[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 18, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 76599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30087]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council; Request for Nominations

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services.

ACTION: Request for nominations--Rehabilitation Research Advisory 
Council.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education announces 
the agency's intention to establish a Rehabilitation Research Advisory 
Council (RRAC). Section 205(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 
amended, stipulates that, ``Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Secretary shall establish in the Department of 
Education a Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council . . . composed of 
12 members appointed by the Secretary.'' Section 205(b) provides that 
the RRAC will advise the Director of the National Institute on 
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) ``with respect to 
research priorities and the development of the 5-year plan.'' The 
Advisory Council will be governed by provisions of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (FACA) (Pub. L 92-463; as amended, 5 U.S.C. app.), which 
sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees. 
The Secretary of Education has determined that establishment of the 
Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council is desirable to provide advice 
and consultation to the NIDRR Director on how to improve NIDRR's 
responsiveness to the current state of the science and the needs of the 
stakeholder community. The Advisory Council will represent an 
important, regular forum through which consumers could interact with 
NIDRR and have direct input into the advice that guides NIDRR's work; 
will improve research outcomes by identifying new approaches, promoting 
innovation, recognizing unforeseen risks or barriers, and identifying 
unintended consequences; will assist NIDRR in its efforts to formalize 
and document the structure of its long-range planning process; and will 
add stability and continuity to both NIDRR's long-range planning and 
priority-setting process. In accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act provisions found at 5 U.S.C. 102-3.60, the Department 
will file a charter. The Department is seeking nominations for 
membership on the Advisory Council consistent with the requirements 
listed in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. 
Nominations should be submitted with a cover letter and include the 
nominee's contact information (current mailing address, email address, 
fax, and telephone number) and current curriculum vitae or resume. 
Address the cover letter as follows: Honorable Arne Duncan, Secretary 
of Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202.

DATES: Submit nominations by email no later than close of business on 
December 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be emailed to the Office of the 
Secretary/White House Liaison Office, [email protected]. Note in 
the subject line ``Nomination-RRAC''.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the Secretary, White House 
Liaison at 202-401-3677.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council 
will meet at the call of the Designated Federal Official in 
consultation with the Chairperson to: (1) Discuss research and related 
programs that impact people with disabilities, their families and those 
who provide services and support to them; (2) make recommendations 
about research development and related activities and to improve the 
health and functioning, community living and participation and 
employment outcomes of people with disabilities; and (3) provide 
feedback on NIDRR's Long Range Plan. On an annual basis, the Advisory 
Council will evaluate the implementation of the Long Range Plan and 
make recommendations to the Secretary and the NIDRR Director based on 
that evaluation.
    The Advisory Council will consist of 12 members appointed by the 
Secretary who are: (1) Individuals with disabilities or their 
representatives; (2) disability and rehabilitation professionals; (3) 
disability and rehabilitation researchers or others who have a 
significant stake in the work of the National Institute on Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research. At least one-half of the members shall be 
individuals with disabilities or the individuals' representatives. 
Members will be invited to serve for 3-year terms, except that any 
member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term will be 
appointed for the remainder of such term. All non-federal members will 
serve as Special Government Employees.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document:
    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 
via the Federal Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, 
which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. Sec.  765.

    Dated: November 25, 2013.
Arne Duncan,
Secretary, U.S. Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2013-30087 Filed 12-17-13; 8:45 am]
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