[Federal Register: March 5, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 44)]
[Notices]
[Page 8809-8811]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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Part IV
Department of Education
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Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program; Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a final priority for the Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program. The Secretary may
use this priority in Fiscal Year 1996 and subsequent years. The
Secretary takes this action to focus Federal assistance on identified
needs to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. This final
priority is intended to ensure wide and effective use of program funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect on April 4, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Andres, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3526, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8125. Fax: (202) 205-
8105. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953. Internet: Doris--
Andres@ed.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Research in Education of Individuals
with Disabilities Program, authorized by Part E of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1441-1443), provides support: to
advance and improve the knowledge base and improve the practice of
professionals, parents, and others providing early intervention,
special education, and related services--including professionals in
regular education environments--to provide children with disabilities
effective instruction and enable these children to learn successfully.
On November 7, 1995, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priority for this program in the Federal Register (60 FR 56192-56193).
This final priority supports the National Education Goals by
improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with
disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
The publication of this priority does not preclude the Secretary
from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary
to funding only this priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.
Further, FY 1996 priorities could be affected by enactment of
legislation reauthorizing these programs.
Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priority, four parties submitted comments. An analysis of the comments
and of the changes in the proposed priority follows. Technical and
other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the Secretary is not
legally authorized to make under the applicable statutory authority--
are not addressed.
Priority--Initial Career Awards
Comment: Two commenters expressed concern about limiting the
priority to researchers in the initial phases of their careers. One
commenter opposed limiting the competition to one category of
researcher given the limited amount of funding, if any, that may be
available over the next few years for research. The commenter felt
strongly that the priority should focus on the highest quality of
research that will continue to move the field forward, irrespective of
the status of the careers of the researchers. The commenter also
suggested that the priority be changed to encourage applications from
persons with disabilities and from professionals who have demonstrated
success in service delivery. Another commenter felt the priority could
penalize those researchers who have spent a few years outside academia
in the ``real world'' of service systems and programmatic realities,
before they define research lines of interest for their research
careers.
Discussion: The Department has a basic three pronged approach to
develop the capacity of the special education research community.
First, there is the Student-Initiated Research Projects priority (begun
in 1974) that targets students at the post-secondary level to encourage
students to pursue special education research. Second, the Initial
Career Awards (ICA) competition (begun in 1990) is intended to bridge
the gap between students and established researchers by providing
support to individuals who are in the initial phases of their careers
to initiate and develop promising lines of research. Third, the Field-
Initiated Research Projects competition (begun in 1964 and the oldest
continuous source of Federal funding in education) provides support to
researchers who may be associated with institutions of higher
education, State and local educational agencies, and other public
agencies and nonprofit private organizations. The Department believes
this approach should be maintained because historically the students
and beginning researchers have a difficult time competing against
established researchers, and the Department believes it is important to
encourage and support their participation to expand the special
education research capacity into as broad a range as possible. The
priority as written provides for the involvement of individuals with
recognized professional expertise in the subject matter, and
researchers with disabilities are encouraged to apply along with other
eligible applicants.
The Secretary agrees with the commenter that researchers who have
spent a few years outside academia are deserving of support, and they
are eligible to apply to the Field-Initiated Research Projects
competition.
Regarding the concern that there could be increasingly limited
funding for research activities, the Secretary notes that final action
on the 1996 appropriation is difficult to predict. Congress has not yet
enacted a fiscal year 1996 appropriation for the Department of
Education, and is considering proposals to eliminate or reduce funding
in fiscal year 1996 for many of the discretionary grant programs
administered by the Department for which the President requested funds.
In order to ensure that the Department has the ability to award funds
in the event they become available for programs for which funding is
uncertain, the Department is proceeding with the publication of
priorities and the conduct of planned competitions. The Department will
make final decisions on the appropriate priorities and mix of awards
for each program once a final appropriation is enacted.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters suggested other areas that proposals should
focus on including: (1) Natural settings for infants and young
children; (2) inclusive classrooms; (3) the effective utilization of
technology and telecommunications; (4) students with disabilities
meeting educational standards established for all students; (5)
integrating students with disabilities with their nondisabled peers
throughout their educational experience; and (6) effective transition
planning so that individuals with disabilities successfully participate
in postsecondary education and are employed in integrated work
settings.
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Discussion: The Secretary concurs with the importance of the focus
areas listed above.
However, the priority as written does not preclude proposals on the
suggested topics. The Secretary prefers that applicants be given
flexibility to propose their particular area of inquiry, and believes
it would be overly prescriptive to limit potential applicants to
certain topics.
Changes: None.
Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The
Secretary will fund under this competition only applications that meet
this absolute priority:
Absolute Priority--Initial Career Awards
Background: There is a need to enable individuals in the initial
phases of their careers to initiate and develop promising lines of
research that would improve early intervention services for infants and
toddlers, and special education for children and youth with
disabilities. Support for research activities among individuals in the
initial phases of their careers is intended to develop the capacity of
the special education research community. This priority would address
the additional need to provide support for a broad range of field-
initiated research projects--focusing on the special education and
related services for children and youth with disabilities and early
intervention for infants and toddlers--consistent with the purpose of
the program as described in 34 CFR 324.1.
Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for the
purpose of awarding grants to eligible applicants for the support of
individuals in the initial phases of their careers to initiate and
develop promising lines of research consistent with the purposes of the
program. For purposes of this priority, the initial phase of an
individuals career is considered to be the first three years after
completing a doctoral program and graduating (e.g., for fiscal year
1996 awards, projects may support individuals who completed a doctoral
program and graduated no earlier than the 1991-92 academic year).
Projects must--
(a) Pursue a line of inquiry that reflects a programmatic strand of
research emanating either from theory or a conceptual framework. The
line of research must be evidenced by a series of related questions
that establish directions for designing future studies extending beyond
the support of this award. The project is not intended to represent all
inquiry related to the particular theory or conceptual framework;
rather, it is expected to initiate a new line or advance an existing
one;
(b) Include, in its design and conduct, sustained involvement with
nationally recognized experts having substantive or methodological
knowledge and expertise relevant to the proposed research. Experts do
not have to be at the same institution or agency at which the project
is located, but the interaction must be sufficient to develop the
capacity of the researcher to pursue effectively the research into mid-
career activities. At least 50 percent of the researcher's time must be
devoted to the project;
(c) Prepare its procedures, findings, and conclusions in a manner
that informs other interested researchers and is useful for advancing
professional practice or improving programs and services to infants,
toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families; and
(d) Disseminate project procedures, findings, and conclusions to
appropriate research institutes and technical assistance providers.
A project's budget must include funds to attend the two-day
Research Project Directors' meeting to be held in Washington, D.C. each
year of the project.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 324.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441-1443.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.023, Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program)
Dated: February 28, 1996.
Katherine D. Seelman,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 96-5056 Filed 3-4-96; 8:45 am]
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