[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 130 (Friday, July 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35742-35743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16983]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.133A]


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, National 
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2001 for new 
awards and announcing pre-application meetings.

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SUMMARY: We invite applications for new grant awards for FY 2001 for 
three Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers 
Program (DRRP) funding priorities on Strategies for Promoting 
Information Technology (IT)-based Educational Opportunities for 
Individuals with Disabilities, Strategies for Promoting Information 
Technology (IT)-based Employment and Training Opportunities for 
Individuals with Disabilities, and Wayfinding Technologies for 
Individuals Who Are Blind.
    Purpose of the Program: The purpose of the Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to improve the 
effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of 
national need. The priorities are intended to improve rehabilitation 
services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

National Education Goals

    The eight National Education Goals focus the Nation's education 
reform efforts and provide a framework for improving teaching and 
learning.
    This notice addresses the National Education Goal that every adult 
American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills 
necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and 
responsibilities of citizenship.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
85, 86 and 97; and the following program regulations: Disability 
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers--34 CFR part 350, and the 
Notice of Final Priority published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register.
    Pre-Application Meeting: Interested parties are invited to 
participate in pre-application meetings to discuss the funding 
priorities. In each meeting you will receive technical assistance and 
information about the funding priority. You may attend the meetings 
either in person or by conference call at the Department of Education, 
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Switzer 
Building, Room 3065, 330 C St. SW., Washington, DC between 10:00 a.m. 
and 12 noon. NIDRR staff will also be available at this location from 
1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on that same day to provide technical assistance 
through individual consultation about the funding priority.
    Pre-Application Meeting Dates: The pre-application meeting for both 
the Resource Center for Strategies for Promoting IT-based Educational 
Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities and the Strategies for 
Promoting IT-based Employment and Training Opportunities for 
Individuals with Disabilities will be held on July 24, 2001. For 
further information or to make arrangements to participate in the July 
24, 2001, meeting contact Richard Wilson, Switzer Building, room 3033C, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Internet: 
[email protected] Telephone (202) 205-9088.
    The pre-application meeting for the Wayfinding Technologies for 
Individuals Who Are Blind will be held on July 25, 2001. For further 
information or to make arrangements to participate in the July 25, 
2001, meeting contact William Peterson, Switzer Building, room 3425, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Internet: 
[email protected] Telephone (202) 205-9192. If you use a 
telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (202) 205-
4475.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Public Meetings

    The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities, 
and a sign language interpreter will be available. If you need an 
auxiliary aid or service other than a sign language interpreter in 
order to participate in the meeting (e.g. other interpreting service 
such as oral, cued speech, or tactile interpreter; assistive listening 
device; or materials in alternative format), notify the contact person 
listed in this notice at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting 
date. Although we will attempt to meet

[[Page 35743]]

a request we receive after this date, we may not be able to make 
available the requested auxiliary aid or service because of 
insufficient time to arrange it.

   Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2001--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects, CFDA No. 84-133A
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                                                                     Estimated     Maximum award
           Funding priority             Deadline for transmittal     number of     amount  (per   Project period
                                             of applications          awards          year)*          (months)
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84.133A-1 Strategies for Promoting IT-  August 17, 2001.........               2        $300,000              60
 based Educational Opportunities for
 Individuals with Disabilities.
84.133A-18 Strategies for Promoting IT- August 17, 2001.........               2         300,000              60
 based Employment and Training
 Opportunities for Individuals with
 Disabilities.
84.133A-19 Wayfinding Technologies for  August 17, 2001.........               1         450,000             60
 Individuals Who are Blind.
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* We will reject without consideration or evaluation any application that proposes a project funding level that
  exceeds the stated maximum award amount in any year (See 34 CFR 75.104(b)).
Note: The estimate of funding level and awards in this notice do not bind the Department of Education to a
  specific level of funding or number of grants.

    Eligible Applicants: Parties eligible to apply for grants under 
this program are States; public or private agencies, including for-
profit agencies; public or private organizations, including for-profit 
organizations; institutions of higher education; and Indian tribes and 
tribal organizations.
    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria to be used for these 
competitions will be provided in the application package for each 
competition.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs via its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or its E-mail address ([email protected]). If you 
request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this 
competition as follows: CFDA number 84.133A.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., 
room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8351. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Services (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternative format the standard forms included in the application 
package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., room 3414, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-2645. Telephone: (202) 205-5880. Individuals who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD 
number at (202) 205-4475. Internet: [email protected]
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, or computer diskette) 
on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may review this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: 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 on GPO access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b).

    Dated: July 2, 2001.
Francis V. Corrigan,
Deputy Director, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research.
[FR Doc. 01-16983 Filed 7-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P