[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 227 (Monday, November 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68577-68582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20024]


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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities--National Outreach and Technical Assistance 
Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority Institutions; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325R.

    Dates: Applications Available: November 27, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 11, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs).
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$90,626,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and

[[Page 68578]]

Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we 
intend to use an estimated $1,668,121 for the National Outreach and 
Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority 
Institutions 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 Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,668,121 for a single budget period of 12 months. 
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in 
the Federal Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) Help 
address State-identified needs for highly qualified personnel--in 
special education, related services, early intervention, and regular 
education--to work with infants or toddlers with disabilities, or 
children with disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have 
the skills and knowledge--derived from practices that have been 
determined through research and experience to be successful--that are 
needed to serve those children.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
662(d) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:

National Outreach and Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary 
Awards for Minority Institutions

Background
    Section 681(c)(2) of IDEA requires the Secretary to set aside funds 
to support one or both of the following activities: (1) The provision 
of outreach and technical assistance to Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs) and to IHEs with minority enrollments of not less 
than 25 percent to promote their participation in certain activities 
under IDEA; or (2) the provision of support to enable such institutions 
to assist other institutions and agencies in improving educational and 
transitional results for children with disabilities. Consistent with 
this requirement, this priority is aimed at: (1) Promoting the 
participation of HBCUs and IHEs with minority enrollments of not less 
than 25 percent in discretionary grant competitions conducted by the 
Department pursuant to section 662 of IDEA (the Personnel Development 
to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities 
program); and (2) building the capacity of such institutions to prepare 
personnel to work effectively with children with disabilities from 
diverse backgrounds.
    The current Technical Assistance Center funded by the Office of 
Special Education Programs (OSEP) under section 681(c)(2) provides 
technical assistance to IHEs in grant writing and disseminates specific 
information to aid HBCUs and other minority IHEs in developing 
applications for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts. This 
priority will shift the focus of the center that will be funded from 
that of grant-writing technical assistance to assistance that will help 
HBCUs and minority IHEs build their capacity to prepare personnel to 
work effectively with children with disabilities from linguistically 
and culturally diverse backgrounds.
    Priority: The purpose of the National Outreach and Technical 
Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority Institutions 
(Center) is to increase: (a) The participation of HBCUs and other 
institutions with a minority student enrollment of at least 25 percent 
in the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities program competitions authorized under 
section 662 of IDEA; and (b) the capacity of these institutions to 
prepare personnel to work with children with disabilities from diverse 
backgrounds.
    To meet this priority, the Center must demonstrate that it will--
    (a) Maintain contacts with HBCUs and other minority institutions;
    (b) Prepare and disseminate grant-writing technical assistance 
materials that will enable HBCUs and other minority IHEs to become 
competitive applicants in competitions authorized under Subpart 2, 
section 662 of IDEA;
    (c) Prepare and disseminate program development materials, such as: 
modules on a variety of research-based pedagogy and practices that are 
effective in preparing personnel to provide quality service to children 
with disabilities; and, a State by State directory of resources that 
will provide special education needs by State, disability type, 
personnel supply and demand, etc. Other materials could include 
information on identifying competencies that are needed to work 
effectively with linguistically and culturally diverse populations and 
how to infuse those competencies into personnel preparation programs;
    (d) Analyze the results of each applicable discretionary grant 
competition conducted by the Department under IDEA to determine which 
HBCUs and minority IHEs applied and whether they were successful, and 
submit this analysis to the Department;
    (e) Provide support and guidance to faculty at HBCUs and other 
minority IHEs to enhance the capacity of these institutions to design 
and implement professional education programs that graduate highly 
qualified special educators; and
    (f) Ensure that all program development and professional education 
program enhancements that the Center recommends to HBCUs and minority 
IHEs include research-based practices, and appropriate cultural 
competencies to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, and children 
with disabilities.
    Additionally, the Center must meet the following additional 
requirements:
    (a) Develop a plan in the first three months that outlines a 
comprehensive technical assistance approach based on effective 
strategies;
    (b) Establish, maintain, and meet with an Advisory Board at least 
once a year that includes individuals with disabilities, members from 
underrepresented groups, technical assistance providers and university 
personnel;
    (c) Include a third party evaluator, approved by the Office of 
Special Education Programs (OSEP), that will conduct a rigorous 
evaluation of core Center activities, and determine the overall impact 
of its work;
    (d) Budget for a three-day Project Directors' meeting in 
Washington, DC, the Technical Assistance and Dissemination Project 
Directors' meeting and at least 2 one-day planning meetings with the 
OSEP Project Officer and other appropriate staff in Washington, DC; and
    (e) Budget five percent of the grant amount annually to support 
emerging needs, as identified jointly through consultation with the 
OSEP project officer.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of Project: Finally, in deciding whether to 
continue funding the Center for the fourth and

[[Page 68579]]

fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR 
75.253(a), in addition to the following items:
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary. This review will be conducted in Washington, 
DC during the last half of the project's second year. Projects must 
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive 
review;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Center;
    (c) Evidence of changes in capacity at HBCUs or other relevant 
institutions; and
    (d) Evidence of increased participation of HBCUs and IHEs with 
minority enrollments of not less than 25 percent in competitions 
conducted under section 662 of IDEA.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on a proposed priority. However, 
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements of the APA 
inapplicable to the priority in this notice.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462, 1481(c)(2), and 1481(d).

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$90,626,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we 
intend to use an estimated $1,668,121 for the National Outreach and 
Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority 
Institutions 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 Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $1,668,121 for a single budget period of 12 months. 
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in 
the Federal Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: 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 84.325R.
    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 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.
    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 70 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).
    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, the references, 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; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: November 27, 
2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 11, 2007.
    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) 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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2007.
    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 competition.
    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 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

[[Page 68580]]

continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. The National Outreach and Technical 
Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority Institutions 
competition--CFDA number 84.325R is one of the competitions 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 National 
Outreach and Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for 
Minority Institutions competition--CFDA number 84.325R 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 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps 
include (1) Registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as 
an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting 
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are 
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also 
must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this 
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five 
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all 
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application 
via Grants.gov.
     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 all 
information typically included on the following forms: Application for 
Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note 
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education 
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424 
(Application for Federal Education Assistance). 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, 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 
84.325R), 400 Maryland

[[Page 68581]]

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 84.325R), 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 84.325R), 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 11 of 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    2. Treating A Priority As Two Separate Competitions: In the past, 
there have been problems in finding peer reviewers without conflicts of 
interest for competitions in which many entities throughout the country 
submit applications. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also 
have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. 
Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary 
competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and 
ranked and selected for funding within the specific group. This 
procedure will ensure the availability of a much larger group of 
reviewers without conflicts of interest. It also will increase the 
quality, independence and fairness of the review process and permit 
panel members to review applications under discretionary competitions 
for which they have also submitted applications. However, if the 
Department decides to select for funding an equal number of 
applications in each group, this may result in different cut-off points 
for fundable applications in each group.

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 of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed measures that 
will yield information on various aspects of the technical assistance 
and dissemination activities currently being supported under Part D of 
IDEA. These measures will be used for the National Outreach and 
Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority 
Institutions competition, and they focus on: the extent to which 
projects provide high quality products and services, the relevance of 
project products and services to educational and early intervention 
policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve 
educational and early intervention policy and practice.
    We will notify grantees if they will be required to provide any 
information related to these measures.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vicki Mims, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4094, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7451.
    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 by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.

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 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal

[[Page 68582]]

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: November 20, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E6-20024 Filed 11-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P