[Federal Register: July 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 135)]
[Notices]
[Page 42427-42430]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15jy04-39]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Special Demonstration Programs--Model Transitional
Rehabilitation Services for Youth and Young Adults With Disabilities;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.235S.
Dates:
Applications Available: July 19, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 19, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Public or nonprofit agencies or organizations,
including institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations,
State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, community rehabilitation
programs, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: This program provides grants to eligible
entities to support activities that increase the provision, extent,
availability, scope, and quality of rehabilitation services.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority
is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR 373.6(a)(1), (a)(2),
(b)(2), and (b)(10)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Special Demonstration Programs--Model Demonstrations to Increase
Meaningful Community Integration, Postsecondary Education, and
Employment Outcomes for Transition-Age Youth and Young Adults With
Disabilities Through Research-Based Mentoring Methods
Special demonstration projects under this priority must focus on
research-based mentoring methods that provide appropriate supports for
transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities. The projects
must demonstrate research-based mentoring models that are aimed at
increasing meaningful community integration, postsecondary education,
and employment outcomes. To meet the requirements, an applicant must--
(1) Describe the research-based mentoring models that will be
demonstrated through its project;
(2) Describe the outreach methods used to select project
participants and the criteria by which mentors will be recruited;
(3) Describe how the proposed project will increase self-advocacy,
high-level personal and career expectations, and decisionmaking. At a
minimum, the project must describe how mentors will help consumers
develop and improve self-confidence, community integration skills, work
skills, self-determination skills, advocacy, and decisionmaking;
(4) Describe clear program objectives, goals, and outcomes,
including expected outcomes in the areas of community integration,
postsecondary education, and employment. Descriptions must include
targets, such as the estimated number of individuals to be served and
the number of those who are expected to become enrolled in higher
education, and well-defined operational guidelines;
(5) Describe, in specific detail, the data that will be collected
in order to measure the project's success in achieving its goals and
meeting its targets;
(6) Describe the design and implementation of an internal
evaluation plan for which--
(a) The methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and
appropriate to the objectives, outcomes, and goals of the project;
(b) The methods of evaluation include the use of objective
performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes
of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to
the extent possible; and
(c) The methods of evaluation provide performance feedback and
permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended
outcomes; and
(7) Include a plan to widely disseminate the results of the
project, including any mentoring methods that demonstrate positive
results, so the mentoring model may be adapted, replicated, or
integrated into State VR agencies and disability organizations.
Definitions:
[[Page 42428]]
For the purposes of this competition, the following definitions
apply:
Employment outcome means, with respect to an individual, entering
or retaining full-time or, if appropriate, part-time competitive
employment in the integrated labor market, supported employment, or any
other type of employment in an integrated setting, including self-
employment, telecommuting, or business ownership, that is consistent
with an individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. (See 34 CFR
361.5(b))
Institution of higher education means an educational institution in
any State that--
(1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of
graduation from a school providing secondary education or the
recognized equivalent of such a certificate;
(2) Is legally authorized within such a State to provide a program
of education beyond secondary education;
(3) Provides an educational program for which the institution
awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a two-year program
that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree;
(4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
(5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or
association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been
granted preaccreditation status by such an agency or association that
has been recognized by the Secretary for the granting of
preaccreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is
satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation
standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.
The term ``institution of higher education'' also includes--
(6) Any school that provides not less than a one-year program of
training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized
occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (4),
and (5) of this definition; and
(7) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any
State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph (1) of this
definition, admits as regular students persons who are beyond the age
of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution
is located. (See 20 U.S.C. 1001)
Mentor, as generally defined, means a more successful, experienced
person who can impart advice, support, insight, and knowledge on
employment and other life activities to a less experienced person.
Mentoring, as generally defined, means the act of a mentor
providing guidance in the form of teaching and support, encouraging and
motivating, assisting with career and professional development,
assisting with goal achievement, and linking the less experienced
person to others who can help enhance growth and development.
Youth and young adults with disabilities means individuals with
disabilities who are between the ages of 16 and 26 inclusive when
entering the program. (See 34 CFR 373.4)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 773(b).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in
34 CFR part 373.
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: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Public or nonprofit agencies or
organizations, including institutions of higher education, for-profit
organizations, State VR agencies, community rehabilitation programs,
and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.235S.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:
(202) 245-7562.
2. Content and Form of Application Submissions: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. 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 suggest that you limit Part III to
approximately 35 double-spaced pages.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: July 19,
2004. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 19, 2004.
The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this competition. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, in order to
ensure that these FY 2004 grants are made before September 30, 2004,
the 60-day intergovernmental review period has been waived.
5. Funding Restrictions: We specify limitations on indirect costs
in 34 CFR 373.22. We reference additional regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
competition.
[[Page 42429]]
Application Procedures
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in EDGAR (34 CFR
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy.
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined
that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of
applications to include additional formula grant programs and
additional discretionary grant competitions. Special Demonstration
Programs--Model Transitional Rehabilitation Services for Youth and
Young Adults With Disabilities--CFDA Number 84.235S is one of the
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under
Special Demonstration Programs--Model Transitional Rehabilitation
Services for Youth and Young Adults With Disabilities, you may submit
your application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application). If you use e-Application, you will
be entering data online while completing your application. You may not
e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. If you
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
Your participation is voluntary.
When you enter the e-Application system, you will find
information about its hours of operation. We strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Your e-Application must comply with any page limit
requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202)
245-6272.
We may request that you give us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot
for Special Demonstration Programs--Model Transitional Rehabilitation
Services for Youth and Young Adults With Disabilities and you are
prevented from submitting your application on the application deadline
date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you
an extension of one business day in order to transmit your application
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and you have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for Special
Demonstration Programs--Model Transitional Rehabilitation Services for
Youth and Young Adults With Disabilities at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
in the application package.
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). We may also 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. Reporting: 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 multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) of 1993 directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning,
setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program
results against those goals. Program officials must develop performance
measures for all of their grant programs to assess their performance
and effectiveness. The Rehabilitation Services Administration has
established the following indicators to assess the effectiveness of
mentoring models developed under this Special Demonstration Program:
The percentage of youth and young adults with disabilities
served by these projects who become enrolled in an institution of
higher education.
The percentage of youth and young adults with disabilities
served by these
[[Page 42430]]
projects who achieve an employment outcome.
Each grantee must report on these indicators in its annual
performance report. All grantees must submit annual performance reports
documenting their performance and evaluation findings, as required by
34 CFR 75.590 and section 306 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pedro Romero, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5029, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7645 or by e-mail:
pedro.romero@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf, you may call
the TDD number at (800) 437-0833.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Dated: July 9, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-16009 Filed 7-14-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P