[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 47 (Monday, March 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10996-10999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4437]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Rehabilitation Short-Term Training Program--National 
Rehabilitation Leadership Institute; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.246D.
    Dates: Applications Available: March 12, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 11, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 11, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: States and public and nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher 
education.
    Estimated Available Funds: $250,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $250,000 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.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $225,000-$250,000.
    Estimated 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 Short-Term Training program supports 
special seminars, institutes, workshops, and other short-term courses 
in technical matters relating to the vocational, medical, social, and 
psychological rehabilitation programs, independent living services 
programs, and client assistance programs.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for 
this program, published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2001 (66 
FR 56422). This priority is designed to improve the leadership among 
top-level managers and administrators of the State Vocational 
Rehabilitation Services Program. This priority supports a National 
Rehabilitation Leadership Institute that will address the leadership 
needs in all VR agencies funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 
as amended (Act), and programs funded under section 121 of the Act.
    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 Rehabilitation Leadership Institute

    We will fund one project to establish a National Rehabilitation 
Leadership Institute that will focus on developing the leadership 
skills of top-level managers and administrators in State VR agencies. 
The project must have plans for addressing the leadership needs in all 
VR agencies funded under the Act and programs funded under section 121 
of the Act.
    The project must employ a curriculum that focuses on the 
development of leadership skills and on the application of those skills 
to current challenges and issues in the VR program. The project must be 
capable of structuring leadership curricula around current VR issues of 
national significance, such as using VR evaluation standards and 
performance indicators to assess and improve agency performance, 
coordinating effectively with generic employment and training programs, 
and increasing client choice. The advisory committee (described later 
in this notice) and the Assistant Secretary will determine actual 
issues.
    The project must employ a curriculum that includes several levels 
of training to meet the needs of audiences ranging from new State 
administrators and directors to seasoned administrators and directors. 
The project's curriculum must include sequential courses that allow for 
repeated practice of newly learned skills over time, with performance 
feedback. The project must provide training in a peer setting.
    The project must coordinate its training activities with activities 
conducted under the State Vocational Rehabilitation Unit In-Service 
Training program, the Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program, and 
the National Technical Assistance Centers funded by the Rehabilitation 
Services Administration (RSA). These programs are also charged with 
improving the leadership skills of State agency personnel. Therefore, 
collaboration and coordination are necessary.
    The project must establish an advisory committee that includes RSA 
central and regional office representatives, representatives of State 
VR agency administrators and trainers, rehabilitation counselors, VR 
clients, Regional Continuing Education Centers, other educators and 
trainers of VR personnel, tribes and tribal agencies, and others as 
determined to be appropriate by the grantee and RSA. This committee 
must provide substantial input on and direction to the training 
curriculum, including the specific VR issues to be incorporated.
    The project must include an evaluation component based upon clear, 
specific performance and outcome measures. The results must be reported 
in its annual progress report.
    The project must be designed to ensure that State agencies will 
contribute to the costs of the participant's training.

    Note: Examples of current challenges and issues in the VR 
program include the new approach to monitoring, and how State agency 
leaders should plan to use the system and the information it yields 
for program improvement.


    Note: There are no longer RSA regional offices. References to 
regional offices in the program priority should be interpreted to 
apply to the RSA central office.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 709(a)(2) and 772.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, and 86. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR parts 385 and 
390. (c) The notice of final priority for this program published in the 
Federal Register on November 7, 2001 (66 FR 56422).

    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: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $250,000.

[[Page 10997]]

    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $250,000 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.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $225,000-$250,000.
    Estimated 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: States and public and nonprofit agencies 
and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher 
education.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The Secretary has determined that a 
grantee must provide a match of at least 10 percent of the total cost 
of the project (34 CFR 390.40).

    Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on 
a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect 
costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, 
or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever 
amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the eight percent limit 
may not be charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-
sharing requirements, or charged to another Federal award.

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 84.246D.
    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 Relay Service (FRS) 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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 12, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 11, 2007.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). 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.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 11, 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 must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Rehabilitation Short-Term 
Training--National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute, CFDA Number 
84.246D must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 
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.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
Rehabilitation Short-Term Training Program--National Rehabilitation 
Leadership Institute 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 (e.g., 
search for 84.246, not 84.246D).
    Please note the following:
     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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date and 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 and 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 and 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 submission 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

[[Page 10998]]

pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     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 
all information you typically provide 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).
     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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support 
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application 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. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov 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 Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov 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: Christine Marschall, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5053, 
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Fax: (202) 245-6824.
    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 an 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 84.246D), 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 
84.246D), 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.

[[Page 10999]]

    (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.
    (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.
    (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 the 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 84.246D), 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 the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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: In reviewing applications under this 
competition, the Secretary will use selection criteria selected from 34 
CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. These are listed in the application package for 
this competition. The Secretary also will use the selection criterion 
in 34 CFR 390.30 to evaluate applications under 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, 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: The Government Performance and Results Act 
of 1993 (GPRA) 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. The absolute priority for this competition 
requires the applicant to include in its application an evaluation 
component based upon clear, specific performance and outcome measures. 
The results of its evaluation must be reported in its required annual 
progress report. The cooperative agreement for this project will 
further describe the reporting requirements. In addition, the annual 
report must include information on the percentage of training 
participants who report an increase in their knowledge, skills, and 
abilities and the percentage of training participants who report the 
training is relevant to their employment. The data on these measures 
will be collected by the grantee via survey, assessed, and reported in 
the aggregate to RSA. The grantee will negotiate targets with RSA after 
the first year, which will be used to establish a baseline.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Christine Marschall, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5053, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7429 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 1-888-293-6498; 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: March 7, 2007.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E7-4437 Filed 3-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P