[Federal Register: September 18, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 181)] [Notices] [Page 48996-48997] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr18se97-34] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No.: 84.235A] Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Individuals With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 Purpose of Program: To provide financial assistance to projects for expanding or otherwise improving vocational rehabilitation and other rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities, and for applying new types or patterns of services or devices for individuals with disabilities (including programs for providing individuals with disabilities, or other individuals in programs servicing individuals with disabilities, with opportunities for new careers and career advancement). Eligible Applicants: State agencies; other public agencies and organizations, including Indian tribes; and nonprofit, private agencies and organizations. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 18, 1997. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 18, 1998. Applications Available: September 29, 1997. Available Funds: $6,600,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $220,000-$245,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $230,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 28-30. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Maximum Award: In no case does the Secretary make an award greater than $245,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding this maximum amount. Project Period: Up to 36 months. Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, and 85; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 369. Priorities Competitive Preference Priority The competitive preference priority concerning Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in the notice of final priorities for this program, published in the Federal Register on December 9, 1994 (59 FR 63860), applies to this competition. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the Secretary gives preference to applications based on the extent to which they meet the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards 10 bonus points to an application depending on the extent to which the application meets this competitive priority. These bonus points are in addition to any points the application earns under the selection criteria for the program: Competitive Preference Priority--Providing Program Services in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community Under this program the Secretary gives competitive preference to applications that-- (1) Propose the provision of substantial services in Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities; and (2) Propose projects that contribute to the strategic plan of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community and that are made an integral component of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community activities. [[Page 48997]] Under this program a project is considered to be providing substantial services if a minimum of 51 percent of the persons served by the project reside within the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. Invitational Priorities Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational priorities. However, an application that meets one or more of these invitational priorities does not receive competitive or absolute preference over other applications: Invitational Priority 1--Projects To Enhance Employment Outcomes for Individuals on Public Assistance Projects that provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who are receiving public assistance to enhance employment outcomes that are consistent with the individual's unique strengths, capacities, abilities, interests, priorities, and resources. Invitational Priority 2--Projects To Increase Client Choice Projects that address and emphasize effective ways to increase client choice in the vocational rehabilitation process to enhance employment outcomes that are consistent with the individual's unique strengths, capacities, abilities, interests, priorities, and resources. Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant under this competition, the Secretary uses selection criteria chosen from the general selection criteria in Sec. 75.210 of EDGAR. The selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in the application package for this competition. For Applications Contact: The Grants and Contracts Service Team (GCST), U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-8351. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1- 800-877-8339, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. The preferred method for requesting applications is to FAX your request to (202) 205-8717. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternate format by contacting the GCST. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the application package. For Information Contact: Susan Oswald or Alfreda Reeves, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3314, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 260- 9870 or (202) 205-9361. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph. Note: The official application notice for a discretionary grant competition is the notice published in the Federal Register. Electronic Access to This Document Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the following sites: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg/htm http://www.ed.gov/news.html To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498. Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases. Note: The official version of a document is the document published in the Federal Register. Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 777a(a)(1). Dated: September 12, 1997. Judith E. Heumann, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. [FR Doc. 97-24777 Filed 9-17-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P