[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25034-25037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11226]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Braille Training Program

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The mission of the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood, 
educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all 
people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the 
Nation. The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Braille 
Training program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 
84.235E. The Braille Training program will partner with States and 
public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions 
of higher education to provide information, material, equipment, and 
training in braille instruction. The support provided by the program 
will increase the knowledge and skills of personnel providing 
vocational rehabilitation services or educational services to youth and 
adults who are blind. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 1820-0018.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 30, 2019.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 1, 2019.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than June 4, 2019, 
OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide 
technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars will be 
available at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html.
    Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than June 4, 2019, OSERS will 
open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the 
application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post 
answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions 
unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The 
blog will be available at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html and will remain open until June 18, 2019. After the blog 
closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: 
August 28, 2019.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa DeVaughn, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5062A, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7321. 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:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Braille Training program offers financial 
assistance to projects that will provide training in the use of braille 
for personnel providing vocational rehabilitation services or 
educational services to youth and adults who are blind, develop braille 
training materials, develop methods used to teach braille, and develop 
activities used to promote the knowledge and use of braille and 
nonvisual access technology for youth and adults who are blind. The 
absolute and invitational priorities align with the Secretary's 
supplemental priorities to encourage applicants to meet the unique 
needs of students and children with disabilities by ensuring 
coursework, books, or other materials are accessible to children or 
students who are blind; promoting science, technology, engineering, or 
math (STEM) education by ensuring braille instructors are able to teach 
mathematical and scientific braille notations; working with schools, 
municipal libraries, or other partners to expand access to digital 
learning resources to a greater number of children or students who are 
blind; and promoting literacy through the use of braille to meet the 
employment and independent living needs of adults. Further, the 
priorities support States in their work to raise expectations and 
improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities, in this case 
individuals who are blind, by demonstrating a commitment to high 
expectations for each individual with a disability and by engaging with 
individuals who are blind, their families, and other stakeholders 
through meaningful and effective collaboration. Projects must be 
operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements 
contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from section 303(d) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 
(29 U.S.C. 773(d)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2019, and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications 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:
    Braille Training Program.
    Under this priority, we provide grants for the establishment or 
continuation of projects that provide--
    (1) Development of braille training materials;
    (2) In-service or pre-service training in the use of braille, the 
importance of braille literacy, and methods of teaching braille to 
youth and adults who are blind; and
    (3) Activities to promote knowledge and use of braille and 
nonvisual access technology for blind youth and adults through a 
program of training, demonstration, and evaluation conducted with 
leadership of experienced blind individuals, including the use of 
comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets one or more of 
these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over 
other applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1--Braille Instruction to Transition-age 
Students and Youth:
    Applications that demonstrate that the personnel obtaining braille 
instruction from the grantee will subsequently provide braille 
instruction to transition-age students and youth who are blind 
(typically ages 14 through 24). This priority is designed to meet the 
unique needs of students and children with disabilities by ensuring 
coursework, books, or other materials are accessible to children or 
students who are blind and to ensure that transition-age students and 
youth who are blind have the braille literacy skills to read the 
coursework, books, and materials.
    Invitational Priority 2--Braille Training in the STEM Subjects:

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    Applications that address braille training in the STEM subjects, 
including mathematical notations. This priority is designed to promote 
STEM education by ensuring braille instructors are able to teach 
mathematical and scientific braille notations so that, ultimately, 
individuals who are blind have the braille literacy skills to read the 
specialized braille notations in order to enroll in STEM education.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 773(d).

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3474.
    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: $345,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from 
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $115,000.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $115,000 for a 
single budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3.
    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 or nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including institutions of higher education.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 
contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with 
2 CFR part 200.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on February 13, 2019, and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which contain 
requirements and information on how to submit an application.
    2. 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.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210, and are as follows:
    (a) Need for project and significance (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project and 
the significance of the project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project and the 
significance of the project, the Secretary considers the following 
factors:
    (i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (iii) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are 
to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the 
information or strategies.
    (b) Quality of project design (30 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (ii) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and 
procedures for documenting project activities and results.
    (iii) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
    (c) Quality of project services (30 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
    (ii) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
    (d) Quality of project personnel, adequacy of resources, and 
quality of management plan (30 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project, the adequacy of resources, and the 
quality of the management plan.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (iv) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits.

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    (v) The extent to which time commitments of the project director 
and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about 
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before 
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about 
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred 
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your 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 application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act 
of 1993 (GPRA) directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the 
effectiveness of programs by engaging in strategic planning, setting 
outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program results 
against those goals.
    The goal of the Braille Training program is to provide financial 
assistance to projects that will provide training in the use of braille 
for personnel providing vocational rehabilitation services or 
educational services to youth and adults who are blind. A grantee under 
this program must submit information to allow measurement of project 
outcomes and performance consistent with its approved application, 
including any data needed to comply with GPRA (34 CFR 373.21). For the 
Braille Training program, a grantee must collect information on the 
number of personnel who attend the program, the number of personnel who 
complete the program, and whether these personnel obtain positions 
where they provide braille instruction to blind youth and adults 
following completion of the program. Grantees are required to report 
annually to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) on these 
data.
    Other information, as requested by RSA, may be required from 
grantees in order to verify substantial progress and to report to 
Congress and key stakeholders how well the program meets the stated 
objectives. Grantees are strongly encouraged to seek technical guidance 
as needed from RSA staff to ensure that they are meeting the 
objectives, goals, targets, and projected outcomes specified in their 
approved application. Program measures include the development of 
braille training materials, the methods used to teach braille, and the 
activities used to

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promote the knowledge and use of braille and nonvisual access 
technology for blind youth and adults. Annual project progress toward 
meeting project goals must be posted on the grantee or project website 
or university website.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. 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 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. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.

Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019-11226 Filed 5-29-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P