[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 144 (Monday, July 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44328-44329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19084]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.235R]


Special Demonstration Programs--Projects for Orthotic and 
Prosthetic Research; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Purpose of program: To provide one-time funding in response to the 
Department of Education Appropriations Act, as enacted by section G of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY 2003 (ED 
Appropriations Act), for one or more projects designed to improve the 
quality of applied orthotic and prosthetic research and to help meet 
the increasing demand for provider services.
    For FY 2003 the competition focuses on one or more projects 
designed to meet the priority described in the PRIORITY section of this 
application notice.
    Eligible applicants: Public or nonprofit agencies or organizations, 
State vocational rehabilitation agencies, community rehabilitation 
programs, or Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
    Applications available: July 28, 2003.
    Deadline for transmittal of applications: August 27, 2003.
    Deadline for intergovernmental review: September 26, 2003.
    Available funds: $993,500. This amount will be reduced by an 
estimated $3,000 to $12,000 to cover peer reviewer costs.


    Note: In no case will we make an award greater than $993,500 for 
a single budget period of 12 months.

    Estimated number of awards: 1.

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


    Project period: Up to 12 months.
    Page limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. It is suggested that you 
limit Part III to 35 pages.
    Applicable regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 85, 86, 97, and 99.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


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


    Selection criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant 
under this competition, we use selection criteria chosen from the 
general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.209 and 75.210 of EDGAR. The 
selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in 
the application package for this competition.

Priority

Background

    The ED Appropriations Act includes $993,500 in the Rehabilitation 
Services and Disability Research account for activities to improve the 
quality of applied orthotic and prosthetic research and to help meet 
the demand for provider services. In addition, the accompanying 
conference report states that the conferees intend that these funds be 
used to support an orthotics and prosthetics awareness campaign, 
consisting of an educational outreach initiative designed to recruit 
and retain professionals and a series of consensus conferences to 
develop best practices in the field. The Senate Committee's report 
accompanying the Senate bill states that the Committee expects the 
Department to award the funding included in the bill for this purpose 
through a grant competition.

Absolute Priority

    This competition focuses on projects designed to meet a priority 
that the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has chosen from 
allowable activities specified in the program statute (see 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(v) and section 303(b)(4)(E) of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973, as amended, (29 U.S.C. 773(b)). For FY 2003 this priority is an 
absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 
applications that meet this priority.
    Projects must improve the quality of applied orthotic and 
prosthetic research and assist in meeting the increasing demand for 
provider services.
    To meet the absolute priority requirements for special 
demonstration projects, the application must explain--
    (1) How the project will improve the quality of applied orthotic 
and prosthetic research, especially research relating to the 
development of clinical standards of practice or care;
    (2) How the project will help move research knowledge into 
practice;
    (3) How the project will help to meet the increasing demand for 
provider services;
    (4) How the project will support an orthotics and prosthetics 
awareness campaign consisting of an educational outreach initiative 
designed to recruit and retain professionals; and
    (5) How the project plans to provide a series of consensus 
conferences to develop and disseminate best practices in the field to 
be used by both training programs and practitioners.
    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 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 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.235R.
    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: Joyce Libby, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3320, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 205-5392; or Theresa 
DeVaughn, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3316, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 
205-5392. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 
you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact persons listed in the 
preceding paragraph.

[[Page 44329]]

Electronic Access to This Document

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    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. 773(b).

    Dated: July 23, 2003.
Loretta Petty Chittum,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 03-19084 Filed 7-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P