[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 13, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27233-27236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10957]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter III
[Docket ID ED-2014-OSERS-0011]
Proposed Priority--National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research--Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training
Program
[CFDA Number: 84.133P-5.]
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the Advanced
Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program administered by the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an Advanced
Rehabilitation Research Policy Fellowship. We take this action to focus
attention on an area
[[Page 27234]]
of national need. We intend the priority to strengthen the capacity of
the disability and rehabilitation fields to train researchers to
conduct advanced policy research in the areas of rehabilitation and
disability.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 12, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal
or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not
accept comments submitted by fax or by email or those submitted after
the comment period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies,
please submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the
Docket ID at the top of your comments.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to
submit your comments electronically. Information on using
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site
under ``Are you new to the site?''
Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you
mail or deliver your comments about these proposed regulations, address
them to Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 5142, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC
20202-2700.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make all comments
received from members of the public available for public viewing in
their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include
in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly
available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Barrett. Telephone: (202)
245-6211 or by email: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of proposed priority is in
concert with NIDRR's currently approved Long-Range Plan (Plan). The
Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2013 (78
FR 20299), can be accessed on the Internet at the following site:
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of research findings, expertise, and other
information to advance knowledge and understanding of the needs of
individuals with disabilities and their family members, including those
from among traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine
effective practices, programs, and policies to improve community living
and participation, employment and health and function outcomes for
individuals with disabilities of all ages; (4) identify research gaps
and areas for promising research investments; (5) identify and promote
effective mechanisms for integrating research and practice; and (6)
disseminate research findings to all major stakeholder groups,
including individuals with disabilities and their families in formats
that are appropriate and meaningful to them.
This notice proposes one priority that NIDRR intends to use for one
or more competitions in FY 2014 and possibly later years. NIDRR is
under no obligation to make an award under this priority. The decision
to make an award will be based on the quality of applications received
and available funding. NIDRR may publish additional priorities, as
needed.
Invitation to Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding
this proposed priority. To ensure that your comments have maximum
effect in developing the final priority, we urge you to identify
clearly the specific topic that each comment addresses.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 and their overall
requirement of reducing regulatory burden that might result from this
proposed priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could
reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving
the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this proposed priority in room 5133, 550 12th Street
SW., PCP, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
activities, including international activities, to develop methods,
procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living,
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).
Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Program
The purpose of NIDRR's ARRT program, which is funded through the
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is
to provide advanced research training and experience to individuals
with doctorates or similar degrees who have clinical or other relevant
experience. ARRT projects train rehabilitation researchers, including
researchers with disabilities, with particular attention to research
areas that support the implementation and objectives of the
Rehabilitation Act, and that improve the effectiveness of services
authorized under the Rehabilitation Act. Additional information on the
ARRT program can be found at: www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#ARRT.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Proposed Priority:
This notice contains one proposed priority.
Advanced Rehabilitation Research Policy Fellowship Program.
Background:
NIDRR's mission is to support the generation of new knowledge and
promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with
disabilities to participate in community activities of their choice and
to enhance society's capacity to provide full opportunities and
accommodations for these individuals. NIDRR research focuses on major
life domains as identified in NIDRR's Long-Range Plan published in the
Federal Register on April 4, 2013 (78 FR 20299): (1) Employment, (2)
Participation and Community Living, and (3) Health and Function. NIDRR
has increasingly recognized the important role of that government
policies may
[[Page 27235]]
play in the adoption and use of research findings. NIDRR wants to
enhance the capacity of the disability and rehabilitation research
field to understand the effects of government policies and programs on
the outcomes of individuals with disabilities in the areas of
employment, health and function, and community living and
participation. In particular, NIDRR seeks to increase the capacity of
disability and rehabilitation researchers to understand the policy
development process, including how policymakers access, adopt, and use
research.
Proposed Priority:
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a new priority for an ARRT on Rehabilitation Research
Policy. This proposed fellowship program will expand the capacity of
disability and rehabilitation researchers and scholars to conduct
rigorous policy research that addresses issues important to
policymakers and practitioners and that contributes to improved
outcomes for individuals with disabilities and increased use and
adoption of research findings to help shape future disability-related
policy. The ARRT must contribute to improving the capacity of
disability and rehabilitation researchers to conduct policy research
by:
(a) Recruiting and selecting qualified candidates, including
individuals with disabilities, for advanced research training on policy
issues affecting one of NIDRR's three domains of individual well-being:
(1) Community living and participation, (2) employment, or (3) health
and function;
(b) Requiring that all Rehabilitation Research Policy Fellows
complete a two-year training program in advanced rehabilitation policy-
related research and analysis that is multidisciplinary, emphasizes
scientific methods, and involves didactic and classroom instruction in
current disability policy issues, as well as providing a disability
policy research practicum experience;
(c) Providing academic mentorship or guidance, and opportunities
for scientific collaboration with qualified researchers at the host
institution or another training or sponsoring organization. Other
institutions or organizations used as training sites must have the
staff and facilities on site to provide a suitable environment for
performing high-quality rehabilitation-related policy research;
(d) Providing opportunities for participation in the development of
professional presentations and publications, and for attendance at
professional conferences and meetings, as appropriate for the
individuals' area of study and level of experience;
(e) Requiring that all Rehabilitation Research Policy Fellows
complete a policy research project related to the NIDRR domains
selected by the applicant (community living and participation,
employment, or health and function); and
(f) Ensuring that at least two Fellows out of the total number of
Fellows proposed be residential fellows and that each residential
fellow spend the equivalent of one year in the Washington, DC
metropolitan area to conduct research at the Congress or any relevant
Federal department or agency of the fellow's choice within the Federal
Executive or Legislative branch. Fellows must secure their own
fellowship site placement.
Note 1: The costs associated with providing this residential
policy practicum are the responsibility of the grantee, and must be
reflected in the applicant's proposed budget.
Note 2: The grantee must ensure that Fellows funded under this
program are informed about the anti-lobbying requirements of Federal
funding.
Types of Priorities:
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Final Priority:
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Orders 12866 and 13563
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Under Executive Order 12866, the Secretary must determine whether
this regulatory action is ``significant'' and, therefore, subject to
the requirements of the Executive order and subject to review by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866 defines a ``significant regulatory action'' as an action likely
to result in a rule that may--
(1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more,
or adversely affect a sector of the economy, productivity, competition,
jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or
tribal governments or communities in a material way (also referred to
as an ``economically significant'' rule);
(2) Create serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an
action taken or planned by another agency;
(3) Materially alter the budgetary impacts of entitlement grants,
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients
thereof; or
(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles stated in the
Executive order.
This proposed regulatory action is not a significant regulatory
action subject to review by OMB under section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866.
We have also reviewed this regulatory action under Executive Order
13563, which supplements and explicitly reaffirms the principles,
structures, and definitions governing regulatory review established in
Executive Order 12866. To the extent permitted by law, Executive Order
13563 requires that an agency--
(1) Propose or adopt regulations only upon a reasoned determination
that their benefits justify their costs (recognizing that some benefits
and costs are difficult to quantify);
(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the least burden on society,
consistent with obtaining regulatory objectives and taking into
account--among other things and to the extent practicable--the costs of
cumulative regulations;
(3) In choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, select
those approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential
economic,
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environmental, public health and safety, and other advantages;
distributive impacts; and equity);
(4) To the extent feasible, specify performance objectives, rather
than the behavior or manner of compliance a regulated entity must
adopt; and
(5) Identify and assess available alternatives to direct
regulation, including economic incentives--such as user fees or
marketable permits--to encourage the desired behavior, or provide
information that enables the public to make choices.
Executive Order 13563 also requires an agency ``to use the best
available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future
benefits and costs as accurately as possible.'' The Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB has emphasized that these
techniques may include ``identifying changing future compliance costs
that might result from technological innovation or anticipated
behavioral changes.''
We are issuing this proposed priority only upon a reasoned
determination that its benefits would justify its costs. In choosing
among alternative regulatory approaches, we selected those approaches
that would maximize net benefits. Based on the analysis that follows,
the Department believes that these proposed priorities are consistent
with the principles in Executive Order 13563.
We also have determined that this regulatory action would not
unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the
exercise of their governmental functions.
In accordance with both Executive orders, the Department has
assessed the potential costs and benefits, both quantitative and
qualitative, of this regulatory action. The potential costs are those
resulting from statutory requirements and those we have determined as
necessary for administering the Department's programs and activities.
The benefits of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
and Centers Program have been well established over the years. Projects
similar to the RRTCs have been completed successfully, and the proposed
priorities will generate new knowledge through research. The new RRTCs
will generate, disseminate, and promote the use of new information that
would improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities in the areas
of community living and participation, employment, and health and
function.
Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc) 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 or TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
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.
Dated: May 8, 2014.
Michael K. Yudin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2014-10957 Filed 5-12-14; 8:45 am]
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