[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45278-45281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16959]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 130 / Monday, July 8, 2002 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2002.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces closing dates, applicable priorities, 
and other information regarding the transmittal of grant applications 
for FY 2002 competitions under two programs authorized under part D, 
subpart 2 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as 
amended. The two programs are: (1) Special Education--Personnel 
Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities (one priority); and (2) Special Education--Technology and 
Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities (one priority).
    Please note that significant dates for the availability and 
submission of applications, important fiscal information, and page 
limits for application narratives are listed in a table following 
information on individual programs and priorities.

Waiver of Rulemaking

    It is generally our practice to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section 
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the rulemaking procedures in the Administrative 
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) inapplicable to the priorities in this 
notice.

General Requirements

    (a) The projects funded under this notice must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in project activities qualified 
individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must 
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with 
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects 
(see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
    (c) The projects funded under these priorities must budget for a 
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year 
of the project.
    (d) In a single application, an applicant must address only one 
absolute priority in this notice.

Page Limit

    Part III of each application, the application narrative, is where 
an applicant addresses the selection criteria that are used by 
reviewers in evaluating the application. You must limit Part III to the 
equivalent of no more than the number of pages listed under each 
applicable priority and in the table at the end of this notice, using 
the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only) with one-
inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
     Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    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 or references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject any application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

    Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting 
applications differ from those in the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally 
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed 
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only and 
do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not 
required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The two programs in this announcement: Personnel 
Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities-CFDA 84.325L, and Technology and Media Services for 
Individuals with Disabilities-CFDA 84.327L are included in the pilot 
project. If you are an applicant for a grant under either of the 
programs, you may submit your application to us in either electronic or 
paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the 
following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
     Within three working days of submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Personnel 
Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities, and the Technology and Media Services for Individuals 
with Disabilities programs at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov
    We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.

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Special Education--Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and 
Results for Children With Disabilities [CFDA Number 84.325L]

    Purposes of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help 
address State-identified needs for qualified personnel--in special 
education, related services, early intervention, and regular education-
-to work with children with disabilities; and (2) ensure that these 
personnel have the skills and knowledge--derived from practices that 
have been determined through research and experience to be successful--
that are needed to serve these children.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The regulations for this 
program in 34 CFR part 304; and (c) The selection criteria chosen from 
the general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210. The specific selection 
criteria for this priority are included in the application package for 
this competition.

Priority

    Under section 673 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 
applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority--Interdisciplinary Preservice Programs In Large-Scale 
Special Education Research (CFDA Number 84.325L)

Background

    Building on the momentum of previous reauthorizations of IDEA, as 
well as the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the 1997 
Amendments to IDEA mandated a national assessment of IDEA (section 
674(b)). OSEP responded by designing and implementing several child-
focused (by age-range) and policy-focused studies that are gathering a 
large amount of nationally representative evaluative data on all 
aspects of special education and early intervention. These data can be 
used to inform policy and practice decisions and improve results for 
children with disabilities.
    The Assistant Secretary is interested in improving research 
activities by awarding grants to IHEs to establish doctoral training 
programs that focus on large-scale research methodology in early 
intervention, special education and related services.

Priority

    This priority supports individuals--at both the doctoral and 
postdoctoral levels--to (1) develop or refine their expertise in large-
scale research methods; and (2) conduct secondary analyses of the data 
bases associated with national assessment studies or similar studies 
that are national in scope.
    Postdoctoral fellows must have completed a doctoral degree in a 
relevant discipline such as education, psychology, sociology, 
economics, or statistics.
    The first year of the program must, focus on developing the 
training program. This includes developing the curriculum and syllabus 
through interdisciplinary and collaborative cooperation with 
participating agencies, institutions, departments, etc.

Application Information

    An applicant under the proposed project must do the following:
    (a) Demonstrate the willingness of one or more entities conducting 
large-scale longitudinal research on special education or early 
intervention such as that funded by the Department of Education, 
another Federal agency, or a university to collaborate in providing 
postdoctoral training.
    (b) Include course syllabi that may currently be relevant to the 
proposed training program. Course syllabi must clearly reflect the 
incorporation of large-scale research-based curriculum and pedagogy 
that ordinarily are not part of a traditional doctoral training 
program.
    (c) Describe how it will inform scholarship recipients of their 
service obligation requirement.
    As part of its activities, the proposed project must do the 
following:
    (a) Develop at the doctoral level extensive coursework that 
reflects current research and pedagogy on large-scale research studies.
    (b)(1) Use clear, defensible, data-based methods for evaluating the 
extent to which recipients of training are prepared to conduct high 
quality large-scale research; and (2) communicate the results of this 
evaluation to OSEP in annual performance reports and the final 
performance report.
    (c) Develop among students competencies: (1) In methodological 
areas such as group research design, sampling or weighting, survey 
methods, statistical analyses; and (2) in topical areas such as special 
education law, special education or education policy, economics of 
human capital, or school finance.
    (d) Provide that postsecondary fellows carry out research 
activities, at the direction of collaborating entities, that extend 
beyond the activities for which funding to these entities has already 
been provided. The project must also require fellows to conduct their 
own research using data made available by collaborating entities from 
large-scale longitudinal studies.

Additional Fiscal Information

    (a) In accordance with section 673(i) of IDEA and 34 CFR 304.20, a 
grantee must use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget for 
student scholarships in years two, three, and four or provide 
sufficient justification for any designation less than 65 percent of 
the total requested budget for student scholarships.
    (b) Because the first year of the project will be for developmental 
purposes, there will be no student support unless some students are 
required to participate in program development. Therefore, the grant 
funds available for the first year will be significantly less than the 
following three years.

Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities [CFDA 
Number 84.327L]

    Purposes of Program: To: (1) Improve results for children with 
disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of 
technology; (2) support educational media activities designed to be of 
educational value to children with disabilities; and (3) provide 
support for some captioning, video description, and cultural 
activities.
    This competition focuses on captioning and video description 
activities.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 
80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The selection criteria are 
chosen from the general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210. The 
specific selection criteria for this priority are included in the 
application package for this competition.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs); 
other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; 
freely associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and 
for-profit organizations.

Priority

    Under section 687 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only

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applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority--Television Access (84.327L)

    This priority supports cooperative agreements to provide captioning 
of a variety of types of television programs: (1) National news and 
public information programs; (2) local news and public information 
programs; (3) Spanish language programs; and (4) accessible children's 
television programs. For the purpose of this competition, program hours 
or the costs of captioning associated with those programs that are 
funded by promotional billboards shall not be considered as an in-kind 
cost, or a private sector match, for Federal funds.
    To be considered for funding under this competition, a project must 
do the following:
    (a) Include criteria for selecting programs that take into account 
the preference of educators, students, and parents; the diversity of 
the type of programming available; and the contribution of the 
programming to the general educational experience of students who have 
disabilities in the areas of vision or hearing.
    (b) Identify and support a consumer advisory group, including 
parents and educators, that would meet at least annually.
    (c) Use the expertise of this consumer advisory group to certify 
that each program captioned or described with project funds is 
educational, news, or informational programming.
    (d) Identify the extent to which the programming is widely 
available.
    (e) Identify the total number of program hours the project will 
make accessible and the cost per hour for description or captioning or 
both.
    (f) For each program to be described or captioned or both, identify 
the source of any private or other public support, and the projected 
dollar amount of that support, if any.
    (g) Demonstrate the willingness of program providers or owners of 
programs to permit and facilitate the description or captioning or both 
of their programs.
    (h) Provide assurances from program providers or owners of programs 
stating that programs made accessible under this project will air, and 
will continue to air, with descriptions or captions or both.
    (i) Implement procedures for monitoring the extent to which full 
accessibility is provided, and use this information to make refinements 
in project operations.
    (j) Identify the anticipated shelf-life and range of distribution 
of the captioned or described programs that is possible without further 
costs to the project beyond the initial captioning costs.
    An application may address only one type of the following programs 
--
    (1) National News and Public Information Programs. To be funded 
under this type of programming, a project must continue and expand the 
captioning of national news and 9 public information programs. This is 
intended to enable persons who are deaf or hard of hearing to have 
access to up-to-date national morning, evening, and weekend news, as 
well as information concerning current events and other significant 
public information.
    (2) Local News and Public Information Programs. A project funded 
under this type of programming is expected to increase the capacity of 
the television captioning industry to respond to demands for accurate 
real-time captioning. To be funded a project must caption local news 
and public information programs using the real-time stenographic method 
preferred by consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
    (3) Spanish Language Programs. To be funded under this type of 
programming, a project must caption in Spanish a variety of 
educational, news, and informational programs--including these types of 
programs for children--broadcast or cablecast in Spanish.
    (4) Accessible Children's Television Programs. To be funded under 
this type of programming, a project must describe and caption widely 
available educational, news, and informational programs for children--
including programs suitable for young adults--shown on broadcast, 10 
satellite, or cable systems. Captioning must provide a visual 
representation of the audio portion of the programming while video 
description must provide a narrative of what takes place visually on 
the screen.

Competitive Preference Priority

    Within the Local News and Public Information Programs segment of 
this absolute priority, we award under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) an 
additional 20 points to an application from an applicant that --
    (a) During FY 2001, was not a grantee or a subcontractor of a 
grantee under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with 
Disabilities program; and
    (b) Won't use a subcontractor who was a grantee or a subcontractor 
of a grantee under this program during FY 2001.
    Thus, an applicant meeting this competitive preference could 
receive a maximum possible score of 120 points.

Fiscal Information

    Under this priority, we intend to make one or more awards in each 
of the four areas of activity identified.
    Funds provided under the National News and Public Information 
Programs segment of this priority may be used to support no more than 
50 percent of the captioning costs.

                                                      Individuals With Disabilities Education Act--Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2002
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                                                                                                                                                Estimated
                                  Applications  Application   Estimated available     Deadline for     Maximum award (per   Estimated range of   average                        Page   Estimated
        CFDA No. and name           available     deadline           funds         intergovernmental         year)*               awards         size of     Project period   limit**  number of
                                                    date                                 review                                                   awards                                 awards
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84.325L Interdisciplinary            07/08/02     08/08/02   $150,000                   09/30/02      $150,000               $130,000-$150,000   $148,000  Up to 48 mos.           30         2
 Preservice Programs In Large-                               (year one)                               (year one)
 Scale Special Education
 Research.
                                                             $500,000                                 $500,000               $450,000-$500,000  .........  .................  .......  .........
                                                             (years two, three &                      (years two, three &
                                                              four)                                    four)
84.327L Television Access.......     07/08/02     08/08/02                              09/30/02                                                           Up to 36 mos.           40  .........
--National News and Public                                   $250,000                                 $250,000               $230,000-$250,000   $249,000                                     6
 Information Programs.
--Local News and Public                                      $130,000                                 $130,000               $100,000-$130,000   $125,000                                    16
 Information Programs.
--Spanish Language Programs.....                             $115,000                                 $115,000               $100,000-$115,000   $113,000                                     2
--Accessible Children's                                      $500,000                                 $500,000               $450,000-$500,000   $480,000                                     5
 Television Programs.
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* We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the amounts shown for a single budget period of 12 months.
** Please refer to the ``Page Limit'' requirements under the ``General Requirements'' section.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.


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    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-
877-4ED-Pubs (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 at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected]
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the 
competition by the appropriate CFDA number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grants and Contracts Services Team, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3317, 
Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-
8207. If you use a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    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 number listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting the Department as listed 
above. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternative format the standard forms included in the application 
package.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of 
the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a 
strengthened federalism. The Executive Order relies on processes 
developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of 
proposed Federal financial assistance. This document provides early 
notification of our specific plans and actions for this program.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view 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/nara/index.html


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1405, 1461, 1473 and 1487.

    Dated: July 1, 2002.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 02-16959 Filed 7-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P