Applications for New Awards; Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind-Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance, 47759-47763 [2020-17216]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 152 / Thursday, August 6, 2020 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind—
Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind Training and
Technical Assistance
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
is issuing a notice inviting applications
for fiscal year (FY) 2020 for the
Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind Program—
Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB)
Training and Technical Assistance,
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) number 84.177Z. This notice
relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number
1820–0018.
DATES: Applications Available: August
6, 2020.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-201902-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Williams, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5100, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202–5176.
Telephone: (202) 245–7586. Email:
mary.williams@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUMMARY:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
this program is to provide training and
technical assistance to designated State
agencies (DSAs)—the State agencies that
provide vocational rehabilitation
services to individuals who are blind—
that receive grant funding under the OIB
program and to other service providers
that receive OIB program funding from
DSAs to provide services to consumers.
The training and technical assistance
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are designed to improve the operation
and performance of programs and
services for older individuals who are
blind resulting in their enhanced
independence and self-sufficiency.
Priorities: This notice includes one
absolute priority and one competitive
preference priority. These priorities are
from the notice of final priorities and
definitions for this program published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register (NFP).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2020, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB)
Training and Technical Assistance.
This priority supports a cooperative
agreement to establish an OIB Training
and Technical Assistance Center
(Center) to provide universal, targeted,
and intensive training and technical
assistance to designated State agencies
(DSAs) funded under the OIB program
and to any service providers that DSAs
fund to provide services directly to
consumers. The Center will develop and
provide training and technical
assistance in the following general topic
areas:
(a) Community outreach methods and
strategies to identify potential recipients
of services.
(b) Promising practices, based on
‘‘promising evidence’’ as defined in 34
CFR 77.1(c), including the development
and dissemination of relevant materials
to facilitate the delivery of high-quality
services.
(c) Program performance, including
data reporting and analysis.
(d) Financial and management
practices, including practices to ensure
compliance with grant administration
requirements.
To meet the requirements of this
priority, the Center must, at a minimum,
conduct the following activities:
(a) Annually provide intensive
training and technical assistance to a
minimum of three DSAs or other service
providers on the four general topic areas
in this priority. Intensive training and
technical assistance may be provided
through remote delivery as appropriate.
The technical assistance must be—
(1) Consistent with the project
activities and tailored to the specific
needs and challenges of the DSA or
other service provider receiving
intensive training and technical
assistance;
(2) Provided under an agreement with
each DSA or other service provider that,
at a minimum, details the purpose,
intended outcomes, and requirements
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for subsequent evaluation of the training
and technical assistance; and
(3) Assessed 90 days after completion
to ensure that the DSAs and other
service providers receiving intensive
training and technical assistance are
applying it effectively, and to address
any issues or challenges in its
implementation.
(b) Provide a range of targeted training
and technical assistance and universal
training and technical assistance
products and services on the four
general topic areas in this priority. The
training and technical assistance must
include, at a minimum, the following
activities:
(1) In each year of the project, provide
a minimum of 10 webinars, podcasts,
video conferences, teleconferences, or
other virtual methods of dissemination
of information and training and
technical assistance on the four general
topic areas in this priority to describe
and disseminate information about
emerging promising practices.
(2) Develop new information
technology (IT) platforms or systems, or
modify existing platforms and systems,
as follows:
(i) Develop or modify, and maintain,
a state-of-the-art IT platform sufficient
to support webinars, podcasts, video
conferences, teleconferences, and other
virtual methods of dissemination of
information and training and technical
assistance; and
(ii) Develop or modify, and maintain,
a state-of-the-art archiving and
dissemination system that is open and
available to the public, at no cost, and
that provides a central location for later
use of training and technical assistance
products, including course curricula,
audiovisual materials, webinars,
examples of emerging and promising
practices related to the four general
topic areas in this priority, and any
other training and technical assistance
products developed by the grantee and
others.
Note: All products produced by the Center
must meet government and industryrecognized standards for accessibility.
(c) Conduct outreach to DSAs so that
they are aware of, and can participate
in, training and technical assistance
activities.
(d) Establish a community of
practice 1 that will act as a vehicle for
communication, an exchange of
information among DSAs and other
service providers, and a forum for
sharing the results of training and
1 See: www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/
dis104.html.
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technical assistance activities that are in
progress or that have been completed.
(e) Facilitate annually a minimum of
one in-person conference, or, if health
and safety reasons make an in-person
conference infeasible, a virtual
conference, for the purpose of
dissemination of information related to
emerging promising practices and
ongoing technical assistance needs and
activities.
(f) Communicate and coordinate, on
an ongoing basis, with other federally
funded training and technical assistance
projects, particularly Departmentfunded projects, to ensure that training
and technical assistance activities are
complementary and non-duplicative.
(g) Conduct an evaluation to
determine the impact of the Center’s
training and technical assistance on the
DSAs and other service providers that
received the Center’s services.
Competitive Preference Priority: For
FY 2020, this priority is a competitive
preference priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an
additional 5 points to an application,
depending on how well the application
meets the competitive preference
priority.
This priority is:
Identify and Demonstrate how
Specific Technical Assistance Strategies
Provided to OIB Grantees will Facilitate
Collaboration and Leveraging of
Resources at the State and Local Level.
To meet the requirements of this
priority, the Center must, at a minimum,
develop technical assistance focused on
partnerships to facilitate the sharing of
information and leveraging of resources
from other systems that work with aging
individuals and individuals with
disabilities.
These technical assistance strategies
must be designed to improve the
capacity of OIB grantee staff, and staff
from other service providers that receive
OIB program funding from DSAs to
provide services to the OIB population,
to acquire and develop the skills and
tools they need to help the OIB
population sustain and increase their
ability to live independently in their
homes and communities.
Definitions:
For FY 2020, the following definitions
from the NFP apply to this competition:
Intensive training and technical
assistance means training and technical
assistance provided to a DSA, or other
service provider that receives OIB
program funding from a DSA to provide
services, primarily on-site or through
remote delivery, as needed and
appropriate, over an extended period.
Intensive training and technical
assistance is based on an ongoing
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relationship between the training and
technical assistance center staff and a
DSA, or other service provider that
receives OIB program funding from a
DSA to provide services, under the
terms of a signed intensive training and
technical assistance agreement.
Targeted training and technical
assistance means training and technical
assistance based on needs common to
one or more DSAs, or other service
providers that receive OIB program
funding from DSAs to provide services,
on a time-limited basis and with a
limited commitment of training and
technical assistance center resources.
Targeted training and technical
assistance are delivered through virtual
or in-person methods tailored to the
identified needs of the participating
DSAs, or other service providers that
receive OIB program funding from DSAs
to provide services.
Universal training and technical
assistance means training and technical
assistance broadly available to DSAs, or
other service providers that receive OIB
program funding from DSAs to provide
services, and other interested parties
resulting in minimal interaction with
training and technical assistance center
staff. Universal training and technical
assistance includes generalized
presentations, products, and related
activities available through a website or
through brief contact with the training
and technical assistance center staff.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796j–1.
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 as regulations of
the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d)
The regulations for this program in 34
CFR part 367. (e) The NFP.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to institutions of higher education
only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $596,956.
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Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $596,956 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect
cost reimbursement on a training grant is
limited to the recipient’s actual indirect
costs, as determined by its negotiated
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent
of a modified total direct cost base,
whichever amount is less. Indirect costs in
excess of the limit may not be charged
directly, used to satisfy matching or costsharing requirements, or charged to another
Federal award.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State and
public or non-profit agencies and
organizations and institutions of higher
education that have the capacity to
provide training and technical
assistance in the provision of
independent living services for older
individuals who are blind and have
demonstrated through their application
a capacity to provide the level of
training and technical assistance as
indicated in the priority section of this
notice.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this
competition may not award subgrants to
entities to directly carry out project
activities described in its application.
Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may
contract for supplies, equipment, and
other services in accordance with 2 CFR
part 200.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Application Submission
Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education
Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
2. Submission of Proprietary
Information: Given the types of projects
that may be proposed in applications for
the OIB Training and Technical
Assistance competition, your
application may include business
information that you consider
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define
‘‘business information’’ and describe the
process we use in determining whether
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any of that information is proprietary
and, thus, protected from disclosure
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as
amended).
Because we plan to make successful
applications available to the public, you
may wish to request confidentiality of
business information.
Consistent with Executive Order
12600, please designate in your
application any information that you
believe is exempt from disclosure under
Exemption 4. In the appropriate
Appendix section of your application,
under ‘‘Other Attachments Form,’’
please list the page number or numbers
on which we can find this information.
For additional information please see 34
CFR 5.11(c).
3. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. However, under 34 CFR
79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental
review in order to make an award by the
end of FY 2020.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
5. Recommended 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 (1)
limit the application narrative to no
more than 45 pages and (2) use the
following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ × 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
• 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.
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V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this competition are from 34
CFR 75.210 and are listed below:
(a) Significance (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of
the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which specific gaps
or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have
been identified and will be addressed by
the proposed project, including the
nature and magnitude of those gaps or
weaknesses;
(ii) The importance or magnitude of
the results or outcomes likely to be
attained by the proposed project;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed
project is likely to build local capacity
to provide, improve, or expand services
that address the needs of the OIB
population; and
(iv) The importance or magnitude of
the results or outcomes likely to be
attained by the proposed project,
especially improvements in
independent living services.
(b) Quality of project design (10
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the design of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
design of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals,
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved
by the proposed project are clearly
specified and measurable;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed
project is designed to build capacity and
yield results that will extend beyond the
period of Federal financial assistance;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed
project will establish linkages with
other appropriate agencies and
organizations providing services to the
target population; and
(iv) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project is appropriate to,
and will successfully address, the needs
of the target population or other
identified needs.
(c) Quality of project services (25
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
services to be provided by the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
quality and sufficiency of strategies for
ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are
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members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to
be provided by the proposed project
reflect up-to-date knowledge from
research and effective practice;
(ii) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
are appropriate to the needs of the
intended recipients or beneficiaries of
those services;
(iii) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
involve the collaboration of appropriate
partners for maximizing the
effectiveness of project services; and
(iv) The extent to which the technical
assistance services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the use of
efficient strategies, including the use of
technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources.
(d) Quality of the project evaluation
(15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and
appropriate to the goals, objectives, and
outcomes of the proposed project;
(ii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation are appropriate to the
context within which the project
operates;
(iii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will provide performance
feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress toward achieving
intended outcomes; and
(iv) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation include the use of
objective performance measures that are
clearly related to the intended outcomes
of the project and will produce
quantitative and qualitative data to the
extent possible.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of
resources for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including
facilities, equipment, supplies, and
other resources, from the applicant
organization or the lead applicant
organization; and
(ii) The extent to which the costs are
reasonable in relation to the objectives,
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design, and potential significance of the
proposed project.
(f) Quality of project personnel (10
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the personnel who will carry
out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of
project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the
applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of key
project personnel;
(ii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of
project consultants or subcontractors;
and
(iii) The relevance and demonstrated
commitment of each partner in the
proposed project to the implementation
and success of the project.
(g) Quality of the management plan
(15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the management plan for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management
plan to achieve the objectives of the
proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined
responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project
tasks;
(ii) The extent to which the time
commitments of the project director and
principal investigator and other key
project personnel are appropriate and
adequate to meet the objectives of the
proposed project;
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for
ensuring high-quality products and
services from the proposed project; and
(iv) How the applicant will ensure
that a diversity of perspectives are
brought to bear in the operation of the
proposed project, including those of
parents, teachers, the business
community, a variety of disciplinary
and professional fields, recipients or
beneficiaries of services, or others, as
appropriate.
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
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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 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 (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Risk Assessment and Specific
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under
this competition, the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by
applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the
Secretary may impose specific
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.
4. Integrity and Performance System:
If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period
may exceed the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $250,000), under 2
CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through the System for
Award Management. You may review
and comment on any information about
yourself that a Federal agency
previously entered and that is currently
in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of
your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts
from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.
Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you
receive exceed $10,000,000.
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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. Open Licensing Requirements:
Unless an exception applies, if you are
awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license
to the public grant deliverables created
in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds. When the deliverable
consists of modifications to pre-existing
works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that
open licensing is permitted under the
terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing
works. Additionally, a grantee or
subgrantee that is awarded competitive
grant funds must have a plan to
disseminate these public grant
deliverables. This dissemination plan
can be developed and submitted after
your application has been reviewed and
selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing
requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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 multiyear award, you must
submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
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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.
5. Performance Measures: The goal of
this grant is to provide training and
technical assistance designed to
improve the operation and performance
of programs and services for older
individuals who are blind resulting in
their enhanced independence and selfsufficiency.
The cooperative agreement will
specify the measures that will be used
to assess the grantee’s performance
against the goals and objectives of the
project, including outcome measures
and measures that reflect the quality,
relevance, and usefulness of the training
and technical assistance products
developed by the Center. Such measures
will include, at a minimum, (1) the
improved administration, operation,
and performance of the DSAs or other
service providers as measured through
the attainment of goals established in
the intensive training and technical
assistance agreements; and (2) the
number and percentage of DSAs or other
service providers receiving intensive
training and technical assistance that
report that the training and technical
assistance they received was of high
quality, relevant, and useful.
Other specific measures related to the
priority areas for training and technical
assistance will be determined on an
annual basis and specified in the
cooperative agreement.
In its annual and final performance
reports to the Department, the grantee
will be expected to report the data
outlined in the cooperative agreement
that is needed to assess its performance.
The annual performance reports must
include both quantitative and
qualitative information necessary to
assess the Center’s performance on the
outcome measures established in the
cooperative agreement. The data used
must be valid and verifiable.
The annual performance reports must
provide, at a minimum, specific
information on the number of training
and technical assistance activities, the
topics of such activities, the type of
training and technical assistance
provided (i.e., intensive, targeted,
universal), the number and types of
participants served (i.e., DSAs or other
providers of services under the OIB
program), and summary data from
participant evaluations.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award under 34 CFR
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:13 Aug 05, 2020
Jkt 250001
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 award, 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. 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) on
request to the program contact person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.
Mark Schultz,
Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services
Administration, Delegated the Authority to
Perform the Functions and Duties of the
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2020–17216 Filed 8–4–20; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With
Disabilities and Demonstration and
Training Programs—The Individuals
With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Paperwork Reduction Planning and
Implementation Program
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2020 for the IDEA Paperwork
Reduction Planning and
Implementation Program, Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
number 84.326F, to assist States in
identifying excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens on
special education teachers, related
services providers, and State and local
administrators that do not assist in
improving educational and functional
results for children with disabilities.
The funds will support developing and,
if appropriate, implementing
comprehensive plans to reduce the
burden. This notice relates to the
approved information collection under
OMB control number 1820–0028.
SUMMARY:
Applications Available: August
6, 2020.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 11, 2020.
DATES:
For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-201902-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Egnor, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5163, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
Telephone: (202) 245–7334. Email:
David.Egnor@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Frm 00035
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 152 (Thursday, August 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47759-47763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17216]
[[Page 47759]]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Independent Living Services for
Older Individuals Who Are Blind--Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting
applications for fiscal year (FY) 2020 for the Independent Living
Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program--Independent
Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) Training and
Technical Assistance, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
number 84.177Z. This notice relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number 1820-0018.
DATES: Applications Available: August 6, 2020.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Williams, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5100, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-5176. Telephone: (202) 245-7586. Email:
[email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide
training and technical assistance to designated State agencies (DSAs)--
the State agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation services to
individuals who are blind--that receive grant funding under the OIB
program and to other service providers that receive OIB program funding
from DSAs to provide services to consumers. The training and technical
assistance are designed to improve the operation and performance of
programs and services for older individuals who are blind resulting in
their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority and one
competitive preference priority. These priorities are from the notice
of final priorities and definitions for this program published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register (NFP).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2020, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind
(OIB) Training and Technical Assistance.
This priority supports a cooperative agreement to establish an OIB
Training and Technical Assistance Center (Center) to provide universal,
targeted, and intensive training and technical assistance to designated
State agencies (DSAs) funded under the OIB program and to any service
providers that DSAs fund to provide services directly to consumers. The
Center will develop and provide training and technical assistance in
the following general topic areas:
(a) Community outreach methods and strategies to identify potential
recipients of services.
(b) Promising practices, based on ``promising evidence'' as defined
in 34 CFR 77.1(c), including the development and dissemination of
relevant materials to facilitate the delivery of high-quality services.
(c) Program performance, including data reporting and analysis.
(d) Financial and management practices, including practices to
ensure compliance with grant administration requirements.
To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a
minimum, conduct the following activities:
(a) Annually provide intensive training and technical assistance to
a minimum of three DSAs or other service providers on the four general
topic areas in this priority. Intensive training and technical
assistance may be provided through remote delivery as appropriate. The
technical assistance must be--
(1) Consistent with the project activities and tailored to the
specific needs and challenges of the DSA or other service provider
receiving intensive training and technical assistance;
(2) Provided under an agreement with each DSA or other service
provider that, at a minimum, details the purpose, intended outcomes,
and requirements for subsequent evaluation of the training and
technical assistance; and
(3) Assessed 90 days after completion to ensure that the DSAs and
other service providers receiving intensive training and technical
assistance are applying it effectively, and to address any issues or
challenges in its implementation.
(b) Provide a range of targeted training and technical assistance
and universal training and technical assistance products and services
on the four general topic areas in this priority. The training and
technical assistance must include, at a minimum, the following
activities:
(1) In each year of the project, provide a minimum of 10 webinars,
podcasts, video conferences, teleconferences, or other virtual methods
of dissemination of information and training and technical assistance
on the four general topic areas in this priority to describe and
disseminate information about emerging promising practices.
(2) Develop new information technology (IT) platforms or systems,
or modify existing platforms and systems, as follows:
(i) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art IT platform
sufficient to support webinars, podcasts, video conferences,
teleconferences, and other virtual methods of dissemination of
information and training and technical assistance; and
(ii) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art archiving
and dissemination system that is open and available to the public, at
no cost, and that provides a central location for later use of training
and technical assistance products, including course curricula,
audiovisual materials, webinars, examples of emerging and promising
practices related to the four general topic areas in this priority, and
any other training and technical assistance products developed by the
grantee and others.
Note: All products produced by the Center must meet government
and industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
(c) Conduct outreach to DSAs so that they are aware of, and can
participate in, training and technical assistance activities.
(d) Establish a community of practice \1\ that will act as a
vehicle for communication, an exchange of information among DSAs and
other service providers, and a forum for sharing the results of
training and
[[Page 47760]]
technical assistance activities that are in progress or that have been
completed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See: www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/dis104.html.
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(e) Facilitate annually a minimum of one in-person conference, or,
if health and safety reasons make an in-person conference infeasible, a
virtual conference, for the purpose of dissemination of information
related to emerging promising practices and ongoing technical
assistance needs and activities.
(f) Communicate and coordinate, on an ongoing basis, with other
federally funded training and technical assistance projects,
particularly Department-funded projects, to ensure that training and
technical assistance activities are complementary and non-duplicative.
(g) Conduct an evaluation to determine the impact of the Center's
training and technical assistance on the DSAs and other service
providers that received the Center's services.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2020, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award
up to an additional 5 points to an application, depending on how well
the application meets the competitive preference priority.
This priority is:
Identify and Demonstrate how Specific Technical Assistance
Strategies Provided to OIB Grantees will Facilitate Collaboration and
Leveraging of Resources at the State and Local Level.
To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a
minimum, develop technical assistance focused on partnerships to
facilitate the sharing of information and leveraging of resources from
other systems that work with aging individuals and individuals with
disabilities.
These technical assistance strategies must be designed to improve
the capacity of OIB grantee staff, and staff from other service
providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide
services to the OIB population, to acquire and develop the skills and
tools they need to help the OIB population sustain and increase their
ability to live independently in their homes and communities.
Definitions:
For FY 2020, the following definitions from the NFP apply to this
competition:
Intensive training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance provided to a DSA, or other service provider that
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, primarily
on-site or through remote delivery, as needed and appropriate, over an
extended period. Intensive training and technical assistance is based
on an ongoing relationship between the training and technical
assistance center staff and a DSA, or other service provider that
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, under the
terms of a signed intensive training and technical assistance
agreement.
Targeted training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance based on needs common to one or more DSAs, or
other service providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to
provide services, on a time-limited basis and with a limited commitment
of training and technical assistance center resources. Targeted
training and technical assistance are delivered through virtual or in-
person methods tailored to the identified needs of the participating
DSAs, or other service providers that receive OIB program funding from
DSAs to provide services.
Universal training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance broadly available to DSAs, or other service
providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide
services, and other interested parties resulting in minimal interaction
with training and technical assistance center staff. Universal training
and technical assistance includes generalized presentations, products,
and related activities available through a website or through brief
contact with the training and technical assistance center staff.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796j-1.
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 as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 367. (e)
The NFP.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions
of higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $596,956.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $596,956 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on
a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect
costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement,
or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever
amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the limit may not be
charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-sharing
requirements, or charged to another Federal award.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State and public or non-profit agencies and
organizations and institutions of higher education that have the
capacity to provide training and technical assistance in the provision
of independent living services for older individuals who are blind and
have demonstrated through their application a capacity to provide the
level of training and technical assistance as indicated in the priority
section of this notice.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may
contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with
2 CFR part 200.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for the OIB Training and
Technical Assistance competition, your application may include business
information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define
``business information'' and describe the process we use in determining
whether
[[Page 47761]]
any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected from
disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C. 552, as amended).
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page
number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional
information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However,
under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to
make an award by the end of FY 2020.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
5. Recommended 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 (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 45 pages
and (2) use the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
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.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed below:
(a) Significance (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses;
(ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the
needs of the OIB population; and
(iv) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
independent living services.
(b) Quality of project design (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population; and
(iv) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs.
(c) Quality of project services (25 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective
practice;
(ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended
recipients or beneficiaries of those services;
(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services; and
(iv) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources.
(d) Quality of the project evaluation (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project;
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate
to the context within which the project
operates;
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes; and
(iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization; and
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives,
[[Page 47762]]
design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
(f) Quality of project personnel (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel;
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors; and
(iii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(g) Quality of the management plan (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks;
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project;
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project; and
(iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of
services, or others, as appropriate.
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
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
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition, the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific 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.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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 multiyear award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure
[[Page 47763]]
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.
5. Performance Measures: The goal of this grant is to provide
training and technical assistance designed to improve the operation and
performance of programs and services for older individuals who are
blind resulting in their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
The cooperative agreement will specify the measures that will be
used to assess the grantee's performance against the goals and
objectives of the project, including outcome measures and measures that
reflect the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the training and
technical assistance products developed by the Center. Such measures
will include, at a minimum, (1) the improved administration, operation,
and performance of the DSAs or other service providers as measured
through the attainment of goals established in the intensive training
and technical assistance agreements; and (2) the number and percentage
of DSAs or other service providers receiving intensive training and
technical assistance that report that the training and technical
assistance they received was of high quality, relevant, and useful.
Other specific measures related to the priority areas for training
and technical assistance will be determined on an annual basis and
specified in the cooperative agreement.
In its annual and final performance reports to the Department, the
grantee will be expected to report the data outlined in the cooperative
agreement that is needed to assess its performance. The annual
performance reports must include both quantitative and qualitative
information necessary to assess the Center's performance on the outcome
measures established in the cooperative agreement. The data used must
be valid and verifiable.
The annual performance reports must provide, at a minimum, specific
information on the number of training and technical assistance
activities, the topics of such activities, the type of training and
technical assistance provided (i.e., intensive, targeted, universal),
the number and types of participants served (i.e., DSAs or other
providers of services under the OIB program), and summary data from
participant evaluations.
6. 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 award, 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. 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) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.
Mark Schultz,
Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Delegated the
Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2020-17216 Filed 8-4-20; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P