[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 34 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8069-8073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3813]


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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) 2009

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.128J.

[[Page 8070]]

    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 23, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 24, 2009.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 23, 2009.

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. The local 
recreation projects that are funded under this program will continue 
after Federal assistance ends.
    Pursuant to 34 CFR 369.42(a), Recreational Programs must provide 
services in the same manner as services provided under the State plan 
for vocational rehabilitation services under 34 CFR 361. Under the 
State plan vocational rehabilitation services must be provided to 
assist individuals with disabilities, including youths with 
disabilities transitioning from school to work, to achieve an 
employment outcome; therefore, services provided under Recreational 
Programs also must be directed to these adults and transitioning 
youths.

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) Describe how 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 the 
year one Federal grant and in year three at 50 percent of the year one 
Federal grant (section 305(a)(3)(B) of the Act).
    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 2009 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
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.
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 775.
    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 for this program in 34 CFR 
part 369. (c) The notice of final priority published in the Federal 
Register on April 19, 2001 (66 FR 20176).

    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: The Administration's budget request for 
FY 2009 does not include funds for this program. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress 
appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2010 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $130,000-$140,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $130,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 7.

    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 of the year one 
cost in the second year, and 50 percent of the year one cost 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: 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), call, 
toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.128J.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII 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.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 23, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 24, 2009.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.grants.gov). 
For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format 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 of this notice.

[[Page 8071]]

    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 in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 23, 2009.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 Recreational Programs, CFDA 
number 84.128J, 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 Recreational 
Programs at http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not 
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 
84.128, not 84.128J).
    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 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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 
4:30:00 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 
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.
     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, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must

[[Page 8072]]

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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this 
notice 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 4:30:00 
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: Ed Hofler, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5065, PCP, 
Washington, DC 20202-2800. FAX: (202) 245-7592.
    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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.128J), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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.
    (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 84.128J), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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: The selection criteria for this competition are 
in 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    In addition to the selection criteria used in accordance with the 
procedures in 34 CFR 75, the Secretary, under 34 CFR 369.32, considers 
such factors as the geographical distribution of projects in each 
program category throughout the country and the past performance of the 
applicant in carrying out similar activities under previously awarded 
grants.

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 notify you informally, also.
    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

[[Page 8073]]

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 directed by the Secretary 
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), a measure has been developed for evaluating 
the overall effectiveness of 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 ongoing 
activities after the project period has ended.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Ed Hofler, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5065, Potomac Center Plaza 
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7377 or by e-
mail: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, 
at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible 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, PCP, Washington, DC 
20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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.

    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Andrew J. Pepin, Executive Administrator for Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services to perform the functions of the 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

    Dated: February 18, 2009.
Andrew J. Pepin,
Executive Administrator for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services. 1
[FR Doc. E9-3813 Filed 2-20-09; 8:45 am]
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