Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Doctoral Training Consortia Associated With High-Intensity Needs, 353-361 [2023-28896]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 353-361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28896]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve 
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Doctoral Training 
Consortia Associated With High-Intensity Needs

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for 
Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities--Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-
Intensity Needs, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.325H. This notice 
relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 
1820-0028.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 3, 2024.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 4, 2024.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 2, 2024.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than January 8, 2024, 
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will post 
pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical 
assistance to interested applicants. The webinars may be found at 
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.

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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A10, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: 202-245-7373. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purposes of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help 
address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in special 
education, early intervention, related services, and regular education 
to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with 
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary 
skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined 
through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful 
in serving those children.
    Priority: This competition includes one absolute priority. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), the absolute priority is from 
allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 662 and 681 
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 
1462 and 1481).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications 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:
    Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs.
    Background: The Department is committed to equitable access to 
educational resources and opportunities for children with disabilities 
with high-intensity needs.\1\ Leadership personnel play an essential 
role providing, or preparing others to provide, evidence-based 
interventions and services that improve opportunities and outcomes for 
children, including infants, toddlers, and youth (referred to as 
``children'' hereafter) with disabilities with high-intensity needs. 
The Department also places a high priority on increasing the number of 
leadership personnel, including increasing the number of multilingual 
leadership personnel and leadership personnel from racially and 
ethnically diverse backgrounds, who provide, or prepare others to 
provide, services to children with disabilities with high-intensity 
needs. To support these goals, under this absolute priority, the 
Department will fund three cooperative agreements to support three 
doctoral training consortia to prepare and increase the number of 
personnel who are well qualified for, and can act effectively in, 
leadership positions as researchers and special education/early 
intervention/related services personnel preparers in institutions of 
higher education (IHEs), or as leaders in State educational agencies 
(SEAs), lead agencies (LAs) under Part C of IDEA, local educational 
agencies (LEAs), early intervention services programs (EIS programs), 
or schools.
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    \1\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-intensity needs'' 
refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple 
disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant 
physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant 
autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning 
disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with 
these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized 
intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address 
persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with 
greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly 
available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or 
which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying 
and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).
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    There continues to be the need to advance the knowledge base of 
evidence-based interventions that meet the developmental, learning, and 
academic needs of children with high-intensity needs (e.g., Chen et 
al., 2021; Grzadzinski et al., 2020; Kuntz and Carter, 2019; Miciak et 
al., 2018; Nelson & Bruce, 2019). This need has been compounded due to 
the disproportionate negative impact on educational outcomes for 
children with disabilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., 
Stelitano et al., 2022) and the significant shortages of educators with 
specialized preparation providing services to children with high-
intensity needs (e.g., Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). Leadership 
personnel who have the knowledge, skills, and expertise are needed to 
effectively address the complexity of issues that children with 
disabilities with high-intensity needs may have; prepare and support 
educators with the specialized knowledge and skills to

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deliver evidence-based culturally and linguistically responsive and 
inclusive instruction, interventions, and services that effectively 
support children with disabilities with high-intensity needs; and 
inform how intervention and services can best be coordinated to address 
these needs in different educational settings.
    There is a well-documented need for special education, early 
intervention, and related services leadership personnel to address the 
needs of children with high-intensity needs and who serve critical 
roles within different settings (National Association of School 
Psychologists, 2021; Montrosse & Young, 2012; NCSI, 2018a; NCSI, 2018b; 
Tucker et al., 2020). There is also the need to increase the number of 
multilingual leadership personnel and leadership personnel from 
racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds due to the significant 
benefits for both personnel and the children they serve (e.g., Carver-
Thomas, 2018) as well as bringing different perspectives, experiences, 
and contexts to research (e.g., Hofstra et al., 2020).
    The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has made 
investments in a consortium approach to prepare future leadership 
personnel since 2004 in high-need areas (e.g., sensory disabilities, 
children with high-intensity needs) and those investments have 
demonstrated success in producing future leadership personnel. For 
example, a majority of the scholars completed their programs, are 
working in the field as faculty or in other leadership positions, and 
are making contributions to the field through presentations and 
publications on improving outcomes and services for children with high-
intensity needs (e.g., see https://nclii.org/), including sensory 
disabilities (Kruemmeling et al., 2017). An initial evaluation of the 
2004, 2009, and 2014 sensory consortia indicates that after completing 
their doctoral degrees, scholars received research and personnel 
preparation grants to improve interventions and services as well as 
grants to prepare personnel to address the needs of children with 
sensory disabilities (Kruemmeling et al., 2017). Leadership personnel 
have significant influence in preparing and supporting personnel, 
policy, and research. Critical competencies for special education, 
early intervention, and related services leadership personnel vary 
depending on the type of leadership personnel and the requirements of 
the preparation program, but can include, for example, skills needed 
for postsecondary instruction, administration and supervision, 
interpreting and applying research, policy development and 
implementation, organizational and systems change, communication, 
collaboration, and the use of technologies to support in-person, 
hybrid, and distance education. Networks, in particular, are integral 
to leadership development and critical to addressing complex problems 
(Cullen-Lester et al., 2017; Dave et al., 2021; Hoppe & Reinelt, 2010; 
Wallace et al., 2021).
    Priority: The purpose of the Doctoral Training Consortia Associated 
with High-Intensity Needs priority is to increase the number of highly 
skilled doctoral leaders, including increasing the number of 
multilingual leadership personnel and leadership personnel from 
racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who provide, or prepare 
others to provide, services to children with disabilities with high-
intensity needs \2\ by funding three doctoral training consortia to 
prepare and increase the number of personnel who are well qualified 
for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions as researchers 
and special education/early intervention/related services personnel 
preparers in IHEs, or as leaders in SEAs, LAs under Part C of IDEA, 
LEAs, EIS programs, or schools. Each doctoral training consortium must 
support preparation programs that culminate in a doctoral degree (Ph.D. 
or Ed.D.).
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    \2\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-intensity needs'' 
refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple 
disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant 
physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant 
autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning 
disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with 
these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized 
intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address 
persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with 
greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly 
available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or 
which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying 
and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).
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    Note: Project periods under this priority may be up to 60 months. 
Projects should be designed to ensure that all proposed scholars \3\ 
successfully complete the project within 60 months from the start of 
the project. The Secretary may reduce continuation awards for any 
project in which scholars are not on track to complete the program by 
the end of that period.
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    \3\ For the purposes of this priority, ``scholar'' is limited to 
an individual who (a) is pursuing a doctoral degree related to 
special education, early intervention, or related services; (b) 
receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of 
IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); and (c) will be able to be employed in a 
position that serves children with disabilities for at least 51 
percent of their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/Regulation for more information.
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    To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, 
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this 
priority. All projects funded under this absolute priority also must 
meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the 
priority.
    Note: Each doctoral training consortium must support preparation 
programs that culminate in a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or Ed.D.). Each IHE 
in the consortium must enroll and support scholars as part of the 
consortium. For additional information regarding group applications, 
refer to 34 CFR 75.127, 75.128, and 75.129.
    Note: Doctoral training programs that lead to clinical doctoral 
degrees in related services (e.g., a Doctor of Audiology degree or 
Doctor of Physical Therapy degree) are not included in this priority. 
These types of training programs are eligible to apply for funding 
under the Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early 
Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and 
Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions competition (ALN 
84.325M) or the Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving 
Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs competition 
(ALN 84.325R) that OSEP intends to fund in FY 2024.
    To meet the requirements of this priority, an applicant must--
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance,'' how--
    (1) The proposed project would increase the number of leadership 
personnel who are well qualified to advance practice, policy, or 
research in the project's preparation focus area and how it will 
provide, or prepare others to provide, evidence-based \4\ culturally 
and linguistically responsive instruction, interventions, and services 
that improve outcomes for children with disabilities with high-
intensity needs;
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    \4\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based'' means, 
at a minimum, evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 
34 CFR 77.1), where a key project component (as defined in 34 CFR 
77.1) included in the project's logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 
77.1) is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest 
the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1).
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    (2) Data demonstrates the potential success of the project in 
producing leaders in special education, early intervention, or related 
services that address the needs of children with high-

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intensity needs (including data from each IHE participating in the 
proposed consortium, if available). Applicants must include data on the 
number of students who have completed each doctoral program 
disaggregated by race, national origin and primary language(s), and 
disability status; the types of leadership positions in which recent 
program graduates are employed related to their preparation; the 
professional accomplishments of program graduates that demonstrate 
their leadership in special education, early intervention, or related 
services (e.g., public service, awards, publications), including those 
that address the needs of children with high-intensity needs; and the 
percentage of program graduates finding employment related to their 
preparation serving children with disabilities in underserved 
communities if applicable (e.g., employed in districts with high rates 
of poverty); and
    Note: Data on each individual consortium university's program 
should be no more than 5 years old on the start date of the project 
proposed in the application. When reporting percentages, the 
denominator (i.e., the total number of scholars or program graduates) 
must be provided.
    (3) The competencies each scholar acquires by participating in the 
consortium and by completing the university's program of study will 
relate to the knowledge and skills needed by the leadership personnel 
the applicant proposes to prepare.
    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of project services,'' how--
    (1) The applicant will recruit and retain scholars participating in 
the project. To meet this requirement, the narrative must describe--
    (i) The selection criteria the applicant will use to identify 
doctoral applicants for admission in the consortium;
    Note: Consortium scholars must be first-time enrollees in a 
doctoral training program in the proposed project's preparation focus 
area.
    (ii) The recruitment strategies the project will use to attract 
doctoral applicants, including from groups that are underrepresented in 
the field, including applicants with disabilities, multilingual 
applicants, and applicants from racially and ethnically diverse 
backgrounds, to ensure a diverse pool of applicants; and
    Note: Applicants should engage in focused outreach and recruitment 
to increase the number of doctoral applicants from groups that are 
underrepresented in the field, including applicants with disabilities, 
multilingual applicants, and applicants from racially and ethnically 
diverse backgrounds, but the scholar selection criteria the applicant 
intends to use must ensure equal access and treatment of all applicants 
seeking admission to the program and must be consistent with applicable 
law, including Federal civil rights laws.
    (iii) The approach that will be used to mentor and support all 
scholars in completing the program and prepare them for careers in 
special education, early intervention, or related services; and
    (2) The project is designed to promote the acquisition of the 
competencies needed by leadership personnel in the project's proposed 
preparation focus area to provide, or prepare others to provide, 
evidence-based culturally and linguistically responsive and inclusive 
instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes for 
children with disabilities with high-intensity needs. To address this 
requirement, the applicant must--
    (i) Describe how the proposed project components, such as the 
consortium curriculum, research, internship experiences, work-based 
experiences, program evaluation, and other opportunities provided to 
scholars, and sequence of the components will enable the scholars to 
acquire the competencies needed by leadership personnel;
    (ii) Describe how the components of the consortium curriculum are 
integrated within and across the individual university program 
curricula in order to support the acquisition and enhancement of the 
identified competencies needed by leadership personnel in the project's 
proposed preparation focus area;
    (iii) Describe how the project will provide scholars with high-
quality work-based experiences (e.g., internships, program evaluation) 
in a high-need LEA,\5\ a high-poverty school,\6\ a school implementing 
a comprehensive support and improvement plan,\7\ a school implementing 
a targeted support and improvement plan \8\ for children with 
disabilities, an SEA, an early childhood and early intervention program 
located within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an 
early childhood and early intervention program located within the 
geographical boundaries of an LEA serving the highest percentage of 
schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or 
implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State;
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    \5\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-need LEA'' means 
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 
20 percent of the children are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line.
    \6\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-poverty school'' 
means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are from 
low-income families as determined using one of the measures of 
poverty specified in section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). For middle and 
high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of 
comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 
school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most 
currently available data.
    \7\ For the purposes of this priority, ``school implementing a 
comprehensive support and improvement plan'' means a school 
identified for comprehensive support and improvement by a State 
under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that includes (a) not less 
than the lowest performing 5 percent of all schools in the State 
receiving funds under title I, part A of the ESEA; (b) all public 
high schools in the State failing to graduate one third or more of 
their students; and (c) public schools in the State described in 
section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of the ESEA.
    \8\ For the purposes of this priority, ``school implementing a 
targeted support and improvement plan'' means a school identified 
for targeted support and improvement by a State that has developed 
and is implementing a school-level targeted support and improvement 
plan to improve student outcomes based on the indicators in the 
statewide accountability system as defined in section 1111(d)(2) of 
the ESEA.
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    (iv) Describe how the components of the consortium will enhance 
scholar's preparation to provide, or prepare others to provide, 
evidence-based culturally and linguistically responsive and inclusive 
instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes for 
children with disabilities with high-intensity needs, in a variety of 
educational or early childhood and early intervention settings, 
including in-person and remote settings;
    (v) Describe how the proposed project will engage partners, 
including multilingual individuals, individuals and families from 
racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, public or private entities 
(e.g., organizations, centers, agencies, schools, programs) that 
provide services to multilingual children with disabilities and their 
families, and public or private entities that provide services to 
children of color with disabilities and their families, to inform 
project components;
    (vi) Describe how the components of the consortium will enhance 
scholars' knowledge of strategies and approaches in attracting, 
preparing, and retaining future personnel with disabilities, 
multilingual personnel, and personnel from racially and ethnically 
diverse backgrounds, who will work with, and provide evidence-based 
culturally and linguistically responsive and inclusive instruction, 
interventions, and services to, children with disabilities with high-
intensity needs and their families; and

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    (vii) Describe how the project is designed to ensure that scholars 
have opportunities to work with faculty and scholars from other 
universities within the consortium on academic and professional 
opportunities in order to support the acquisition of the competencies 
identified in paragraph (a)(3).
    (c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the Project Personnel and Management Plan,'' how--
    (1) The project director and key project personnel, are qualified 
to prepare scholars in the project's preparation focus area;
    (2) The project director and other key project personnel will 
manage the components of the project; and
    (3) The time commitments of the project director and other key 
project personnel are adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of resources,'' how--
    (1) Information regarding the types of accommodations and resources 
available to fully support scholars' well-being and a work-life balance 
(e.g., university and community mental health supports, counseling 
services, health resources, housing resources, childcare) will be 
disseminated and how the project will support scholars accessing those 
accommodations and resources on a timely basis, if needed, while the 
scholar is in the project;
    (2) The types of accommodations and resources provided to support 
scholars' well-being and a work-life balance will be individualized 
based on scholars' cultural, academic, and social and emotional needs 
with the goal of providing them support to complete the project; and
    (3) The budget is adequate for meeting the project objectives and 
mitigating financial burden to scholars while completing the project 
requirements.
    Note: Scholar support does not need to be uniform for all scholars 
and should be customized for individual scholars based on the scholar's 
financial needs, including a consideration of all costs associated with 
the attendance, even if that means enrolling fewer scholars as part of 
the proposed project. Scholar support can include support for cost of 
attendance (i.e., tuition and fees; university student health 
insurance; an allowance for books, materials, and supplies; an 
allowance for miscellaneous personal expenses; an allowance for 
dependent care, such as childcare; an allowance for transportation; and 
an allowance for room and board), travel in conjunction with training 
assignments, including conference registration, and stipends to support 
scholars' completion of the program and professional development. 
Projections for scholar support should consider tuition increases and 
cost of living increases over the project period.
    (e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the project evaluation,'' how the applicant will--
    (1) Evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed 
project have been met. The applicant must describe the outcomes to be 
measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the 
acquisition of scholars' competencies, and the evaluation methodologies 
to be employed, data collection methods, and possible analyses;
    (2) Collect, analyze, and use data on scholars supported by the 
project to inform the proposed project on an ongoing basis;
    (3) Disseminate project outcomes, including the consortium 
structure and components critical to attaining positive scholar 
competencies;
    (4) Dedicate sufficient resources toward revising, refining, and 
conducting evaluation activities;
    (5) Contribute to the evaluation and dissemination of the 
consortium model by collaborating with the other consortia in 
developing an evaluation plan that includes sharing data on project 
components and scholars; and
    (6) Report the evaluation results to OSEP in the applicant's annual 
and final performance reports.
    (f) Demonstrate, in the appendices or narrative under ``Required 
project assurances'' as directed, that the following requirements are 
met. The applicant must--
    (1) Include at least six IHEs with doctoral programs in the project 
that will prepare scholars for leadership positions to address the 
needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs;
    (2) Include at least one or more IHEs with doctoral programs in the 
project that will prepare scholars for leadership positions to address 
the needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs that 
meet the definition of a Minority-Serving Institution; \9\
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    \9\ For purposes of this priority, ``Minority-Serving 
Institution (MSI)'' means an institution that is eligible to receive 
assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title III, 
under part B of title III, or under title V of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, as amended. For purposes of this priority, the 
Department will use the FY 2023 Eligibility Matrix to determine MSI 
eligibility (see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html).
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    (3) Include at least one IHE with a doctoral program in the project 
that will prepare scholars for leadership positions to address the 
needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs that has 
not received funding under ALN 84.325D or ALN 84.325H at any point in 
the preceding five fiscal years (i.e., FY 2019-FY 2023);
    (4) Include, in Appendix A of the application charts, tables, 
figures, graphs, screen shots, and visuals that provide information 
directly relating to the application requirements for the narrative. 
Appendix A should not be used for supplementary information. Please 
note that charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots can be 
single-spaced when placed in Appendix A;
    (5) Include in the application budget attendance by the project 
director at a 3-day project directors' meeting in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project. The budget may also provide for the 
attendance of scholars at the same 3-day project directors' meetings in 
Washington, DC. The project must reallocate funds for travel to the 
project directors' meeting no later than the end of the third quarter 
of each budget period if the meeting is conducted virtually;
    (6) Include in the application budget two in-person meetings for 
project scholars and faculty each year of the project. Meetings may be 
scheduled to coincide with a professional conference or meeting but 
must include designated time for a meeting of project scholars and 
faculty; and
    (7) Provide an assurance that--
    (i) The project will establish policies, procedures, standards, and 
guidelines for the work of the consortium, in consultation with and 
approved by the OSEP project officer prior to implementation, in the 
following areas:
    (A) Recruitment and selection of scholars who will be supported by 
the consortium;
    (B) Distribution of tuition and stipends among participating 
scholars;
    (C) Fiscal management;
    (D) Measurement and reporting of scholar progress;
    (E) Contingency planning in case of scholar or consortium faculty 
losses;
    (F) Governance of the consortium; and
    (G) Sustainability plan;
    (ii) The project will ensure that all scholars enrolled participate 
in and complete, in addition to the scholar's university program of 
study, the unique consortium curriculum;
    (iii) The project will meet the requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, 
particularly those related to paragraph (a) informing all scholarship 
recipients of their service obligation commitment;

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and 34 CFR 304.22, disbursing scholarships. Failure by a grantee to 
properly meet these requirements is a violation of the grant award that 
may result in the grantee being liable for returning any misused funds 
to the Department;
    (iv) The project will meet the statutory requirements in section 
662(e) through (h) of IDEA;
    (v) The project will be operated in a manner consistent with the 
nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws;
    (vi) At least 65 percent of the total award over the project period 
(i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for scholar support;
    (vii) Scholar support provided by the project (e.g., tuition and 
fees; university student health insurance; an allowance for books, 
materials, and supplies; an allowance for miscellaneous personal 
expenses; an allowance for dependent care, such as childcare; and an 
allowance for room and board) will not be conditioned on the scholar 
working for the grantee (e.g., personnel at the IHE);
    (viii) The project director, key personnel, and scholars will 
actively participate in the cross-project collaboration, advanced 
trainings, and cross-site learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, 
briefings) supported by OSEP. This network is intended to promote 
opportunities for participants to share resources and generate new 
knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to participants 
across projects including Department priorities and needs in the field;
    (ix) The project will maintain a website that contains relevant 
information and documents relating to the participating universities 
and faculty, components of the consortium curriculum, and scholar 
accomplishments; and that is of high quality, with an easy-to-navigate 
design that meets government or industry-recognized standards for 
accessibility;
    (x) Scholar accomplishments (e.g., public service, awards, 
publications) will be reported in annual and final performance reports; 
and
    (xi) Annual data will be submitted on each scholar who receives 
grant support (OMB Control Number 1820-0686). The primary purposes of 
the data collection are to track the service obligation fulfillment of 
scholars who receive funds from OSEP grants and to collect data for 
program performance measure reporting under 34 CFR 75.110. Data 
collection includes the submission of a signed, completed pre-
scholarship agreement and exit certification for each scholar funded 
under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (iii) of this section). Applicants 
are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program Data 
Collection System website at https://pdp.ed.gov/osep for further 
information about this data collection requirement.

References

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Incorporating social networks in leadership development: A 
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leadership development. In C.S.P. Fernandez & G. Corbie-Smith 
(Eds.), Leading community based changes in the culture of health in 
the US--Experiences in developing the team and impacting the 
community. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.80243.
Grzadzinski, R., Janvier, D., & Kim, S.H. (2020). Recent 
developments in treatment outcome measures for young children with 
autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Seminars Pediatric Neurology, 34, 
100806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spen.2020.100806.
Kruemmling, B., Hayes, H., & Smith, D.W. (2017). Enriching doctoral-
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of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 111(6), 557-567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1711100606.
Kuntz, E.M., & Carter, E.W. (2019). Review of interventions 
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Severe Disabilities, 44, 103-121. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796919847483.
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    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. Section 
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the 
APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.

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    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    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 304.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$250,000,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2024, of which we 
intend to use an estimated $3,900,000 for this competition. The actual 
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. 
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete 
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2025 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $5,500,000-$6,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $6,000,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $6,500,000 per 
project for a project period of 60 months or an award that exceeds 
$1,950,000 for any single budget period.
    Note: Applicants must describe, in their applications, the amount 
of funding being requested for each 12-month budget period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs and private nonprofit organizations 
that have legal authority to enter into grants and cooperative 
agreements with the Federal government on behalf of an IHE.
    Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the 
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an 
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State 
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the 
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and 
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private 
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's 
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly 
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item 
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent 
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent 
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing or matching is not 
required for this competition.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a training 
indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an 
entity's actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total 
direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information 
regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more 
information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated 
indirect cost rate, please see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 
Guidance.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this 
competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: IHEs and private nonprofit organizations. The grantee may 
award subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved 
application or that it selects through a competition under procedures 
established by the grantee, consistent with 34 CFR 75.708(b)(2).
    4. 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. Applicants for, and recipients of, funding must, with respect to 
the aspects of their proposed projects relating to the absolute 
priority, 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. 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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 775045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative 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 50 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, 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.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget

[[Page 359]]

justification; 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 recommended page limit does apply to 
all of the application narrative, including all text in charts, tables, 
figures, graphs, and screen shots.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
    (a) Significance (10 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 the proposed project will prepare personnel 
for fields in which shortages have been demonstrated; and
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project.
    (b) Quality of project services (45 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 training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients 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 proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained program of training in the field.
    (c) Quality of project personnel and quality of the management plan 
(20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the project personnel 
and the quality of the management plan for 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 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; and
    (iii) 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.
    (d) Adequacy of resources (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources of 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, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (e) 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; and
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    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. 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 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.
    4. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions, and under 2 CFR 
3474.10, 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.
    5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period

[[Page 360]]

may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), 
under 2 CFR 200.206(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.
    6. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and 
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal 
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and 
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting 
applications in accordance with--
    (a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering 
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of 
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
    (b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video 
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115--232) (2 CFR 
200.216);
    (c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to 
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United 
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
    (d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest 
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program 
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

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 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 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.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: For the purposes of Department reporting 
under 34 CFR 75.110, 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 Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results 
for Children with Disabilities program. These measures include (1) the 
percentage of preparation programs that incorporate scientifically 
based research or evidence-based practices (EBPs) into their curricula; 
(2) the percentage of scholars completing the preparation program who 
are knowledgeable and skilled in EBPs that improve outcomes for 
children with disabilities; (3) the percentage of scholars who exit the 
preparation program prior to completion due to poor academic 
performance; (4) the percentage of scholars completing the preparation 
program who are working in the area(s) in which they were prepared upon 
program completion; (5) the Federal cost per scholar who completed the 
preparation program; (6) the percentage of scholars who completed the 
preparation program and are employed in high-need districts; and (7) 
the percentage of scholars who completed the preparation program and 
who are rated effective by their employers.
    In addition, the Department will gather information on the 
following outcome measures: (1) the number and percentage of scholars 
proposed by the grantee in their application that were actually 
enrolled and making satisfactory academic progress in the current 
academic year; (2) the number and percentage of enrolled scholars who 
are on track to complete the training program by the end of the 
project's original grant period; and (3) the percentage of scholars who 
completed the preparation program and are employed in the field of 
special education for at least two years.
    Grantees may be asked to participate in assessing and providing 
information on these aspects of program quality.
    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

[[Page 361]]

approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established 
performance measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made 
substantial progress in achieving 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: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
    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.

Dant[eacute] Allen,
Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2023-28896 Filed 1-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P