice of
Award (NOA); or we may send you an
email containing a link to access an
electronic version of your NOA. 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 NOA. The
NOA also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
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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 45 CFR part 75 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 45 CFR part 75.
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living.
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
Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living under 45 CFR part
75. All NIDILRR grantees will submit
their annual and final reports through
NIDILRR’s online reporting system and
as designated in the terms and
conditions of your NOA. The
Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living may also require
more frequent performance reports
under 45 CFR part 75. For specific
requirements on reporting, please go to
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/
appforms/appforms.html.
(c) FFATA and FSRS Reporting
The Federal Financial Accountability
and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires
data entry at the FFATA Subaward
Reporting System (https://
www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and
sub-contracts issued for $25,000 or more
as well as addressing executive
compensation for both grantee and subaward organizations.
For further guidance please see the
following link: https://www.acl.gov/
Funding_Opportunities/Grantee_Info/
FFATA.aspx
If you receive a multi-year award, you
must submit an annual performance
report that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information. Annual and Final
Performance reports will be submitted
through NIDILRR’s online Performance
System and as designated in the terms
and conditions of your NOA. At the end
of your project period, you must submit
a final performance report, including
financial information.
Note: NIDILRR will provide information by
letter to successful grantees on how and
when to submit the report.
4. Performance Measures: To evaluate
the overall success of its research
program, NIDILRR assesses the quality
of its funded projects through a review
of grantee performance and
accomplishments. Each year, NIDILRR
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
examines a portion of its grantees to
determine:
• The number of products (e.g., new
or improved tools, methods, discoveries,
standards, interventions, programs, or
devices developed or tested with
NIDILRR funding) that have been judged
by expert panels to be of high quality
and to advance the field.
• The average number of publications
per award based on NIDILRR-funded
research and development activities in
refereed journals.
• The percentage of new NIDILRR
grants that assess the effectiveness of
interventions, programs, and devices
using rigorous methods.
NIDILRR uses information submitted
by grantees as part of their Annual
Performance Reports for these reviews.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award, the Administrator
of the Administration for Community
Living may consider, under 45 CFR part
75, 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 Administrator 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.
Continuation funding is also subject to
availability of funds.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 400
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142,
PCP, Washington, DC 20202–2700.
Telephone: (202) 245–6211 or by email:
patricia.barrett@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
VIII. Other Information
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
E:\FR\FM\17FEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 31 / Tuesday, February 17, 2015 / Notices
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.
John Tschida,
Director, National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
Research.
[FR Doc. 2015–03122 Filed 2–13–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–5514–N]
Medicare Program; Oncology Care
Model: Request for Applications
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice announces a
request for applications (RFA) for
organizations to participate in the
Oncology Care Model (OCM) beginning
in 2016.
DATES: Letter of Intent Submission
Deadline: As described on the CMS
Innovation Center Web site at https://
innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/
Oncology-Care/, interested payers must
submit a nonbinding letter of intent by
5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
on March 19, 2015. Interested practices
must submit a nonbinding letter of
intent by 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 23,
2015.
Application Submission Deadline:
Applications for payers and practices
must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT on
June 18, 2015. Application materials
and instructions are available at https://
innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/
Oncology-Care/.
ADDRESSES: Letter of Intent forms must
be submitted electronically in the PDF
fillable format to
OncologyCareModel@cms.hhs.gov.
Letters of Intent will only be accepted
via email. Applicants that submit a
timely, complete Letter of Intent will be
sent an authenticated web link and
password with which to access the
electronic, web-based application.
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SUMMARY:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
OncologyCareModel@cms.hhs.gov for
questions regarding the application
process of OCM.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Center for Medicare and
Medicaid Innovation (Innovation
Center), within the Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS), was created
to test innovative payment and service
delivery models to reduce program
expenditures while preserving or
enhancing the quality of care for
Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
beneficiaries.
We are committed to continuous
improvement for Medicare, Medicaid
and CHIP beneficiaries. The goal of the
Oncology Care Model (OCM) is to
improve the health outcomes for people
with cancer, improve the quality of
cancer care, and reduce spending for
cancer treatment. We expect that
physician practices selected for
participation in the model will be able
to transform care delivery for their
patients undergoing chemotherapy,
leading to improved quality of care for
beneficiaries at a decreased cost to
payers. Through this care
transformation, practices participating
in OCM can reduce Medicare
expenditures while improving cancer
care for Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS)
beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries can experience
improved health outcomes when health
care providers work in a coordinated
and person-centered manner. We are
interested in partnering with payers and
practitioners who are working to
redesign care to deliver these aims.
Episode-based payment approaches that
reward practitioners who improve the
quality of care they deliver, lower costs,
and engage with quality and cost data
that will inform their provision of care
are potential mechanisms for CMS to
further emphasize care coordination and
enhanced care through practice
transformation.
OCM will test episode-based payment
for oncology care, using a retrospective
performance-based payment for an
episode of chemotherapy. The request
for applications (RFA) requests
applications to test a model centered
around a chemotherapy episode of care.
For more details, see the RFA available
on the Innovation Center Web site at
https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/
Oncology-Care/.
II. Provisions of the Notice
The Innovation Center is operating
this model under the authority of
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8323
section 1115A of the Social Security Act
(the Act). This RFA is directed to
physician practices that provide
oncology care as well as public and
other health care payers. The Innovation
Center hopes to engage at least 100
physician practices that, in aggregate,
will furnish care for approximately
175,000 cancer care episodes for
Medicare beneficiaries over the course
of this 5-year model.
The Innovation Center sees the
following as key opportunities within
OCM:
• Promote shared decision-making,
person-centered communication,
evidence-based care, beneficiary access
to care, and coordination across
providers and settings.
• Reduce complications of cancer and
cancer treatments, as well as associated
costs, through advanced care planning,
increased use of high-value treatments,
and reduction of inappropriate payment
incentives.
• Collect structured clinical data and
integrate clinical trial enrollment into
processes of care to facilitate quality
improvement and accelerate clinical
research.
• Support the development and
reporting of meaningful outcome
measures.
• Develop and monitor refined
approaches to care delivery, which may
improve the research infrastructure (for
example, by facilitating improvement in
the quality of evidence for existing
therapies).
• Encourage delivery of care in the
lowest-cost medically-appropriate
setting.
• Refine a value-based payment
system that encourages team-based care
and workforce innovation.
Participating practices must be able to
meet the following practice
requirements during the performance
period:
1. Treat patients with therapies
consistent with nationally recognized
clinical guidelines.
2. Provide and attest to 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week patient access to an
appropriate clinician who has real-time
access to practice’s medical records.
3. Use of ONC-certified electronic
health record (EHR) technology as
described in the RFA.
4. Utilize data for continuous quality
improvement.
5. Provide core functions of patient
navigation.
6. Document a care plan that contains
the 13 components in the Institute of
Medicine Care Management Plan.
Participating practices in OCM will
continue to receive standard Medicare
FFS payments during OCM episodes.
E:\FR\FM\17FEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8317-8323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03122]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Applications for New Awards; National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research--Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--Rehabilitation
Engineering Research Centers
AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and
Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects and Centers Program--Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Centers (RERCs)--Individual Mobility
[[Page 8318]]
and Manipulation, Information and Communication Technologies Access,
and Physical Access and Transportation.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.133E-1,
84.133E-3, and 84.133E-5.
Note: This notice invites applications for three separate
competitions. For funding and other key information for each of the
three competitions, see the chart in the Award Information section
of this notice.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 17, 2015.
Note: On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed the Workforce
Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was effective immediately.
One provision of WIOA transferred the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) from the Department
of Education to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the
Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, NIDRR's name
was changed to the Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). For FY 2015, all NIDILRR priority
notices will be published as ACL notices, and ACL will make all
NIDILRR awards. During this transition period, however, NIDILRR will
continue to review grant applications using Department of Education
tools. NIDILRR will post previously-approved application kits to
grants.gov, and NIDILRR applications submitted to grants.gov will be
forwarded to the Department of Education's G-5 system for peer
review. We are using Department of Education application kits and
peer review systems during this transition year in order to provide
for a smooth and orderly process for our applicants.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: March 10, 2015.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: March 24, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 20, 2015.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program (Program) is to
plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and
related activities, including international activities, to develop
methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology. The Program's
activities are designed to maximize the full inclusion and integration
into society, employment, independent living, family support, and
economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities,
especially individuals with the most severe disabilities, and to
improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers Program
The purpose of the RERCs program, which is funded through the
Program, is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under
the Rehabilitation Act. The RERCs program encourages advanced
engineering research, develops and evaluates innovative technologies,
facilitates service delivery system changes, stimulates the production
and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private
sector, and provides training opportunities. RERCs seek to solve
rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers to
improvements in employment, community living and participation, and
health and function outcomes of individuals with disabilities.
The general requirements for RERCs are set out in subpart D of 34
CFR part 350 (What Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers Does the
Secretary Assist?).
Additional information on the RERCs program can be found at:
www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/.
Priorities: NIDILRR has established three priorities for the three
competitions announced in this notice. These priorities are from the
notice of final priorities for this program, published in the Federal
Register on June 11, 2013 (78 FR 34897).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from these
competitions, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 45 CFR
part 75, for each competition, we consider only applications that meet
the program priority designated for that competition.
These priorities are:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corresponding
Absolute priority competition CFDA
No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual Mobility and Manipulation................. 84.133E-1
Information and Communication Technologies Access.... 84.133E-3
Physical Access and Transportation................... 84.133E-5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The full text of these priorities is included in the
notice of final priorities published in the Federal Register on June
11, 2013 (78 FR 34897) and in the applicable application package.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(3)(A).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Department of Health and Human
Services General Administrative Regulations in 45 CFR part 75 (b) Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards in 45 CFR part 75 Subpart F; (c) 45 CFR
part 75 Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension; (d) 45 CFR part 75
Requirement for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance); The
regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 350; and (f) The notice of
final priorities for this program, published in the Federal Register on
June 11, 2013 (78 FR 34897).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,775,000.
Maximum Award: See chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: See chart.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline for Estimated Maximum award Estimated
CFDA Number and name Applications available transmittal of available amount (per number of Project period
applications funds\1\ year)2 3 awards (months)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.133E-1, Individual Mobility and February 17, 2015....... April 20, 2015......... $925,000 $925,000 1 60
Manipulation.
[[Page 8319]]
84.133E-3, Information and February 17, 2015....... April 20, 2015......... 925,000 925,000 1 60
Communication Technologies Access.
84.133E-5, Physical Access and February 17, 2015....... April 20, 2015......... 925,000 925,000 1 60
Transportation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2015 or any subsequent year from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
\2\ We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount. The Administration for Community Living may change the maximum
amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
\3\ The maximum award amount includes both direct and indirect costs.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: States; public or private agencies,
including for-profit agencies; public or private organizations,
including for-profit organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes and tribal
organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via grants.gov, or by contacting Patricia Barrett:
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, PCP,
Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-6211 or by email:
patricia.barrett@ed.gov.
If you request an application from Patricia Barrett, be sure to
identify these competitions as follows: CFDA number 84.133E-1
Individual Mobility and Manipulation; 84.133E-3 Information and
Communication Technologies Access; or 84.133E-5 Physical Access and
Transportation.
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 each competition
announced in this notice.
Notice of Intent to Apply: Due to the open nature of the priorities
in these competitions, and to assist with the selection of reviewers
for these competitions, NIDILRR is requesting all potential applicants
submit a letter of intent (LOI). The submission is not mandatory and
the content of the LOI will not be peer reviewed or otherwise used to
rate an applicant's application.
Each LOI should be limited to a maximum of four pages and include
the following information: (1) The priority to which the potential
applicant is responding; (2) the title of the proposed project, the
name of the applicant, the name of the Project Director or Principal
Investigator (PI), and the names of partner institutions and entities;
(3) a brief statement of the vision, goals, and objectives of the
proposed project and a description of its proposed activities at a
sufficient level of detail to allow NIDILRR to select potential peer
reviewers; (4) a list of proposed project staff including the Project
Director or PI and key personnel; (5) a list of individuals whose
selection as a peer reviewer might constitute a conflict of interest
due to involvement in proposal development, selection as an advisory
board member, co-PI relationships, etc.; and (6) contact information
for the Project Director or PI. Submission of a LOI is not a
prerequisite for eligibility to submit an application.
NIDILRR will accept the optional LOI via mail (through the U.S.
Postal Service or commercial carrier) or email, by March 24, 2015. The
LOI must be sent to: Carolyn Baron, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 550 12th Street SW., Room 5134, PCP, Washington, DC 20202; or
by email to: Carolyn.Baron@ed.gov.
For further information regarding the LOI submission process,
contact Carolyn Baron at (202) 245-6211. 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. We recommend that you limit Part III to the equivalent of
no more than 100 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. You are not required to double
space titles, headings, footnotes, references, and captions, or 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).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended 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, or the letters of
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the
application narrative section (Part III).
An applicant should consult NIDRR's Long-Range Plan for Fiscal
Years 2013-2017 (78 FR 20299) (Plan) when preparing its application.
The Plan is organized around the following research domains: (1)
Community Living and Participation; (2) Health and Function; and (3)
Employment.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 17, 2015.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: Interested parties are invited to
participate in a pre-application meeting and to receive information and
technical assistance through individual consultation with NIDILRR
staff. The pre-application meeting will be held on March 10, 2015.
Interested parties may participate in this meeting by conference call
with NIDILRR staff between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time. NIDILRR staff also will be available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the same day, by telephone, to provide
information and technical assistance through individual consultation.
For further information or to make arrangements to participate in the
meeting via conference call or to arrange for an individual
consultation, contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: March 24, 2015. Deadline
for Transmittal of Applications: April 20, 2015.
[[Page 8320]]
Applications for grants under these competitions must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372.
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 System for Award Management: To do business with the
Department of Health and Human Services, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly 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 SAM 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-to-two business days.
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 two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department,
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through
Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with SAM, 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 registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
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/web/grants/register.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the
program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the RERC competitions (CFDA numbers
84.133E-1, 84.133E-3 and 84.133E-5) must be submitted electronically
using 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.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access an electronic grant application for the RERC
competitions (CFDA numbers 84.133E-1, 84.133E-3 and 84.133E-5) at
www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application
package for the applicable competition by the CFDA number. Do not
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for
84.133, not 84.133E).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are 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
[[Page 8321]]
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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and 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 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. Additional, detailed information on how to attach
files is in the application instructions.
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. 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 the
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.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Patricia Barrett, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room
5142, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2700. FAX: (202) 245-7323.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 84.133E-1, 84.133E-3 or 84.133E-5), 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 Administrator of
the Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
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.
Note for Mail of Paper Applications: If you mail 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 program 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.
[[Page 8322]]
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for the competitions
announced in this notice are from 34 CFR 350.54 and are listed in the
application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: Final award decisions will be made
by the Administrator, ACL. In making these decisions, the Administrator
will take into consideration: The rank order of the peer review panel;
reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance; the
reasonableness of the estimated cost to the government considering the
available funding and anticipated results; and the likelihood that the
proposed project will result in the benefits expected. Under 45 part
Section 75.205, item (3) history of performance is an item that is
reviewed.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Administrator
of the Administration for Community Living 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 Health and Human Services.
3. Special Conditions: Under 45 CFR part 75, the Administrator of
the Administration for Community Living 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 45 CFR part 75,
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 send you a
Notice of Award (NOA); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your NOA. 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 NOA. The NOA 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 45 CFR part 75
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 45 CFR part 75.
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Administrator of the Administration for Community Living. 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 Administrator of the
Administration for Community Living under 45 CFR part 75. All NIDILRR
grantees will submit their annual and final reports through NIDILRR's
online reporting system and as designated in the terms and conditions
of your NOA. The Administrator of the Administration for Community
Living may also require more frequent performance reports under 45 CFR
part 75. For specific requirements on reporting, please go to
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
(c) FFATA and FSRS Reporting
The Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)
requires data entry at the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (https://www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and sub-contracts issued for $25,000
or more as well as addressing executive compensation for both grantee
and sub-award organizations.
For further guidance please see the following link: https://www.acl.gov/Funding_Opportunities/Grantee_Info/FFATA.aspx
If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information. Annual and Final Performance reports
will be submitted through NIDILRR's online Performance System and as
designated in the terms and conditions of your NOA. At the end of your
project period, you must submit a final performance report, including
financial information.
Note: NIDILRR will provide information by letter to successful
grantees on how and when to submit the report.
4. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its
research program, NIDILRR assesses the quality of its funded projects
through a review of grantee performance and accomplishments. Each year,
NIDILRR examines a portion of its grantees to determine:
The number of products (e.g., new or improved tools,
methods, discoveries, standards, interventions, programs, or devices
developed or tested with NIDILRR funding) that have been judged by
expert panels to be of high quality and to advance the field.
The average number of publications per award based on
NIDILRR-funded research and development activities in refereed
journals.
The percentage of new NIDILRR grants that assess the
effectiveness of interventions, programs, and devices using rigorous
methods.
NIDILRR uses information submitted by grantees as part of their
Annual Performance Reports for these reviews.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Administrator of the Administration for Community Living may consider,
under 45 CFR part 75, 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 Administrator 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. Continuation funding
is also subject to availability of funds.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, PCP,
Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-6211 or by email:
patricia.barrett@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS),
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
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
[[Page 8323]]
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.
John Tschida,
Director, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-03122 Filed 2-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P
