[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 200 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59594-59595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26208]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

[CFDA No.: 84.133F]


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--
Research Fellowships Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Research 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 an 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. 
In the most recent competitions, recipients of a Merit Fellowship had 
research experience at the doctoral level.
    Applicants are not required to submit a budget with their proposal. 
These are one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) awards. The Fellow must work 
principally on the fellowship during the year. We define one FTE as 
equal to 40 hours per week. The Fellow cannot receive support through 
any other Federal Government grants during this period.
    Eligible applicants: Only individuals who have advanced 
rehabilitation research training and experience in conducting 
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.

    Applications available: October 16, 2003.
    Deadline for transmittal of applications: December 15, 2003.
    Estimated available funds: The Administration has requested 
$500,000 for this program for FY 2004. The actual level of funding, if 
any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Maximum Award: Merit: $45,000; Distinguished: $55,000.

    Note: Applicants must indicate whether they are applying for the 
Merit Fellowship: $45,000, or the Distinguished Fellowship: $55,000.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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

    Project Period: 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. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 24 pages using the following standards:
    [sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    [sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    [sbull] 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 IV, 
the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must 
include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if you apply these standards and 
exceed the page limit.

    Note: Applicants must place their Social Security Number in 
Block 2 on the ED 424 form in place of the D-U-N-S Number.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

    Note: NIDRR supports the goals of President Bush's New Freedom 
Initiative (NFI). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at the 
following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html.

    The Research Fellowships Program is in concert with NIDRR's Long-
Range Plan (Plan). The Plan is comprehensive and integrates many issues 
relating to disability and rehabilitation research topics. The Plan can 
be accessed on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/index.html.
    Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a Fellowship 
under this competition, we use selection criteria chosen from the 
selection criteria in 34 CFR 356.30-32. 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.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2004, 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

[[Page 59595]]

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). Users of e-Application will be 
entering data on-line while completing their applications. You may not 
e-mail a soft copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in 
this voluntary pilot project by submitting an application 
electronically, the data you enter on-line will be saved into a 
database. We request your participation in e-Application. We shall 
continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its 
improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] When you enter the e-Application system, you will find 
information about its hours of operation. We strongly recommend that 
you do not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
    [sbull] You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize 
you if you submit an application in paper format.
    [sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) and all necessary 
assurances and certifications. The Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs (ED 524) is not required by the Research Fellowships Program--
CFDA 84.133F.
    [sbull] Your e-Application must comply with any page limit 
requirements described in this notice.
    [sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
    [sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 424.
    2. The applicant must sign this form under the Research Fellowships 
Program--CFDA 84.133F.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 
260-1349.
    [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    [sbull] Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot 
for the Research Fellowships Program--CFDA 84.133F and you are 
prevented from submitting your application on the application deadline 
date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you 
an extension of one business day in order to transmit your application 
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us to grant this 
extension--
    1. You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes 
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of 
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of 
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this 
extension or to confirm the Department's acknowledgement of any system 
unavailability, you may contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere 
in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Research 
Fellowships Program--CFDA 84.133F at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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 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 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: 
http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(e).

    Dated: October 9, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-26208 Filed 10-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P