[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56129-56133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15763]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation 
Research (NIDRR)--Research Fellowships Program Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133F.
    Dates: Applications Available: September 26, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 27, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Only individuals who have training and 
experience that indicate a potential for engaging in scientific 
research related to the solution of rehabilitation problems of 
individuals with disabilities are eligible. The program provides two 
categories of Research 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, Merit Fellowship recipients had 
research experience at the doctoral level.

    Note: Institutions are not eligible to be recipients of Research 
Fellowships.

    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$106,705,000 for NIDRR for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $500,000 for the Research Fellowships competition. 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 Awards: Merit Fellowships: $65,000; Distinguished 
Fellowships: $75,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 7 including both Merit and 
Distinguished Fellowships.

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

    Project Period: 12 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Research Fellowships Program 
is to build research capacity by providing support to enable highly 
qualified individuals, including those who are individuals with 
disabilities, to conduct research about the rehabilitation of 
individuals with disabilities.

    Note: This program is in concert with President George W. Bush's 
New Freedom Initiative (NFI) and NIDRR's Final Long-Range Plan for 
FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at the 
following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom.

    The Plan is comprehensive and integrates many issues relating to 
disability and rehabilitation research topics. The Plan, which was 
published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), 
can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
    Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to--(1) Improve 
the quality and utility of disability and

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rehabilitation research; (2) Foster an exchange of expertise, 
information, and training to facilitate the advancement of knowledge 
and understanding of the unique needs of traditionally underserved 
populations; (3) Determine best strategies and programs to improve 
rehabilitation outcomes for underserved populations; (4) Identify 
research gaps; (5) Identify mechanisms of integrating research and 
practice; and (6) Disseminate findings.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority 
is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR part 356).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Research Fellowships Program: Fellows must conduct original 
research in an area authorized by section 204 of the Rehabilitation Act 
of 1973, as amended. Section 204 authorizes research designed to 
maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, 
independent living, family, support, and economic and social self-
sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals 
with the most severe disabilities.

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

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75.60-61, 77, 82, 
84, 85, and 97. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR 350.51-52. (c) The 
regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 356.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$106,705,000 for NIDRR for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $500,000 for the Research Fellowships competition. 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 Awards: Merit Fellowships: $65,000; Distinguished 
Fellowships: $75,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 7 including both Merit and 
Distinguished Fellowships.

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

    Project Period: 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Only individuals who have training and 
experience that indicate a potential for engaging in scientific 
research related to the solution of rehabilitation problems of 
individuals with disabilities are eligible. The program provides two 
categories of Research 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, Merit Fellowship recipients had 
research experience at the doctoral level.

    Note: Institutions are not eligible to be recipients of research 
Fellowships.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

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 a copy via Internet use the following 
address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write or call the following: 
Education Publications Center, 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 84.133F.
    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 program contact 
person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of 
this notice.
    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. The 
application package will provide instructions for completing all 
components to be included in either the paper application or 
electronically using Grants.gov. Each application must include the 
required forms; an abstract; Human Subjects narrative, if applicable; 
Part III narrative; resume; and other related materials, if applicable.

    Note: Part II, the budget section, is not required for this 
program and should not be included.

    Applicants submitting a paper application or electronically using 
Grants.gov must place their Social Security Number in Block 
8bSF 424 form in place of the Employer Identification Number 
(EIN).
    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:
     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. Single spacing may be used for 
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).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, Application for Federal 
Assistance; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page 
abstract, the resume, the bibliography, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: September 26, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 27, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times)

[[Page 56131]]

about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand 
delivery, 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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: Applicants are not required to submit a 
budget with their proposal. The Merit Fellowships and Distinguished 
Fellowships awards are one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) awards. The 
Fellow must work principally on the fellowship during the term of the 
fellowship award. We define one FTE as equal to 40 hours per week. The 
Fellow cannot receive support through any other Federal Government 
grants during the term of the fellowship award.
    We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions 
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. 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 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. Research Fellowships--CFDA Number 
84.133F is one of the programs included in this project. We request 
your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Research 
Fellowships Program at: http://www.grants.gov. 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.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     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.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
register as an individual. You do not need to register in the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR). The steps to register as an individual are--
    (1) Go to the Grants.gov Credential Provider Web page, https://apply.grants.gov/IndCPRegister. Then enter the funding opportunity 
number.

    Note: The funding opportunity number can be located when you 
search for this grant opportunity on http://www.grants.gov/applicants/search_opportunities.jsp.

    (2) Fill out the credential information to obtain a credential 
username and password.
    (3) Take the credential username and password and go to the 
Register with Grants.gov link to complete the registration at: https://apply.grants.gov/IndGGRegister.
    (4) Registration for individuals is complete, once the Grants.gov 
registration step is finished.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications. If you choose to submit your application 
electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your 
application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the 
three file types specified above or submit a password protected file, 
we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment 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 by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability

    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington,

[[Page 56132]]

DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact 
you after a determination is made on whether your application will be 
accepted.

    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.

    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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 84.133F), 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 
84.133F), 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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) 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 
84.133F), 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 in Item 11 of the 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 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 
from 34 CFR 356.30 through 356.32 and are listed in the application 
package for this competition.

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 as directed by 34 CFR 356.51.
    4. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its 
research program, NIDRR assesses the quality of its funded projects 
through review of grantee performance and products. Each year, NIDRR 
examines a portion of its grantees to determine the extent to which 
grantees are conducting high-quality research and related activities 
that lead to high quality products. Performance measures for the 
Research Fellowships program include--
     The percentage of NIDRR-supported fellows, post-doctoral 
trainees, and doctoral students who publish results of NIDRR-sponsored 
research in refereed journals;
     The percentage of grantee research and development that 
has appropriate study design, meets rigorous standards of scientific 
and/or engineering methods, and builds on and contributes to knowledge 
in the field; and
     The number of publications per award based on NIDRR-funded 
research and development activities in refereed journals.
    NIDRR evaluates the overall success of individual research and 
development grants through review of grantee performance and products. 
NIDRR uses information submitted by grantees as part of their final 
performance report for these reviews. Approved final performance report 
guidelines require grantees to submit information regarding research 
methods, results, outputs, and outcomes.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6030, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7462 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 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-

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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: September 20, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E6-15763 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P