[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53716-53717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20910]



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Part V





Department of Education





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Office of Special Education Services; National Institute on Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research--Research Fellowships Program; Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 159 / Friday, August 16, 2002 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.133F]


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; National 
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--Research 
Fellowships Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Purpose of the Program: The purpose of the Fellowships Program is 
to build research capacity by providing support to highly qualified 
individuals, including those who are individuals with disabilities, to 
conduct research about the rehabilitation of individuals with 
disabilities. Fellows may conduct original research in any area 
authorized by section 204 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 
amended. Fellows must address problems encountered by individuals in 
their daily lives that are due to the presence of a disabling 
condition, problems associated with the provision of rehabilitation 
services to individuals with disabilities, and problems connected with 
the conduct of disability research.
    The program provides two categories of fellowships: Merit 
Fellowships and Distinguished Fellowships.
    (a) To be eligible for a Distinguished Fellowship, an individual 
must have seven or more years of research experience in subject areas, 
methods, or techniques relevant to rehabilitation research and must 
have a doctorate, other terminal degree, or comparable academic 
qualifications.
    (b) To be eligible for a Merit Fellowship, an individual must have 
either advanced professional training or independent study experience 
in an area that is directly pertinent to disability and rehabilitation.
    Applicants are not required to submit a budget with their proposal. 
These are one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) awards. The applicant must 
work principally on the fellowship during the year. We define one FTE 
as equal to 40 hours per week. The applicant cannot receive support 
through any other Federal Government grants during this period.
    Eligible Applicants: Only individuals who have training and 
experience that indicate a potential for engaging in scientific 
research related to the solution of rehabilitation problems of 
individuals with disabilities are eligible.

    Note: Institutions are not eligible to be recipients of 
Fellowships.

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 15, 2002.
    Applications Available: August 16, 2002.
    Maximum Award Amount: Merit: $45,000; Distinguished: $55,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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

    Project Period: 12 months.
    Page Limitation: The application must be limited to no more than 24 
pages double spaced.

    Note: The Secretary will reject without consideration or 
evaluation any application for a Research Fellowship that does not 
adhere to the 24 pages double spaced limit.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
85, 86, and 97; and 34 CFR part 356, Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research Fellowships.

    Note: Applicants need to put their Social Security Number in 
Block 2 on the 424 form in place of the DUNS Number.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.

Selection Criteria

    In evaluating an application for a new grant under this 
competition, we use selection criteria chosen from the selection 
criteria in 34 CFR part 356. The selection criteria to be used for this 
competition will be provided in the application package for this 
competition.

Application Procedures

    Note: 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.
    Instructions for transmitting applications will be provided in 
the application package.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2003, 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 Research Fellowships Program--CFDA 84.133F is 
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under the Research Fellowships Program, 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.
     Do not wait until the deadline date for the transmittal of 
applications to submit your application electronically. If you wait 
until the deadline date to submit your application electronically and 
you are unable to access the e-APPLICATION system, you must contact the 
Help Desk by 4:30 p.m. Washington DC time on the deadline date.
     Keep in mind that e-APPLICATION is not operational 24 
hours a day every day of the week. Click on Hours of Web Site Operation 
for specific hours of access during the week.
     You will have access to the e-APPLICATION Help Desk for 
technical support: 1-888-336-8930 (TTY: 1-866-697-2696, local 202-401-
8363). The Help Desk hours of operation are limited to: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 
Washington DC time Monday-Friday.
     If you submit your application electronically by the 
transmittal date but also wish to submit a paper copy of your 
application, then you must mail the paper copy of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: CFDA  84.133F, 7th and D Streets, 
SW., Room 3671, Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
     You can submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424 Standard Face Sheet), 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

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Federal Assistance (ED 424 Standard Face Sheet) to the Application 
Control Center after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that you sign the form as the institution's 
Authorizing Representative.
    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 Research 
Fellowships Program 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.

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 84.133F.
    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, SW., 
room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8207. 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, SW., room 3412, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-2645. Telephone: (202) 205-5880 or via 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.

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(e).

    Dated: August 13, 2002.
Loretta Petty Chittum,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 02-20910 Filed 8-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P