[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 24 (Monday, February 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6428-6432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2310]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Overview 
Information, Recreational Programs Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.128J.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 14, 2005.

[[Page 6429]]

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 29, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 31, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: States, public agencies, and nonprofit private 
organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,027,111.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $130,000-$140,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $130,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

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

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Recreational Programs is to 
provide individuals with disabilities with recreational activities and 
related experiences to aid in their employment, mobility, 
socialization, independence, and community integration. Recreation 
Programs initiate local recreation projects that will continue after 
Federal assistance ends.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for 
this program, published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2001 (66 
FR 20176).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with 
disabilities. Recreational services include, but are not limited to, 
vocational skills development, leisure education, leisure networking, 
leisure resource development, physical education and sports, scouting 
and camping, 4-H activities, music, dancing, handicrafts, art, and 
homemaking. Recreational services do not include the construction of 
facilities for aquatic rehabilitation therapy.
    Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with 
disabilities in settings with peers who are not individuals with 
disabilities.

Statutory Requirements

    All applicants seeking funding under this competition must--
    (a) Describe the manner in which the applicant will address the 
needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds 
(section 21(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended) (the 
Act);
    (b) Describe the manner in which the findings and results of the 
project to be funded under the grant, particularly information that 
facilitates the replication of the results of that project, will be 
made generally available (section 305(a)(4)(A) of the Act);
    (c) Demonstrate ways in which recreational activities assist in 
maximizing the independence and integration of individuals with 
disabilities into community-based recreational programs (section 
305(a)(1)(C) of the Act);
    (d) Assure that the project will maintain, at a minimum, the same 
level of services over the three-year project period (section 305(a)(5) 
of the Act);
    (e) Assure that the service program funded under the grant will be 
continued after Federal assistance ends (section 305(a)(4)(B) of the 
Act); and
    (f) Provide non-Federal resources (in cash or in-kind) to pay the 
non-Federal share cost of the project in year two at 25 percent of year 
one Federal grant and year three at 50 percent of year one Federal 
grant (section 305(a)(3)(B) of the Act).
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 775.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, and 86.

    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.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,027,111.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $130,000-$140,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $130,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: States, public agencies, and nonprofit 
private organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The Federal share of the cost of a 
project is 100 percent in the first year, 75 percent in the second 
year, and 50 percent in the third year. The local match may be in cash 
or in-kind contributions. See section 305(a)(3) of the Act.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You may obtain an 
application package via Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain an application package via Internet, use 
the following address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. To obtain an application package from ED Pubs, write or 
call the following: 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 84.128J.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 245-7363. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    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. We suggest that you limit 
Part III to approximately 35 double-spaced pages, using the following 
standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11,'' on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     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.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

[[Page 6430]]

    The suggested 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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 14, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 29, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 31, 2005.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Recreational Programs--CFDA 
Number 84.128J must be submitted electronically using e-Application 
available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through 
the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     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.
     Any narrative sections of your application should be 
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant'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) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically 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. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2) (a) The e-Application system is 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 is unavailable for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all 
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions 
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the 
Department's e-Application system.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the e-Application system because--

[[Page 6431]]

     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Department's e-Application system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Pedro Romero, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5029, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Fax: (202) 245-7645.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for any exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.128J), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.128J), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.128J), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper 
Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the 
Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, 
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), a measure has been developed for evaluating the 
overall effectiveness of the Recreational Programs: the percentage of 
projects in operation one, two, and three years after Federal funding 
ends. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) collects data on 
this measure by contacting grantees once a year after the project 
period has ended. All grantees will be expected to submit an annual 
performance report documenting their success in maintaining the same 
level of service over their three-year project period and to provide 
information to RSA when they are contacted about their on-going 
activities after the project period has ended.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Pedro Romero, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5029, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7645.
    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 in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as

[[Page 6432]]

all other documents of this Department 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.


    Dated: February 2, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-2310 Filed 2-4-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P