[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11499-11505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4547]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technology and Media Services for
Individuals With Disabilities--Educational Materials in Accessible
Formats for Students With Visual Impairments and Other Print
Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327D.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 27, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2012.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 11, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with Disabilities program is to: (1) Improve
results for students with disabilities by promoting the development,
demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media
services activities designed to be of educational value in the
classroom for students with disabilities; and (3) provide support for
captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the
classroom.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections
674(c)(1)(D) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1474(c)(1)(D) and 1481(D)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
[[Page 11500]]
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual
Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of a project that will provide
free educational materials,\1\ including textbooks, in accessible media
for students who are blind, visually impaired, and print disabled and
enrolled in elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or graduate schools.
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\1\ For the purposes of this priority, we are using the term
``educational materials'' consistent with the use of this term in
section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA and to be consistent with the term of
art used in the field.
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To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this
priority. Any project funded under this absolute priority also must
meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the
priority.
Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its
application--
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals,
activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic
model communicates how a project will achieve its outcomes and provides
a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the
project;
Note: The following Web sites provide more information on logic
models: www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.
(b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project
Activities section of this priority;
(c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a
formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan
must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance
objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the
proposed project, including objective measures of progress in
implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(e) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one and one half day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning
meeting held in Washington, DC, with the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) Project Officer during each subsequent year of the
project period.
Note: Within 30 days of the award, a post-award teleconference
must be held between the OSEP Project Officer and the grantee's
project director or other authorized representative. The primary
purposes of this meeting will be to review the Department's grantee
requirements, discuss the project's planned activities and budget,
and confirm the expectations for the project's performance measures
and evaluation.
(2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(3) Two two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP, and to meet with the OSEP Project Officer and other funded
projects for purposes of cross-project collaboration and information
exchange; and
(f) A line item in the proposed budget for an annual set-aside of
four percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's activities, as those needs are
identified in consultation with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project Officer, the project
must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.
Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the
project, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:
(a) Provide educational materials, including textbooks, in
accessible formats to State educational agencies (SEAs) and local
educational agencies (LEAs) for use by elementary and secondary
education students with print disabilities. The educational materials,
including any specialized software needed to use the materials, must be
provided at no cost to students, families, schools, SEAs, and LEAs.
Thus, the project may not assess membership fees to individual students
or to institutions, including schools, SEAs, and LEAs.
(b) Provide educational materials in accessible formats for
students with print disabilities attending postsecondary and graduate
schools. Materials may be provided directly to eligible students \2\ or
to postsecondary and graduate schools and vocational rehabilitation
agencies requesting materials in accessible formats on behalf of
eligible students. The accessible educational materials, including any
specialized software needed to use the materials, must be provided at
no cost to students, postsecondary and graduate schools, and vocational
rehabilitation agencies. Thus, the project may not assess fees to
individual students or to institutions, including postsecondary
schools, graduate schools, and vocational rehabilitation agencies.
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\2\ For purposes of this priority, eligible students attending
postsecondary and graduate schools are students with a print
disability as defined in section 771 of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended. Section 771 defines ``student with a print
disability'' as ``a student with a disability who experiences
barriers to accessing instructional material in nonspecialized
formats, including an individual described in section 121(d)(2) of
title 17, United States Code.''
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(c) Produce high-quality, user-friendly educational materials in
accessible formats including, digital text, braille-ready files, and
audio formats. At least 50 percent of the audio materials produced must
be in text-to-speech audio format. Materials produced as part of this
cooperative agreement must include image descriptions, digital images,
and graphics.
(d) Develop and implement an innovative plan focused on improving
the quality, timeliness, and ease of access to educational materials
for students with print disabilities, including, when appropriate,
those materials that are included in open educational resources.\3\ To
the extent feasible, the project must provide for the use of
communication and data technologies available today, including handheld
devices, smart phones, data pads, etc., and anticipate future needs
across the five years in the development of this plan.
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\3\ For purposes of this priority, ``open educational
resources'' are teaching, learning, and research resources that
reside in the public domain or have been released under an
intellectual property license that permits their free use or
repurposing by others.
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(e) Develop and implement cost and efficiency measures for the
production of accessible educational materials.
(f) Provide high-quality, up-to-date software needed to use the
accessible educational materials, at no cost to students, families,
schools, LEAs, SEAs, postsecondary and graduate schools, and vocational
rehabilitation agencies. The project must also keep abreast of emerging
technologies and implement changes and updates to technology, software,
and other materials that meet industry standards.
(g) Provide and implement a detailed digital rights management
(DRM) plan that protects the interests of rights holders while
maintaining ease of access to the accessible educational materials for
students with print disabilities.
[[Page 11501]]
(h) Develop and implement a plan for consulting with publishers,
software developers, other manufacturers of accessible educational
materials for individuals with print disabilities, and the National
Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) \4\ to ensure that the
project uses the most efficient, cost-effective technology available to
provide timely access to educational materials.
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\4\ For more information regarding the NIMAC, please see:
www.nimac.us/.
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(i) Produce accessible educational materials using files that are
compliant with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standard (NIMAS).\5\
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\5\ For more information regarding the NIMAS, please see: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalArea,10,.
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(j) Develop and implement a plan for increasing SEA and LEA use of
the project's resources and accessible educational materials as part of
their systems for providing educational materials in accessible formats
to students with print disabilities.
(k) Ensure that project activities are conducted in compliance with
section 121 of the Copyright Act, as amended: www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#121.
(l) Establish and maintain an advisory committee consisting of SEA
and LEA representatives, representatives from community colleges and
four-year institutions of higher education, representatives from
vocational rehabilitation agencies, parents of individuals with visual
impairments and other print disabilities ages birth through 26,
consumers with visual impairments and consumers with other print
disabilities who use educational materials in accessible formats, and
representatives of schools or other institutions where educational
materials in accessible formats are used. The purpose of this advisory
committee is to provide the project with input and ongoing advice on
the project's goals, objectives, program activities, and services. The
project must submit the names of proposed members of the advisory
committee to OSEP for approval within eight weeks after receipt of the
award.
(m) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility and that links to the Web site
operated by the Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC).\6\
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\6\ For more information regarding the TACC, please see:
www.tadnet.org.
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(n) Communicate and collaborate, on an ongoing basis, with OSEP-
funded projects, including NIMAS-related projects. Activities could
include the joint development of products, training sessions, and
materials, and improving the accessible educational materials delivery
system to ensure timely and easy access to accessible educational
materials.
(o) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer
through bi-monthly phone conferences and email communication.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project
In deciding whether to continue funding the project for the fourth
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary. This review will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during the
last half of the second year of the project period. The project must
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the project's
activities and products and the degree to which the project's
activities and products have contributed to increasing the number of
eligible students that use AIM and improving the timeliness of delivery
of AIM to students with print disabilities.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,500,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2013 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $6,500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months with an optional additional 24
months based on performance. Applications must include plans for both
the 36-month award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: National, nonprofit entities with a proven
track record of meeting the needs of students with visual impairments
and other print disabilities through services described in section
674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA that have the capacity to produce, maintain, and
distribute, in a timely fashion, up-to-date textbooks in digital audio
formats to qualified students and that have a demonstrated ability to
significantly leverage Federal funds through other public and private
contributions, as well as through the expansive use of volunteers (see
section 674(d)(2) of IDEA; 17 U.S.C. 121(d)(1)).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements:
(a) The project funded under this competition must make positive
efforts to employ, and advance in employment, qualified individuals
with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) The applicant and grant recipient funded under this competition
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207,
Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703)
605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or
a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
[[Page 11502]]
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to
identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327D.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 25 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support.
However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section (Part III).
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 27, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 12, 2012.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 7.
Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 11, 2012.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). A DUNS number can be obtained
online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling the Customer
Resource Center at 1-800-234-3867 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday;
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications
We are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov
Apply site. The Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for
Students with Visual Impairments and Other Print Disabilities
competition, CFDA number 84.327D, is included in this project. We
request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through
this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application
package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your
application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Educational
Materials in Accessible Formats for Students with Visual Impairments
and Other Print Disabilities competition at www.Grants.gov. You must
search for the downloadable application package for this program by the
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.327, not 84.327D).
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
[[Page 11503]]
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
If you submit your application electronically, you must
upload all documents electronically, including all information you
typically provide on the following forms: the Application for Federal
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
If you submit your application electronically, you must
upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your
application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-
modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable .PDF file.
If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable .PDF
or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.327D), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date,
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.327D), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
[[Page 11504]]
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past,
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel
requirements under IDEA also have placed additional constraints on the
availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department has determined
that, for some discretionary grant competitions, applications may be
separated into two or more groups and ranked and selected for funding
within specific groups. This procedure will make it easier for the
Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that greater numbers of
individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers for any particular
group of applicants will not have conflicts of interest. It also will
increase the quality, independence, and fairness of the review process,
while permitting panel members to review applications under
discretionary grant competitions for which they also have submitted
applications. However, if the Department decides to select an equal
number of applications in each group for funding, this may result in
different cut-off points for fundable applications in each group.
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and
quality of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program. These measures are included in the application
package and focus on the extent to which projects are of high quality,
are relevant to improving outcomes of children with disabilities, and
contribute to improving outcomes for children with disabilities. We
will collect data on these measures from the project funded under this
competition. The grantee will be required to report information on its
project's performance in its final performance report to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4063, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6253.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS),
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting
the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
[[Page 11505]]
Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: February 21, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-4547 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P