[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3188-3194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00533]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Independent Living Services for
Older Individuals Who Are Blind--Independent Living Services for Older
Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting
applications for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Independent Living
Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program--Independent
Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) Training and
Technical Assistance.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 17, 2025.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 14, 2025.
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 December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Williams, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 4A220, Washington, DC 20202-
2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6263. Email: [email protected].
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to
[[Page 3189]]
access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide
training and technical assistance to designated State agencies (DSAs)--
the State agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation services to
individuals who are blind--that receive grant funding under the OIB
program and to other service providers that receive OIB program funding
from DSAs to provide services to consumers. The training and technical
assistance are designed to improve the operation and performance of
programs and services for older individuals who are blind resulting in
their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
Assistance Listing Number: 84.177Z.
OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority and one
competitive preference priority. These priorities are from the notice
of final priorities and definitions (NFP) for this program published in
the Federal Register on August 6, 2020, 85 FR 47652.
Absolute Priority: For FY 2025 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:
Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind
(OIB) Training and Technical Assistance.
This priority supports a cooperative agreement to establish an OIB
Training and Technical Assistance Center (Center) to provide universal,
targeted, and intensive training and technical assistance to DSAs
funded under the OIB program and to any service providers that DSAs
fund to provide services directly to consumers. The Center will develop
and provide training and technical assistance in the following general
topic areas:
(a) Community outreach methods and strategies to identify potential
recipients of services.
(b) Promising practices, based on ``promising evidence'' as defined
in 34 CFR 77.1(c), including the development and dissemination of
relevant materials to facilitate the delivery of high-quality services.
(c) Program performance, including data reporting and analysis.
(d) Financial and management practices, including practices to
ensure compliance with grant administration requirements.
To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a
minimum, conduct the following activities:
(a) Annually provide intensive training and technical assistance to
a minimum of three DSAs or other service providers on the four general
topic areas in this priority. Intensive training and technical
assistance may be provided through remote delivery as appropriate. The
technical assistance must be--
(1) Consistent with the project activities and tailored to the
specific needs and challenges of the DSA or other service provider
receiving intensive training and technical assistance;
(2) Provided under an agreement with each DSA or other service
provider that, at a minimum, details the purpose, intended outcomes,
and requirements for subsequent evaluation of the training and
technical assistance; and
(3) Assessed 90 days after completion to ensure that the DSAs and
other service providers receiving intensive training and technical
assistance are applying it effectively, and to address any issues or
challenges in its implementation.
(b) Provide a range of targeted training and technical assistance
and universal training and technical assistance products and services
on the four general topic areas in this priority. The training and
technical assistance must include, at a minimum, the following
activities:
(1) In each year of the project, provide a minimum of 10 webinars,
podcasts, video conferences, teleconferences, or other virtual methods
of dissemination of information and training and technical assistance
on the four general topic areas in this priority to describe and
disseminate information about emerging promising practices.
(2) Develop new information technology (IT) platforms or systems,
or modify existing platforms and systems, as follows:
(i) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art IT platform
sufficient to support webinars, podcasts, video conferences,
teleconferences, and other virtual methods of dissemination of
information and training and technical assistance; and
(ii) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art archiving
and dissemination system that is open and available to the public, at
no cost, and that provides a central location for later use of training
and technical assistance products, including course curricula,
audiovisual materials, webinars, examples of emerging and promising
practices related to the four general topic areas in this priority, and
any other training and technical assistance products developed by the
grantee and others.
Note: All products produced by the Center must meet government and
industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
(c) Conduct outreach to DSAs so that they are aware of, and can
participate in, training and technical assistance activities.
(d) Establish a community of practice \1\ that will act as a
vehicle for communication, an exchange of information among DSAs and
other service providers, and a forum for sharing the results of
training and technical assistance activities that are in progress or
that have been completed.
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\1\ See: www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/dis104.html.
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(e) Facilitate annually a minimum of one in-person conference, or,
if health and safety reasons make an in-person conference infeasible, a
virtual conference, for the purpose of dissemination of information
related to emerging promising practices and ongoing technical
assistance needs and activities.
(f) Communicate and coordinate, on an ongoing basis, with other
federally funded training and technical assistance projects,
particularly Department-funded projects, to ensure that training and
technical assistance activities are complementary and non-duplicative.
(g) Conduct an evaluation to determine the impact of the Center's
training and technical assistance on the DSAs and other service
providers that received the Center's services.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2025 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 5
points to an application, depending on how well the application meets
the competitive preference priority.
This priority is:
Identify and Demonstrate how Specific Technical Assistance
Strategies Provided to OIB Grantees will Facilitate Collaboration and
Leveraging of Resources at the State and Local Level.
To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a
minimum, develop technical assistance focused on partnerships to
facilitate the sharing of information and leveraging of resources from
other systems that work with aging individuals and individuals with
disabilities.
These technical assistance strategies must be designed to improve
the
[[Page 3190]]
capacity of OIB grantee staff, and staff from other service providers
that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide services to the
OIB population, to acquire and develop the skills and tools they need
to help the OIB population sustain and increase their ability to live
independently in their homes and communities.
Definitions:
For FY 2025, the following definitions from the NFP apply to this
competition:
Intensive training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance provided to a DSA, or other service provider that
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, primarily
on-site or through remote delivery, as needed and appropriate, over an
extended period. Intensive training and technical assistance is based
on an ongoing relationship between the training and technical
assistance center staff and a DSA, or other service provider that
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, under the
terms of a signed intensive training and technical assistance
agreement.
Targeted training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance based on needs common to one or more DSAs, or
other service providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to
provide services, on a time-limited basis and with a limited commitment
of training and technical assistance center resources. Targeted
training and technical assistance are delivered through virtual or in-
person methods tailored to the identified needs of the participating
DSAs, or other service providers that receive OIB program funding from
DSAs to provide services.
Universal training and technical assistance means training and
technical assistance broadly available to DSAs, or other service
providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide
services, and other interested parties resulting in minimal interaction
with training and technical assistance center staff. Universal training
and technical assistance includes generalized presentations, products,
and related activities available through a website or through brief
contact with the training and technical assistance center staff.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796j-1.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
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 3485. (c) The Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Guidance), as adopted and
amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The
regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 367. (e) The NFP.
Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the
provisions stated in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance
(89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more
information about these regulations please visit: https://www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.
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: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $599,706.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $599,706 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: State and public or non-profit agencies and
organizations and institutions of higher education that have the
capacity to provide training and technical assistance in the provision
of independent living services for older individuals who are blind and
have demonstrated through their application a capacity to provide the
level of training and technical assistance as indicated in the priority
section of this notice.
Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.
c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Guidance
for Federal Financial Assistance.
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 December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to
submit an application.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for the OIB Training and
Technical Assistance competition, your application may include business
information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11, we define
``business information'' and describe the process we use in determining
whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected
from disclosure
[[Page 3191]]
under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as
amended).
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification
Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate
in your application any information that you believe is exempt from
disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of
your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the
page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For
additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. 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.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
5. Recommended 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. We recommend
that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 45 pages
and (2) use 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, including 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.
The recommended 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; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the
application narrative.
6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review
grant
applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of
applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each
potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an
application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line ``Intent to
Apply,'' and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name
and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to
apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice
of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information
provided.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Significance (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in
systemic change that supports continuous, sustainable, and measurable
improvement.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local, State, regional, or national capacity to provide, improve,
sustain, or expand training or services that address the needs of
underserved populations; and
(iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
independent living services.
(b) Quality of the project design (10 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 goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with
the purposes of the grant program;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates that it
is designed to build capacity and yield sustainable results that will
extend beyond the project period;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will include
coordination with other Federal investments, as well as appropriate
agencies and organizations providing similar services to the target
population; and
(iv) The quality of the logic model or other conceptual framework
underlying the proposed project, including how inputs are related to
outcomes.
(c) Quality of project services (25 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 equitable and adequate access
and participation for project participants who experience barriers
based on one or more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender;
race; ethnicity; color; national origin; disability; age; language;
migration; living in a rural location; experiencing homelessness or
housing insecurity; involvement with the justice system; pregnancy,
parenting, or caregiver status; and sexual orientation. This
determination includes the steps developed and described in the form
Equity For Students, Teachers, And Other Program Beneficiaries (OMB
Control No. 1894-0005) (section 427 of the General Education Provisions
Act (20 U.S.C. 1228a)).
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge and an evidence-based project
component;
(ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project were determined with input from the community to be
served to ensure that they are appropriate and responsive to the needs
of the intended recipients or beneficiaries, including underserved
populations, of those services;
(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners,
including those from underserved populations, to maximize the
effectiveness of project services; and
(iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the
use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project
resources.
(d) Quality of the project evaluation or other evidence-building.
(15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation or other
evidence-building of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-
building,
[[Page 3192]]
the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other
evidence-building are thorough, feasible, relevant, and appropriate to
the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project;
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other
evidence-building are appropriate to the context within which the
project operates and the target population of the proposed project;
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other
evidence-building will provide performance feedback and provide
formative, diagnostic, or interim data that is a periodic assessment of
progress toward achieving intended outcomes; and
(iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other
evidence-building include the use of objective performance measures
that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and
will produce quality data that are quantitative and qualitative.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support for the project, including facilities,
equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant or the
lead applicant organization;
(ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project and the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
(iii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(f) Quality of the project personnel (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant demonstrates that it has
project personnel or a plan for hiring of personnel who are members of
groups that have historically encountered barriers, or who have
professional or personal experiences with barriers, based on one or
more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity;
color; national origin; disability; age; language; migration; living in
a rural location; experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity;
involvement with the justice system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver
status; and sexual orientation.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the key personnel in the project, when
hired, have the qualifications required for the project, including
formal training or work experience in fields related to the objectives
of the project and experience in designing, managing, or implementing
similar projects for the target population, and represent or have lived
experiences of the target population;
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors; and
(g) Quality of the management plan (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks;
(ii) The extent to which the 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;
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality and
accessible products and services from the proposed project for the
target population; and
(iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of
perspectives, including those from underserved populations, are brought
to bear in the design, implementation, operation, evaluation, and
improvement of the proposed project, including those of parents,
educators, community-based organizations, civil rights organizations,
the business community, a variety of disciplinary and professional
fields, recipients or beneficiaries of services, or others, as
appropriate.
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).
In the event there are two or more applications with the same final
score, and there are insufficient funds to fully support each of these
applications, the scores under selection criterion (b) Quality of
project services will be used as a tiebreaker. If the scores remain
tied, then the scores under selection criterion (e) Quality of the
management plan will be used to break the tie.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, 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 200.206(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
[[Page 3193]]
$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 also may notify you
informally.
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. See the standards in
2 CFR 170.105 to determine whether you are covered by 2 CFR part 170.
(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 goal of this grant is to provide
training and technical assistance designed to improve the operation and
performance of programs and services for older individuals who are
blind resulting in their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
The cooperative agreement will specify the measures that will be
used to assess the grantee's performance against the goals and
objectives of the project, including outcome measures and measures that
reflect the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the training and
technical assistance products developed by the Center. Such measures
will include, at a minimum, (1) the improved administration, operation,
and performance of the DSAs or other service providers as measured
through the attainment of goals established in the intensive training
and technical assistance agreements; and (2) the number and percentage
of DSAs or other service providers receiving intensive training and
technical assistance that report that the training and technical
assistance they received was of high quality, relevant, and useful.
Other specific measures related to the priority areas for training
and technical assistance will be determined on an annual basis and
specified in the cooperative agreement.
In its annual and final performance reports to the Department, the
grantee will be expected to report the data outlined in the cooperative
agreement that is needed to assess its performance. The annual
performance reports must include both quantitative and qualitative
information necessary to assess the Center's performance on the outcome
measures established in the cooperative agreement. The data used must
be valid and verifiable.
The annual performance reports must provide, at a minimum, specific
information on the number of training and technical assistance
activities, the topics of such activities, the type of training and
technical assistance provided (i.e., intensive, targeted, universal),
the number and types of participants served (i.e., DSAs or other
providers of services under the OIB program), and summary data from
participant evaluations.
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, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving 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: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
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 Department documents 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 Department documents 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
[[Page 3194]]
your search to documents published by the Department.
Glenna Wright-Gallo,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2025-00533 Filed 1-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P