[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 127 (Friday, July 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38510-38514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16203]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information Training 
for Realtime Writers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116K.

    Dates: Applications Available: July 2, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 2, 2010.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The objective of this program is to provide 
grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) that meet certain 
qualifications to promote training and placement of individuals, 
including individuals who have completed a court reporting training 
program, as realtime writers in order to meet the requirements for 
closed captioning of video programming set forth in section 713 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 613) and the rules prescribed 
thereunder.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from section 872(a)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2010 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.
    Applicants must: (1) Demonstrate they possess the most substantial 
capability to increase their capacity to train realtime writers; (2) 
demonstrate they have undertaken the most promising collaboration with 
educational institutions, businesses,

[[Page 38511]]

labor organizations, or other community groups having the potential to 
train or provide job placement assistance to realtime writers; or (3) 
propose promising and innovative approaches for initiating or expanding 
training or job placement assistance efforts with respect to realtime 
writers.
    An eligible entity receiving a grant must use the grant funds for 
purposes relating to the recruitment, training and assistance, and job 
placement of individuals, including individuals who have completed a 
court reporting training program, as realtime writers, including: (1) 
Recruitment; (2) the provision of scholarships (subject to the 
requirements in section 872(c)(2) of the HEA); (3) distance learning; 
(4) further developing and implementing both English and Spanish 
curricula to more effectively train individuals in realtime writing 
skills, and the knowledge necessary for the delivery of high quality 
closed captioning services; (5) mentoring students to ensure successful 
completion of the realtime training and providing assistance in job 
placement; (6) encouraging individuals with disabilities to pursue a 
career in realtime writing; and (7) the employment and payment of 
personnel for the purposes described.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1161s.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $990,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000 for the entire 
performance period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4.


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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information and Program Requirements

    1. Eligible Applicants: An IHE that offers a court reporting 
program that: (1) Has a curriculum capable of training realtime writers 
qualified to provide captioning services; (2) is accredited by an 
accrediting agency or association recognized by the Secretary; and (3) 
is participating in student aid programs under Title IV of the HEA.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching. However, the program does include a supplement-
not-supplant requirement. Under section 872(c)(4) of the HEA, grant 
amounts awarded under this program must supplement and not supplant 
other Federal or non-Federal funds of the grant recipient for purposes 
of promoting the training and placement of individuals as realtime 
writers.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: http://e-grants.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. 
To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED 
Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. 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.edpubs.gov/ or at its e-mail address: [email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.116K.
    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 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 program 
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 the application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 15 
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, except 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).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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; the table of contents; the one 
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or citation list, letters 
of partners' or other collaborators' commitment, or letters from 
institutional administrators that document the applicant's existing 
work study program.
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: July 2, 
2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 2, 2010.
    Applications for grants under this program competition must be 
submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System 
(e-Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. 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. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of 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 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.
    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 program 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: Under section 872(c)(3) of the HEA, a 
grantee under this program may not use more than five percent of the 
grant amount to pay administrative costs associated with activities 
funded by the grant. We reference regulations outlining

[[Page 38512]]

additional funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section 
of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2) 
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor 
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3) 
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    7. 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 Training for Realtime Writers 
Program--CFDA number 84.116K--must be submitted electronically using e-
Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site at:  
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this 
program competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of 
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. 
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are 
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
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.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application 
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by 
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between 
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact (See VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application 
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users 
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this 
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--

[[Page 38513]]

     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; 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 
prevents 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: Erin Marie McDermott, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6142, 
Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.
    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: 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA 
Number 84.116K) 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: 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA 
Number 84.116K, 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 grant 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210. Additional information regarding these criteria is 
in the application package for this competition.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in 
selecting an application for an award are as follows. In making grant 
awards for this program, the Department will consider information 
concerning the applicant's performance and use of funds under a 
previous award under any Department program, and will consider any 
information concerning the applicant's failure under any Department 
program to submit a performance report or its submission of a 
performance report of unacceptable quality, in accordance with 34 CFR 
75.217(d)(3).

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 will 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 and, as 
required under section 872(d) of the HEA and as directed by the 
Secretary, (1) an assessment of the effectiveness of activities carried 
out using such funds in increasing the number of realtime writers, 
using the performance measures submitted in the application for the 
grant; and (2) a description of the best practices identified for 
increasing the number of individuals who are trained, employed, and 
retained in employment as realtime writers. 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 (GPRA), the following measure will be used by the 
Department in assessing the performance of the Training for Realtime 
Writers Program: The number of participants who have completed the 
program who are employed as realtime writers.
    If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data on these 
measures in your project's annual performance report (34 CFR 75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Erin Marie McDermott, Training for 
Realtime Writers Program, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, 
NW., room 6142, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202) 502-7607 or 
by e-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 38514]]

    If you use a TDD, call the 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) on 
request to the program contact person listed under For Further 
Information Contact in Section VII of this notice.
    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.

    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 
the authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy 
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the 
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.

Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-16203 Filed 7-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P