[Federal Register: May 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 90)]
[Notices]
[Page 25019-25023]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09my03-78]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes funding priorities under the
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC) Program for up to
four awards for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 and later years. We take
this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We
intend these priorities to improve the rehabilitation services and
outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 9, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities to
Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 3412, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645. If you prefer
to send your comments through the Internet, use the following address:
donna.nangle@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205-
5880.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475 or via the Internet:
donna.nangle@ed.gov. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding these proposed
priorities.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from these proposed
priorities. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about these priorities in Room 3412, Switzer Building, 330 C
Street, SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other
[[Page 25020]]
documents in the public rulemaking record for these proposed
priorities. If you want to schedule an appointment for this type of
aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
We will announce the final priorities in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priorities after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use these proposed priorities, we invite
applications through a notice published in the Federal Register.
When inviting applications we designate each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of
priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or
(2) selecting an application that meets the competitive priority over
an application of comparable merit that does not meet the competitive
priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Note: NIDRR supports the goals of President Bush's New Freedom
Initiative (NFI). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at the
following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/freedominitiative/freedominitiative.html
.
These proposed priorities are in concert with NIDRR's Long-Range
Plan (the Plan). The Plan is comprehensive and integrates many issues
relating to disability and rehabilitation research topics. While
applicants will find many sections throughout the Plan that support
potential research to be conducted under these proposed priorities, a
specific reference is included for the topic presented in this notice.
The Plan can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/Products
.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training to
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate
findings.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
We may make awards for up to 60 months to institutions of higher
education or providers of rehabilitation or other appropriate services.
RRTCs conduct coordinated and integrated advanced programs of research
targeted toward the production of new knowledge, to improve
rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems, alleviate or
stabilize disability conditions, or promote maximum social and economic
independence for persons with disabilities. Additional information on
the RRTC program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/officers/OSERS/NIDRR/Programs/res_program.html#RRTC
.
General Requirements of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
RRTCs must:
[sbull] Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation
research;
[sbull] Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
[sbull] Provide technical assistance to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
[sbull] Disseminate informational materials to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
[sbull] Serve as centers for national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives,
providers, and other interested parties; and
[sbull] Involve individuals with disabilities and individuals from
minority backgrounds as recipients or research as well as training.
The Department is particularly interested in ensuring that the
expenditure of public funds is justified by the execution of intended
activities and the advancement of knowledge and, thus, has built this
accountability into the selection criteria. Not later than three years
after the establishment of any RRTC, NIDRR will conduct one or more
reviews of the activities and achievements of the Center. In accordance
with the provisions of 34 CFR 75.253(a), continued funding depends at
all times on satisfactory performance and accomplishment.
Priorities
Background
Community integration (CI) and independent living (IL) are at the
heart of NIDRR's mission, which is to develop knowledge that will
``improve substantially the options for disabled individuals to perform
regular activities in the community, and the capacity of society to
provide full opportunities and appropriate supports for its disabled
citizens.'' The Plan, which articulates this mission, emphasizes that
community integration is not just about being located physically in the
community; it is about full participation, independence, empowerment,
choice, and control.
CI and IL are critical components of the new model of disability
set forth in the Plan. This model maintains that disability is a
product of an interaction between individual characteristics and the
characteristics of the natural, built, cultural, and social
environments. It incorporates a civil-rights model of disability.
NIDRR's focus on CI follows the stated purpose of IL programs under
the Rehabilitation Act. That purpose is ``to promote a philosophy of
independent living, including a philosophy of consumer control, peer
support, self help, self determination, equal access, and individual
and system advocacy, in order to maximize the leadership, empowerment,
independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities, and
the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities
into the mainstream of American society.''
The urgent need for CI of individuals with disabilities was made
clear during Congressional passage of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). Witnesses testified that when they tried to participate in
community life, they experienced exclusion, derision, and a host of
architectural, communication, and transportation barriers (S. Report
101-116, Committee on Labor and Human Resources report on S. 933, 101st
Congress, 1989).
[[Page 25021]]
While great strides have been made since the passage of the ADA in
1990, much more remains to be done. In general, people with
disabilities continue to live outside the mainstream of American life.
They remain unnecessarily institutionalized. They have lower rates of
participation in community life. They have lower educational levels and
higher unemployment levels and poverty rates.
The 2000 National Organization on Disability/Lou Harris Survey on
Community Integration found that 40 percent of people with severe
disabilities are not at all involved in their communities; this is
almost double the percentage as people without disabilities.
The NFI expands research on and access to assistive technology
(AT); promotes education, homeownership, and employment opportunities
for people with disabilities; and emphasizes swift implementation of
the ADA and the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. The Olmstead
decision holds that title II of the ADA prohibits unjustified isolation
or segregation of qualified individuals with disabilities through
institutionalization. The President further issued Executive Order
13217, ``Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with
Disabilities,'' which requires Federal agencies to implement Olmstead.
In order to further the goals of CI and IL, NIDRR intends to fund
up to four community integration-related RRTCs.
Applicants must select from the following topic areas: (a)
Community Integration for Individuals with Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities; (b) Promoting Healthy Aging and Community
Inclusion Among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities; (c) Positive Behavioral Support in Community Settings;
(d) Policies Affecting Families of Children with Disabilities; (e)
Community Integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities; and (f)
Community-Based Substance Abuse Rehabilitation for Individuals with
Disabilities.
For purposes of this priority, the definition of ``Intellectual
Disability'' follows that of the American Association of Mental
Retardation (AAMR). A person with an intellectual disability, as
defined by the AMMR, must have:
(1) A significantly sub-average general IQ. The AAMR defines this
as an IQ of 70 or less on a standard measure of intelligence;
(2) Limitations in two or more of the following adaptive skills:
communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use,
self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, and leisure
and work; and
(3) Acquired their condition before 18 years old.
For purposes of this priority, the definition of ``Developmental
Disability'' follows the Developmental Disabilities from the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. The term
developmental disability means a severe, chronic disability of an
individual that:
(1) Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or
combination of mental and physical impairments;
(2) Is manifested before the individual attains age 22;
(3) Is likely to continue indefinitely;
(4) Results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of
the following areas of major life activity: self-care; receptive and
expressive language; learning; mobility; self-direction; capacity for
independent living; economic self-sufficiency; and
(5) Reflects the individual's need for a combination and sequence
of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized
supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended
duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
Letters of Intent
Due to the open nature of this competition, NIDRR is requiring all
potential applicants to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). Each LOI must
be limited to a maximum of four pages and must include the following
information: (1) The title of the proposed RRTC, the name of the host
institution, the name of the Principal Investigator (PI), and the names
of partner institutions and entities; (2) a brief statement of the
vision, goals, and objectives of the proposed RRTC and a description of
its research and development activities at a sufficient level of detail
to allow NIDRR to select potential peer reviewers; (3) a list of
proposed RRTC staff including the Center Director and key personnel;
and (4) a list of individuals whose selection as a peer reviewer might
constitute a conflict of interest due to involvement in proposal
development, selection as an advisory board member, co-PI
relationships, etc.
The signed, original LOI, or with prior approval an e-mail or
facsimile copy, must be received by NIDRR no later than June 9, 2003.
Applicants that submit e-mail or facsimile copies must follow up by
sending to NIDRR the signed original copy no later than one week after
the date the e-mail or facsimile copy was sent. All communications
pertaining to the LOI must be sent to: Ruth Brannon, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3425, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2645. For further information regarding the LOI
requirement, contact Ruth Brannon at (202) 358-2971 or by e-mail at:
ruth.brannon@ed.gov.
Proposed Priorities
The Assistant Secretary proposes to fund up to four RRTCs that will
focus on improving the community integration outcomes of persons with
disabilities. Each RRTC must:
(1) Identify, develop, and evaluate rehabilitation techniques to
address its respective area of research and improve outcomes for its
designated population group;
(2) Develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive plan for
training critical stakeholders, e.g., consumers and their family
members, practitioners, service providers, researchers, and
policymakers;
(3) Provide technical assistance to critical stakeholders, as
appropriate, e.g., consumers and their family members, practitioners,
and service providers, to facilitate utilization of research findings
in its respective area of research; and
(4) Develop a systematic plan for widespread dissemination of
informational materials based on knowledge gained from the Center's
research activities, and disseminate the materials to persons with
disabilities, their representatives, service providers, and other
interested parties.
In addition to the activities proposed by the applicant to carry
out these purposes, each RRTC must:
[sbull] Conduct a state-of-the-science conference on its respective
area of research in the third year of the grant cycle and publish a
comprehensive report on the final outcomes of the conference in the
fourth year of the grant cycle;
[sbull] Coordinate on research projects of mutual interest with
relevant NIDRR-funded projects as identified through consultation with
the NIDRR project officer;
[sbull] Involve individuals with disabilities in planning and
implementing its research, training, and dissemination activities, and
in evaluating the Center;
[sbull] Demonstrate in its application how it will address, in
whole or in part, the needs of individuals with disabilities from
minority backgrounds.
[sbull] Demonstrate how the RRTC project will yield measurable
results for people with disabilities;
[[Page 25022]]
[sbull] Identify specific performance targets and propose outcome
indicators, along with time lines to reach these targets; and
[sbull] Demonstrate how the RRTC project can transfer research
findings to practical applications in planning, policy-making, program
administration, and delivery of services to individuals with
disabilities.
Each RRTC must focus on one of the following priorities.
(a) Community Integration for Individuals with Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities (I/DD): This Center must conduct qualitative
and quantitative research, including the development and implementation
of outcome measures, on factors that assist and hinder community
integration, self-determination, training, employment, and independent
living for persons with I/DD. The references for this topic can be
found in the Plan, chapter 6, Independent Living and Community
Integration: Independent Living and Community Integration Concepts;
Expanding the Theoretical Framework; and Directions of Future Research
on Independent Living and Community Integration.
(b) Promoting Healthy Aging and Community Inclusion Among Adults
with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD): This Center
must conduct epidemiological and community-based research, training,
and dissemination activities regarding factors, such as aging,
healthcare utilization, and caregiver characteristics, that assist and
hinder community integration for adults with intellectual and
developmental disabilities. The references for this topic can be found
in the Plan, chapter 4, Health and Function: Research on Aging with a
Disability; and chapter 6, Independent Living and Community
Integration: Independent Living and Community Integration Concepts;
Expanding the Theoretical Framework; and Directions of Future Research
on Independent Living and Community Integration.
(c) Positive Behavioral Support in Community Settings: This Center
must conduct research, training, and dissemination activities on
positive behavioral support interventions that assist and sustain
community integration efforts for a broad range of individuals with
disabilities, including people with mental illness, over time and
across systems. Dissemination and training efforts must target
community partners, e.g., employers, teachers and coaches, and
landlords, as well as individuals with disabilities and their families.
The reference for this topic can be found in the Plan, chapter 6,
Independent Living and Community Integration: Research on Increasing
Personal Development and Adaptation.
(d) Policies Affecting Families of Children with Disabilities: This
Center must research and disseminate information on the effects of
government, system, network, and agency policies on community
integration and quality of life for families who have children with
disabilities. The Center also must validate instruments to measure
these effects and provide technical assistance, with the goal of
improving community integration and quality of life, by: (a) enhancing
and coordinating policies between systems and (b) informing and
empowering family and peer-based networks and partnerships. The
references for this topic can be found in the Plan, chapter 2,
Dimensions of Disability: Employment and Independent Living; and
chapter 6, Research on Social Roles.
(e) Community Integration for People with Psychiatric Disabilities:
This Center must research, disseminate, and provide training on
factors, policies, and interventions, such as peer-support models and
other innovative treatment approaches, that assist community
integration for people with psychiatric disabilities. The target
population may include individuals from any age group. The references
for this topic can be found in the Plan, chapter 6, Independent Living
and Community Integration: Independent Living and Community Integration
Concepts; Expanding the Theoretical Framework; and Directions of Future
Research on Independent Living and Community Integration.
(f) Substance Abuse: This Center must conduct research, disseminate
information, and provide training on community-based interventions,
partnerships, and service delivery models that improve community
integration outcomes for people with disabilities who are recovering
from substance abuse problems. The target population may or may not
include individuals with co-occurring disorders such as mental illness.
The reference for this topic can be found in the Plan, chapter 2,
Dimensions of Disability: Emerging Universe of Disability.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priorities has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed
priorities are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we
have determined as necessary for administering this program effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priorities, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the
costs.
Summary of potential costs and benefits: The potential cost
associated with these proposed priorities is minimal while the benefits
are significant. Grantees may anticipate costs associated with
completing the application process in terms of staff time, copying, and
mailing or delivery. The use of e-Application technology reduces
mailing and copying costs significantly.
The benefits of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Program have been well established over the years in that similar
projects have been completed. These proposed priorities will generate
new knowledge through research, dissemination, utilization, training,
and technical assistance projects.
The benefit of these proposed priorities and proposed applications
and project requirements will be the establishment of new RRTCs that
generate, disseminate, and promote the use of new information that will
improve the options for disabled individuals to perform regular
activities in the community.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
www.ed.gov/legislation/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 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.133B,
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Program.)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
[[Page 25023]]
Dated: May 6, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-11629 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P