Applications for New Awards; Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals With Disabilities-Research and Development Center To Advance the Use of New and Emerging Technologies to Ensure Accessibility, 18831-18838 [2015-08010]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18831-18838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08010]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Educational Technology, Media, and 
Materials for Individuals With Disabilities--Research and Development 
Center To Advance the Use of New and Emerging Technologies to Ensure 
Accessibility

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

    Notice inviting applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327B.


DATES: 
    Applications Available: April 8, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 26, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 22, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Educational Technology, 
Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program \1\ are 
to improve results for students with disabilities by: (1) Promoting the 
development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) supporting 
educational activities designed to be of educational value in the 
classroom for students with disabilities; (3) providing support for 
captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the 
classroom; and (4) providing accessible educational materials to 
students with disabilities in a timely manner.
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    \1\ This program was formerly called ``Technology and Media 
Services for Individuals with Disabilities.'' The Department has 
changed the name to Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for 
Individuals with Disabilities Program and updated the purposes of 
the program to more clearly convey that the program includes 
accessible educational materials. The program's activities and 
statutory authorization (20 U.S.C. 1474) remain unchanged.
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    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
674(b) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1474(b) and 1481(d))).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:

Research and Development Center To Advance the Use of New and Emerging 
Technologies To Ensure Accessibility

Background
    Section 612(a)(23) of IDEA requires States to provide educational 
materials in accessible formats in a timely manner to students who are 
blind or have print disabilities. Section 613(a)(6) of IDEA includes a 
similar requirement for local educational agencies (LEAs). In the 
process of implementing these provisions in IDEA, States, LEAs, and 
accessible media producers (AMPs), whom States and LEAs employ to 
convert educational materials into accessible formats, have encountered 
barriers to the production of high-quality accessible educational 
materials (AEM).\2\ Specifically, they have been challenged by 
limitations of the technology available to produce AEM that includes 
accessible graphic content (i.e., complex formulae, images, charts, 
tables, graphs, and mathematical notation, hereafter referred to as 
graphic content). These barriers are more evident in the conversion of 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational 
materials into accessible formats due to their extensive use of graphic 
content.
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    \2\ AEM (also known as accessible instructional materials) and 
technologies enable children with disabilities to have access to, be 
involved in, and make progress in the general education curriculum 
(or for infants, toddlers, and preschool children and their families 
to participate in developmental and educational activities, such as 
those related to early literacy and numeracy) and assessments.
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    In 2010, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) awarded a 
cooperative agreement, the Research and Development Center on Digital 
Images and Graphic Content in Accessible Instructional Materials, to 
implement a rigorous program of research and development to improve the 
cost, quality, usability, and availability of graphic content in 
accessible instructional materials and the devices and software used to 
access that content for blind, visually impaired, and print disabled 
students. While the center has improved the way graphic content is 
produced and accessed by children with print disabilities, ensuring 
accessibility to complex educational materials, such as STEM 
educational materials with graphic content, continues to challenge 
publishers, AMPs, and others who develop and produce STEM educational 
materials. The need for research and development continues to exist.
    Although the technology, publishing, and disability communities are 
working together to develop standards and guidelines for producing and 
accessing digital materials and assessments in accessible formats, the 
adoption of these standards remains voluntary, thus implementation and 
use of the standards are inconsistent. Additionally, some standards and 
guidelines may not include markup language,\3\ or may include it as 
optional, resulting in standards and guidelines that are insufficient 
to ensure the accessibility of educational materials for some children 
with disabilities.\4\ A free appropriate public education cannot be 
provided to many children with disabilities unless the educational 
technologies and materials are accessible, consistent with standards 
and guidelines that are uniformly applied across technologies, devices, 
tools, products, and software.
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    \3\ ``Markup language,'' in the context of digital technology, 
means a set of standards, as HTML or SGML, used to create an 
appropriate markup scheme for an electronic document, as to indicate 
its structure or format. See https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/markup language.
    \4\ For more information, see https://idpf.org/news/aap-epub-3-implementation-white-paper-now-available and www.imsglobal.org/edupub/EPUB3QTILTICaliper_BestPracticesvd7.pdf.
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    New unexplored technologies, and the promise of more powerful 
technologies in the future, provide potential opportunities to improve 
access to digital content and educational

[[Page 18832]]

materials. Since 2004, administrators, teachers, preschool special 
education teachers, early interventionists, and parents are more aware 
of the use of AEM by students with print disabilities, and of anecdotal 
reports and preliminary data from research projects that suggest use of 
AEM is associated with improvements in academic performance and 
progress for some children with print disabilities (Abedi & Ewers, 
2013; Stahl, 2004). Moreover, the Division for Early Childhood 
Recommended Practices (April, 2014) stresses the importance of ensuring 
that educational materials (e.g., books, toys, multimedia content, 
etc.) are accessible to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with 
disabilities and that the use of these materials is supported across 
learning environments. These reports and case studies have triggered 
interest in the use of AEM by children with non-print disabilities and 
by infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with visual impairments and 
other print disabilities (e.g., public comment retrieved from 
www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=25769810909). If children with 
disabilities other than print disabilities, and infants, toddlers, and 
preschoolers with disabilities are to use AEM, researchers must explore 
and identify the developmental and educational needs of these children 
as they relate to the use of AEM. The information gained from this work 
can be applied to the development of new products, production 
standards, and sources where AEM can be acquired for this expanded 
population of children with disabilities.
    To address the issues and challenges related to the development, 
production, and dissemination of AEM and to ensure that infants, 
toddlers, and children \5\ who are blind or have print disabilities and 
those with disabilities not traditionally associated with print 
disabilities have full access to educational content, including graphic 
content, in accessible formats, OSEP proposes to fund a Research and 
Development Center to Advance the Use of New and Emerging Technologies 
to Ensure Accessibility.
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    \5\ The term ``children'' in this priority includes individuals 
with disabilities ages birth-21.
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Priority

    The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to 
support the establishment and operation of a Research and Development 
Center to Advance the Use of New and Emerging Technologies to Ensure 
Accessibility (Center). Under this priority, the Center must conduct a 
comprehensive review of industry accessibility standards and their 
applications. Based on this review, the Center must implement a program 
of research and development designed to achieve, at a minimum, the 
following outcomes:
    (a) Development, demonstration, and use of technologies, devices, 
tools, products, and software that ensure full access to educational 
materials and content, including graphic content, regardless of the 
original formats of the materials (e.g., print, digital, multimedia) 
for children who are blind or have print disabilities and those with 
disabilities not traditionally associated with print disabilities;
    (b) Increase the number of new digital and multimedia educational 
materials that are ``born accessible'' (i.e., accessibility features 
are included in the original design and production of the materials) 
and are readily available and accessible to children who are blind or 
have print disabilities and those with disabilities not traditionally 
associated with print disabilities.
    (c) Identification of potential uses of new technologies, devices, 
tools, products, and software to enhance the accessibility of 
educational materials, especially STEM educational materials, for 
children who are blind or have print disabilities and those with 
disabilities not traditionally associated with print disabilities;
    (d) Identification of accessibility features specific to the needs 
of children with disabilities not traditionally associated with print 
disabilities (e.g., autism, hearing impairments, intellectual 
disabilities, English learners with disabilities); and
    (e) Increased knowledge sharing among technology developers, 
publishers, and end users including educators, persons with 
disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.

Application Requirements

    In addition to these programmatic requirements, to be considered 
for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the application 
and administrative requirements in this priority. OSEP encourages 
innovative approaches to meeting the following requirements:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance of the Project,'' how the proposed project will achieve 
and maintain expert awareness of the current and developing standards 
and uses of technologies that support or increase accessibility of 
educational materials for children with disabilities by:
    (1) Establishing and maintaining a technical format review advisory 
committee. The technical format review advisory committee must--
    (i) Consist of no fewer than five members representing the full 
range of diverse stakeholders, including at least one member from each 
of the following five specific groups: Technology developers, 
publishers, and end users including educators, persons with 
disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities. Advisory 
committee members should be identified no later than six weeks from the 
award date;
    (ii) Meet no less frequently than twice per year during the project 
period with the project director and relevant project staff;
    (iii) Evaluate current technologies, standards, and guidelines that 
are used and applied in the production and use of educational materials 
to ensure that the content is accessible to children with disabilities; 
and
    (iv) Evaluate current devices and software that support and ensure 
access to educational materials.
    (2) Leveraging its network of professional relationships to 
increase the awareness and application of accessibility standards among 
educators, publishers, and technology developers. To meet this 
requirement, the applicant must:
    (i) Demonstrate the extent of its network of educators, publishers, 
and technology developers;
    (ii) Describe its proposed methods to increase the awareness and 
application of accessibility standards by educators, publishers, and 
technology developers; and
    (iii) Describe its plan for expanding its network to include 
additional stakeholders in order to maintain relevant expertise in 
emerging technologies, standards, and guidelines.
    (3) Disseminate information on the uses, and potential uses, of 
emergent technologies, devices, tools, products, and software and 
accessibility standards and features of AEM for children who are blind 
or have print disabilities and those with disabilities not 
traditionally associated with print disabilities. To meet this 
requirement, the applicant must describe its plan to:
    (i) Prepare and disseminate reports, documents, and other materials 
available in appropriate formats on:
    (A) Current industry standards and best practices in the production 
and dissemination of AEM;
    (B) Current technologies used to produce AEM;
    (C) Currently available devices and software used to access AEM;

[[Page 18833]]

    (D) Any devices or software developed or modified by the Center;
    (E) Processes related to the development or modification of 
technologies, standards, and guidelines used in the production of AEM, 
and devices and software used to access AEM; and
    (F) Related topics, as requested by OSEP; and
    (ii) Communicate using a variety of media and methods (for example, 
presentations, publications, conference attendance, demonstrations) to 
reach the broad range of technology developers, publishers, and end 
users, including educators, children with disabilities, and parents of 
children with disabilities.
    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Explore the legal issues around the provision of AEM for 
children with disabilities not traditionally associated with print 
disabilities.
    (2) Collaborate with publishers and distributors of educational 
materials to develop and field test models for making AEM available for 
use by children with disabilities traditionally not associated with 
print disabilities.
    (3) Determine potential uses of new technologies to enhance the 
accessibility of educational materials.
    (4) Collaborate with publishers, AMPs, State educational agencies, 
LEAs, consumers, and technology developers, vendors, and others with 
expertise in AEM production, devices, and software, to--
    (i) Develop technologies that improve access to and readability of 
educational materials containing graphic content, including STEM 
educational materials;
    (ii) Develop tools and products to improve the quality and 
usability of AEM and increase the efficiency of producing AEM, 
including the production of digital braille files written in Unified 
English Braille;
    (iii) Identify accessibility features specific to the needs of 
children with disabilities not traditionally associated with print 
disabilities; and
    (iv) Develop new tools or products and modify existing tools and 
products that address the specialized needs of children with 
disabilities not traditionally associated with print disabilities.
    (c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of Project Resources,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Include key personnel, consultants, and contractors with 
sufficient qualifications, experience, and commitment to carry out the 
proposed activities and achieve the project's intended outcomes.
    (2) Encourage applications for employment from persons who are 
members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based 
on race, color, national origin, linguistic diversity, sex, gender 
identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability, as appropriate.
    (3) Allocate project resources to carry out proposed activities.
    (4) Ensure the proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the 
anticipated results and benefits.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Management Plan,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Ensure that the project's intended outcomes will be achieved on 
time and within budget. To address this requirement, the applicant must 
describe--
    (i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel, 
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
    (ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks.
    (2) Pursue a diversity of perspectives, including families, early 
intervention service providers, educators, publishers, designers, 
developers, vendors, researchers, parent training and information 
centers, policy makers, the business community, SEAs and lead agencies, 
and other OSEP-funded projects.
    (3) Communicate effectively between the project and stakeholders 
and between the project and OSEP including OSEP-funded projects. To 
address this requirement, the applicant must commit to--
    (i) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility;
    (ii) Communicate and collaborate on an ongoing basis with OSEP-
funded projects, specifically the Center for Parent Information and 
Resources, National Instructional Materials Access Center, National 
Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning, and Bookshare 
and Innovation for Education. The collaborations could include the 
joint development of products, participation in field-testing, and 
regular communications and updates on Center activities;
    (iii) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper, digital, 
or oral, discuss the content and purpose of the product or event with 
the OSEP project officer;
    (iv) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP project officer 
through biweekly phone conversations and email communication; and
    (v) Submit a quarterly progress report to the OSEP project officer.
    (e) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of 
the Evaluation Plan,'' include an evaluation plan. The evaluation plan 
must describe measures of progress in implementation, including the 
extent to which the project's products and services have reached the 
target population, and measures of intended outcomes or results of the 
project's activities in order to assess the effectiveness of those 
activities.
    In the evaluation plan, the applicant must commit to--
    (1) Ensure ongoing feedback on the quality of project performance 
from technology developers, AEM publishers, and end users including 
educators, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with 
disabilities.
    (2) Assess the cost, quality, usability, and availability of the 
technologies, including devices and software products, that are 
developed or modified by the Center.
    (3) Designate, with the approval of the OSEP project officer, a 
project liaison staff person with sufficient dedicated time, experience 
in evaluation, and knowledge of the project to work in collaboration 
with the Center to Improve Project Performance (CIPP),\6\ the project 
director, and the OSEP project officer on the following tasks:
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    \6\ The major tasks of CIPP are to guide, coordinate, and 
oversee the design of formative evaluations for every large 
discretionary investment (i.e., those awarded $500,000 or more per 
year and required to participate in the 3+2 process) in OSEP's 
Technical Assistance and Dissemination; Personnel Development; 
Parent Training and Information Centers; and Educational Technology, 
Media, and Materials programs. The efforts of CIPP are expected to 
enhance individual project evaluation plans by providing expert and 
unbiased technical assistance in designing the evaluations with due 
consideration of the project's budget. CIPP does not function as a 
third-party evaluator.
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    (i) Revise, as needed, the logic model submitted in the grant 
application to reflect any changes or clarifications to the model 
discussed at the kick-off meeting and to provide for a more 
comprehensive measurement of implementation and outcomes;
    (ii) Refine, as needed, the evaluation design and instrumentation 
proposed in the grant application consistent with the logic model 
(e.g., preparing evaluation questions about significant program 
processes and outcomes, developing quantitative or qualitative data 
collections that permit both the collection of progress data, including 
fidelity of implementation, as appropriate, and the assessment of

[[Page 18834]]

effectiveness, selecting respondent samples if appropriate, designing 
instruments or identifying data sources, and identifying analytic 
strategies); and
    (iii) Revise, as needed, the evaluation plan submitted in the grant 
application such that it clearly--
    (A) Specifies the measures and associated instruments or sources 
for data appropriate to the evaluation questions, suggests analytic 
strategies for those data, provides a timeline for conducting the 
evaluation, and includes staff assignments for completion of the plan;
    (B) Delineates the data expected to be available by the end of the 
second project year for use during the project's intensive review for 
continued funding described under the heading Fourth and Fifth Years of 
the Project; and
    (C) Can be used to assist the project director and the OSEP project 
officer, with the assistance of CIPP as needed, to specify the 
performance measures to be addressed in the project's Annual 
Performance Report.
    (4) Cooperate with CIPP staff in order to accomplish the tasks 
described in paragraph (e)(3) of these application requirements.
    (5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the 
costs of carrying out the tasks described in paragraphs (e)(3) and 
(e)(4) of these application requirements and implementing the 
evaluation plan.
    (f) In the narrative under ``Required Project Assurances'' or the 
appendices as directed, the applicant must--
    (1) Include, in Appendix A, a logic model that depicts, at a 
minimum, the project's proposed goals, activities, outputs, and 
outcomes. 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/pages/589.

    (2) Include, in Appendix A, a conceptual framework for the project.
    (3) Include, in Appendix A, person-loading charts (charts listing 
information such as key project staff, their full-time equivalent, and 
the number of days allocated to each major activity) and timelines to 
illustrate the management plan described in the narrative.
    (4) Include in the budget:
    (i) Attendance at the following:
    (A) 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 OSEP project officer during 
each subsequent year of the project period.

    Note: Within 30 days of receipt 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.

    (B) A three-day project directors' meeting in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project period.
    (C) One two-day trip annually to attend Department briefings, 
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by 
OSEP.
    (D) A one-day meeting in Washington, DC, as described under the 
heading Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project.
    (ii) A line item for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an 
independent third party.
    (iii) A line item for an annual set-aside of five 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 Center 
must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no 
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project

    In deciding whether to continue funding the Center for the fourth 
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR 
75.253(a), as well as--
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary. This intensive review will be conducted 
during a one-day meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during 
the last half of the second year of the project period;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Center; and
    (c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the Center's 
activities and products and the degree to which the Center's activities 
and products have contributed to changed practice and improved student 
access to the general education curriculum through improved access to 
high-quality AEM and devices.

References

Abedi, J., & Ewers, N. (2013, February). Smarter balanced assessment 
consortium: Accommodations for English language learners and 
students with disabilities. Retrieved from www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Accomodations-for-under-represented-students.pdf.
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional 
Children. (2014, April). Recommended Practices in Early 
Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education 2014. Retrieved from 
https://dec.membershipsoftware.org/files/DEC%20RPs%206%2025%202014%20final1.pdf.
Stahl, S. (2004). The promise of accessible textbooks: Increased 
achievement for all students. Wakefield, MA: National Center on 
Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved from https://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/promise_of_accessible_textbooks#.VE6MEfldXYg.

    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: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education (IHEs) only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $700,000 for the first year; and 
$1,200,000 for each subsequent year.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $700,000 for the first year or $1,200,000 for a 
subsequent year. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services

[[Page 18835]]

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

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, including public charter 
schools that are considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public 
agencies; private nonprofit organizations; freely associated States and 
outlying areas; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit 
organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other General Requirements: (a) Recipients of funding under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Each applicant for, and recipient of, funding under this 
program 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: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 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.
    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 from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327B.
    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 no more than 
70 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, reference citations, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
     Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
     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 and double-spacing requirement 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 abstract (follow the guidance provided in the 
application package for completing the abstract), the table of 
contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the reference 
list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the page 
limit and double-spacing requirement does apply to all of part III, the 
application narrative, including all text in charts, tables, figures, 
graphs, and screen shots.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit in the 
application narrative section or if you apply standards other than 
those specified in this notice and the application package.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 8, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 26, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this competition 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 or hand delivery 
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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 22, 2015.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to E. O. 
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under E. O. 12372 is in 
the application package for this program.
    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 Education, 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

[[Page 18836]]

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: 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 
this competition 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 Research and Development Center 
to Advance the Use of New and Emerging Technologies to Ensure 
Accessibility competition, CFDA number 84.327B, 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 the electronic grant application for the Research 
and Development Center to Advance the Use of New and Emerging 
Technologies to Ensure Accessibility competition at www.Grants.gov. You 
must search for the downloadable application package for this 
competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha 
suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.327, not 84.327B).
    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 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at 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.,

[[Page 18837]]

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.

    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: Glinda Hill, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4063, Potomac 
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. FAX: (202) 245-7617.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery 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 84.327B), 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.327B), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except 
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this 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 competition 
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 section 682(b) of 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

[[Page 18838]]

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 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high risk 
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 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; 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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your 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 Educational Technology, Media, and Materials 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, contribute to improving outcomes for children with 
disabilities, and generate evidence of validity and availability to 
appropriate populations. Projects funded under this competition are 
required to submit data on these measures as directed by OSEP.
    Grantees will be required to report information on their project's 
performance in annual performance reports and additional performance 
data to the Department (34 CFR 75.590 and 75.591).
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application. 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: Glinda Hill, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4063, PCP, Washington, DC 
20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7376.
    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., Room 5037, 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: April 2, 2015.
Sue Swenson,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-08010 Filed 4-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P