[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65200-65201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31386]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.235W]


Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational 
Rehabilitation Services to Individuals With Disabilities; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1997

    Purpose of Program: To provide financial assistance to projects for 
expanding or otherwise improving vocational rehabilitation and other 
rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, especially 
individuals with the most severe disabilities.
    Eligible Applicants: State agencies; other public agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes; and nonprofit private agencies 
and organizations.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 18, 1997.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 1997.
    Applications Available: December 11, 1996.
    Available Funds: $2,958,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $180,000--$220,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 13-16.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Maximum Award: In no case does the Secretary make an award greater 
than $220,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Secretary 
rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget 
exceeding this maximum amount.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, and 85; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR 
parts 369 and 373.

[[Page 65201]]

Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority

    The competitive preference priority concerning Empowerment Zones 
and Enterprise Communities in the notice of final priorities for this 
program, published in the Federal Register on December 9, 1994 (59 FR 
63860), applies to this competition.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the Secretary gives preference to 
applications that meet the following competitive priority. The 
Secretary awards 10 bonus points to an application that meets this 
competitive priority in a particularly effective way. These bonus 
points are in addition to any points the application earns under the 
selection criteria for the program:

Competitive Preference Priority--Providing Program Services in an 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community

    Under this program the Secretary gives competitive preference to 
applications that--
    (1) Propose the provision of substantial services in Empowerment 
Zones or Enterprise Communities; and
    (2) Propose projects that contribute to the strategic plan of the 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community and that are made an integral 
component of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community activities.
    Under this program a project is considered to be providing 
substantial services if a minimum of 51 percent of the persons served 
by the project reside within the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise 
Community.

Invitational Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary is particularly interested 
in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational 
priorities. However, an application that meets one or more of these 
invitational priorities does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications:
Invitational Priority 1--Projects To Increase Client Choice
    Projects that emphasize and demonstrate effective ways to increase 
the choices and involvement of eligible clients in the rehabilitation 
process, including the selection of goals, services, and the providers 
of vocational rehabilitation services.
Invitational Priority 2--Programs To Demonstrate Early Intervention 
Strategies
    Projects that provide early intervention in providing vocational 
rehabilitation services to individuals with chronic and progressive 
diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Projects should demonstrate the utility 
of early intervention in providing vocational evaluation, training, and 
counseling services to develop new careers and employment or to improve 
job retention.
Invitational Priority 3--Projects Focusing on Career Advancement
    Projects that demonstrate service delivery models that further high 
quality employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities by 
providing services to ensure that those individuals possess the 
knowledge and skills necessary to compete for jobs with potential for 
career advancement and by providing services to improve career 
advancement opportunities for individuals who are employed.

FOR APPLICATIONS CONTACT: Joyce R. Jones, U.S. Department of Education, 
600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3038 Switzer Building, Washington, 
D.C. 20202-2649; or call (202) 205-8351.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pamela Martin or Alfreda Reeves, U.S. Department of Education, 600 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3314, Switzer Building, Washington, 
D.C. 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 205-8494 or (202) 205-9361.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including 
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can 
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board), 
telephone (202) 260-9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at gopher://
gcs.ed.gov/); or on the World Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov). This 
information can also be viewed on the Rehabilitations Services 
Administration's electronic bulletin board, telephone (202) 401-6147. 
However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant 
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.

    Authority: 29 U.S.C. 777a(a)(1).

    Dated: December 4, 1996.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 96-31386 Filed 12-10-96; 8:45 am]
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