[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38580-38582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13985]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67 , No. 107 / Tuesday, June 4, 2002 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for Capacity Building, 
Coordination, and Collaboration projects under the Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program of the National 
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The 
Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for 
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2002 and later years. We take this 
action to focus research attention on an identified national need. We 
intend this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes 
for individuals with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial 
and ethnic populations.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before July 5, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Donna 
Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3412, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645. If you prefer to 
send your comments through the Internet, use the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205-
5880 or via the Internet: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed 
priority. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should 
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while 
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this priority in room 3412, Switzer Building, 330 C 
Street, SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking 
Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule 
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal 
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering 
responses to this notice and other information available to the 
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding 
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking 
requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. If we choose to 
use this proposed priority, we invite applications through a notice 
in the Federal Register. When inviting applications we designate the 
priority as absolute, competitive preference, or invitational.

    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either 
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to 
which the application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or 
(2) selecting an application that meets the priority over an 
application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational 
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the 
priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications 
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program

    The purpose of the DRRP Program is to plan and conduct research, 
demonstration projects, training, and related activities that help to 
maximize the full inclusion and integration of individuals with 
disabilities into society and to improve the effectiveness of services 
authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act).

Section 21

    Section 21(b)(2)(A) of the Act authorizes NIDRR to make awards to 
minority entities and Indian tribes to carry out activities authorized 
under title II of the Act. A minority entity is defined as a 
historically black college or university (a Part B institution, as 
defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended), a Hispanic-serving institution of higher education, an 
American Indian tribal college or university, or another institution of 
higher education whose minority student enrollment is at least 50 
percent. Consistent with section 21(b)(2)(A), eligibility is limited to 
minority entities and Indian tribes.

New Freedom Initiative and The NIDRR Long-Range Plan

    This priority reflects issues discussed in the New Freedom 
Initiative (NFI) and NIDRR's Long-Range Plan (the Plan). The NFI can be 
accessed on the Internet at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominiative.html.
    The Plan can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/Products.
    Through the implementation of the NFI and the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: 
(1) Improve the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation 
research; (2) foster an exchange of expertise, information, and 
training to facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding 
of the unique needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) 
determine best strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation 
outcomes for underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) 
identify mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) 
disseminate findings.

Priority

Background

    In establishing section 21 of the Act, Congress noted patterns of 
inequitable treatment of traditionally underserved racial and ethnic 
populations (also referred to as minorities) in all major junctures of 
the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process. However,

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research findings have not yielded conclusive evidence about factors 
that contribute to the persistent pattern of inequitable treatment. 
Although recent research findings indicate that the experiences and 
rehabilitation outcomes for individuals from traditionally underserved 
racial and ethnic populations differ from nonminority individuals, the 
factors that influence rehabilitation outcomes is not clear. For 
example, evidence about the significance of race as a correlate of 
acceptance for VR services and contributor for differential 
rehabilitation outcomes are inconclusive.
    NIDRR undertakes this priority to enhance our understanding of the 
unique needs of individuals with disabilities from traditionally 
underserved racial and ethnic populations and to support cooperative 
partnerships between minority and nonminority entities.
    The priority invites capacity-building activities and development 
of strategies to improve the participation of consumers with 
disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic 
populations in research and decision-making activities in a variety of 
settings.

Proposed Priority

    This proposed priority is intended to improve the quality and 
utility of research related to individuals with disabilities from 
traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations and to enhance 
knowledge and awareness of issues related to these populations. The 
proposed priority would achieve this goal by (1) building the capacity 
of researchers, especially individuals from traditionally underserved 
racial and ethnic populations, and (2) conducting disability research 
that examines the unique needs and factors that influence 
rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with disabilities from 
traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations.
    Applicants must choose a minimum of three and up to a maximum of 
five research areas below. Due to the need to focus research and 
capacity-building activities on specific groups or topics, applicants 
may target those populations appropriate to the activities that they 
propose.
    The DRRP research and capacity-building areas are:
    (1) To investigate and evaluate disability and rehabilitation 
outcomes for individuals with disabilities from traditionally 
underserved racial and ethnic populations in State VR systems, and 
assess between State and within State differences in outcomes.
    (2) To investigate and evaluate access to and acceptance rates for 
VR services, types of services provided, and costs of rehabilitation 
services for individuals with disabilities from traditionally 
underserved racial and ethnic populations compared to nonminority 
individuals.
    (3) To investigate, evaluate, and develop, as needed, indices and 
measures to assess the capacity of the disability and VR personnel 
workforce to provide quality services to individuals with disabilities 
from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations.
    (4) To investigate, evaluate, and report activities that strengthen 
disability-related research collaboration between minority entities and 
nonminority entities, particularly collaboration to improve 
rehabilitation services and outcomes for traditionally underserved 
racial and ethnic populations.
    (5) To investigate, develop as needed, and evaluate strategies for 
strengthening resources and research capacity of minority entities, 
particularly the expertise and infrastructure requirements that are 
needed to ensure the optimal participation of minority entities in 
disability and rehabilitation research.
    (6) To investigate, develop, and evaluate strategies, such as 
cultural competency training, targeted recruitment efforts, and 
incentives, to include and enhance retention of students and 
investigators from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic 
populations as rehabilitation researchers, administrators, and 
educators.
    (7) To investigate and evaluate the effect of persons from 
traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations participating 
in disability and rehabilitation research activities, direct service 
delivery, and training programs, and determine to what extent 
participation assists to improve VR outcomes for these underserved 
populations.
    The DRRP project will provide information leading to better 
understanding of: (1) Factors that contribute to different VR outcomes 
for traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations compared to 
nonminorities, (2) training needs and effective training strategies, 
(3) effective approaches for improving collaboration between minority 
entities and Indian tribes and other institutions, and (4) strategies 
that strengthen the research infrastructure and capacity-building for 
minority entities and Indian tribes.
    In carrying out the purposes of the priority, the DRRP must:
     Through consultation with the NIDRR project officer, 
coordinate and establish partnerships, as appropriate, with other 
academic institutions and organizations that are relevant to the 
project's proposed activities, including minority entities and Indian 
tribes;
     Demonstrate use of culturally appropriate data collection, 
evaluation, dissemination, training, and research methodologies and 
significant knowledge of the needs of individuals with disabilities 
from traditionally underserved populations;
     Develop, implement, and evaluate dissemination strategies 
for research and capacity-building products developed by the project;
     Demonstrate appropriate multidisciplinary linkages;
     Develop and regularly update an online information 
dissemination system and make material readily available in alternate 
formats;
     Conduct an annual evaluation of all activities undertaken 
in support of capacity-building using formal measures and indicators;
     Provide expertise, consultation, and technical assistance 
on capacity-building and cultural competence to individuals and 
organizations seeking information; and
     Ensure an interdisciplinary outreach effort in conducting 
research and capacity-building activities.
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.

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.


(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133A, Disability 
Rehabilitation Research Project.)

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


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    Dated: May 10, 2002.
Andrew J. Pepin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 02-13985 Filed 6-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P