[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60649-60651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26700]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.264A-1]


Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs (RCEP)--Regional 
Rehabilitation Continuing Education Projects (RRCEP); Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Purpose of Program: To support training centers that serve either a 
Federal region or another geographical area and provide for a broad, 
integrated sequence of training activities that focus on meeting 
recurrent and common training needs of employed rehabilitation 
personnel throughout a multi-State geographical area.
    Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher 
education. Applications under this notice are invited for the provision 
of training for Department of Education Regions I and IV only.
    Applications Available: October 31, 2003.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 8, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 8, 2004.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,688,610.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $325,000-$550,935.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $375,000.
    Maximum Awards by Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) 
Region: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding 
the following stated maximum award amount for a single budget period of 
12 months.
    Maximum Level of Awards by RSA Region:

Region I--$405,965.
Region IV--$550,935.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 3. We expect to make one award in 
Region I and two awards in Region IV.


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

    Project Period: Up to 60 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 45 pages, using the following standards:
    (1) A page is 8.5'' by 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins at 
the top, bottom, and both sides.
    (2) 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.
    (3) 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 the letters of support. However, you must 
include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
    [sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
    [sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, and 86. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR 
parts 385 and 389.



[[Page 60650]]


    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 the selection criteria in 34 CFR 385.31 
and 389.30. The selection criteria to be used for this competition will 
be provided in the application package for this competition.
    Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act 
(GPRA) of 1993 directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the 
effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning, 
setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program 
results against those goals. Program officials must develop performance 
measures for all their grant programs to assess their performance and 
effectiveness. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has 
established objectives with specific performance indicators to assess 
the effectiveness of the Rehabilitation Training program. The objective 
for the RCEP--RRCEP is to maintain and upgrade the knowledge and skills 
of personnel currently employed in the public VR system. In order to 
measure this objective, grantees under the RCEP--RRCEP will include in 
their annual performance report to RSA their summary analysis of the 
evaluations submitted by training project participants. After RCEP--
RRCEP training, participants evaluate each training session and 
indicate the applicability of the training to their current work.
    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.

Governmentwide Grants.gov Project for Electronic Submission of 
Applications

    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
participating as a partner in the new governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 
site in FY 2004. The Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs 
(RCEP)--Regional Rehabilitation Continuing Education Projects (RRCEP), 
CFDA number 84.264A-1, is one of the programs included in this project. 
If you are an applicant under RCEP--RRCEP, you may submit your 
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The project involves the use of the Grants.gov Apply site 
(Grants.gov). If you use Grants.gov, you will be able to download a 
copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload 
and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. You may not e-mail 
an electronic copy of a grant application to us. We request your 
participation in Grants.gov.
    If you participate in Grants.gov, please note the following:

    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation. We strongly recommend that you 
do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the 
application process through Grants.gov.
    [sbull] To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five days to complete the CCR registration.
    [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 all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
    [sbull] Your 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 from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation, which 
will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number) 
unique to your application.
    [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    [sbull] If you experience technical difficulties on the application 
deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC 
time) deadline, print out your application and follow the instructions 
included in the application package for the transmittal of paper 
applications.

    You may access the electronic grant application for RCEP--RRCEP at: 
http://www.grants.gov.

    Note: Please note that you must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not 
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.

    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 84.264A-1.
    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 Service (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: Christine Marschall, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3325, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-2649. Telephone: (202) 205-8926 or via Internet: 
[email protected].
    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 document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

[[Page 60651]]

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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.



    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
    Dated: October 17, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-26700 Filed 10-22-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P