[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61194-61196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26990]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.129W]


Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Purpose of Program: The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program 
provides financial assistance for projects that provide basic or 
advanced training leading to an academic degree, provide a specified 
series of courses or program of study leading to award of a 
certificate, or provide support for medical residents enrolled in 
residency training programs in the specialty of physical medicine and 
rehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program is 
designed to provide academic training in identified areas of personnel 
shortages.
    For FY 2004 the competition for new awards focuses on projects 
designed to meet the priority we describe in the PRIORITY section of 
this application notice.
    Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher 
education, are eligible for assistance under the Rehabilitation 
Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program.
    Applications Available: October 31, 2003.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 6, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 6, 2004.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,600,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$200,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $150,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $200,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.

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


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Page Limit: Part III of the application, the application narrative, 
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:
    [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 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 386.

    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.

Priority

    This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the priority 
in the notice of final priority for this program, published in the 
Federal Register on October 16, 1998 (63 FR 55764).
    For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105 (c)(3) we consider only applications that meet the priority:
    Projects must--
    (1) Provide training leading to academic degrees or academic 
certificates to current vocational rehabilitation counselors, including 
counselors with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and those from diverse 
backgrounds, toward meeting designated State unit (DSU) personnel 
standards required under section 101(a)(7) of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973, as amended, commonly referred to as the Comprehensive System of 
Personnel Development (CSPD);
    (2) Address the academic degree and academic certificate needs 
specified in the CSPD plans of those States with which the project will 
be working; and
    (3) Develop innovative approaches (e.g., distance learning, 
competency-based programs, and other methods) that would maximize 
participation in, and the effectiveness of, project training.
    Multi-State projects and projects that involve consortia of 
institutions and agencies are also authorized, although other projects 
will be considered.
    The regulations in 34 CFR 386.31(b) require that a minimum of 75 
percent of project funds be used to support student scholarships and 
stipends. The regulations also provide that the Secretary may waive 
this requirement under certain circumstances, including new training 
programs.
    Finally, the Secretary intends to approve a wide range of 
approaches for providing training and different levels of funding, 
based on the quality of individual projects. The Secretary takes these 
factors into account in making grants under this priority.
    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 of their grant programs to assess their performance 
and effectiveness. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has 
established a set of indicators to assess the effectiveness of the 
Rehabilitation Training program and

[[Page 61195]]

will use the following indicator for the Rehabilitation Long-Term 
Training program projects:
    [sbull] The percentage of graduates fulfilling their payback 
requirement through acceptable employment.
    Each grantee must report annually on this indicator using the 
electronic grantee reporting system administered by RSA for this 
purpose.

Application Procedures

    The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 
105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement 
Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to undertake initiatives to 
improve our grant processes. Enhancing the ability of individuals and 
entities to conduct business with us electronically is a major part of 
our response to these Acts. Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the 
Internet as our chief means of conducting transactions in order to 
improve services to our customers and to simplify and expedite our 
business processes.

    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.


    We are requiring that applications for grants for FY 2004 under 
Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development be submitted 
electronically using e-Application available through the Department's 
e-GRANTS system. The e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal 
page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    An applicant who is unable to submit an application through the e-
Grants system may submit a written request for a waiver of the 
electronic submission requirement. In the request, the applicant should 
explain the reason or reasons that prevent the applicant from using the 
Internet to submit the application. The request should be addressed to: 
Beverly Steburg, U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services 
Administration, 61 Forsyth Street, room 18T91, Atlanta, GA, 30303. 
Please submit your request no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, an applicant 
is unable to submit an application electronically, the applicant must 
submit a paper application by the application deadline date in 
accordance with the transmittal instructions in the application 
package. The paper application must include a written request for a 
waiver documenting the reasons that prevented the applicant from using 
the Internet to submit the application.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2004, the Department is continuing to expand its pilot 
project for electronic submission of applications to include additional 
formula grant programs and additional discretionary grant competitions. 
Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development, CFDA number 84.129W, is 
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term 
Training--Comprehensive System of Personnel Development, you must 
submit your application to us in electronic format or receive a waiver.
    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. The data you enter on-
line will be saved into a database. We shall continue to evaluate the 
success of e-Application and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
    [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 must submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
    [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 from e-Application.
    2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    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 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 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 Rehabilitation 
Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--Comprehensive System of 
Personnel Development 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

[[Page 61196]]

(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 84.129W.
    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: Beverly Steburg, Rehabilitation 
Services Administration, 61 Forsyth Street, SW., room 18T91, Atlanta, 
GA 30303. Telephone (404) 562-6336 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.

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: 
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. 772.


    Dated: October 21, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-26990 Filed 10-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4001-01-P