FR Doc 03-11623
[Federal Register: May 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 90)]
[Notices]
[Page 25004-25006]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09my03-72]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RIN 1820 ZA18
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for a Disability
Demographics and Statistics Center under the Rehabilitation Research
and Training Centers (RRTC) Program for the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Assistant Secretary
may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2003 and
later years. We take this action to focus research attention on an area
of national need. We intend this priority 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 this proposed priority 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 this proposed priority.
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 this proposed
priority. 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 this priority 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 documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. 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 priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority 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 this proposed priority, 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.
The proposed priority is 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 this proposed priority, 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/offices/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
[[Page 25005]]
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.
Priority
Background
Policymakers, researchers, consumers, and advocates use information
about the prevalence of disabilities for many purposes. Information
about demographics and distribution of individuals with disabilities is
essential in program planning and assessing performance. Data are key
to evidence-based decisionmaking about the need for, costs of, and
outcomes of assisting individuals with disabilities. Reliable and valid
measures are necessary for evaluating disability policies, services,
and outcomes.
The dynamic nature of disability challenges accurate measurement.
Environmental and individual interactions complicate analysis. Causes
and patterns of disability change constantly, straining the capacity of
demographics to describe new populations and their impact on service
systems. Immigrants, for example, especially those who are not legal
residents, present unique challenges to the rehabilitation system.
Emergent disabilities such as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS),
chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS), and fibromyalgia
are examples where definitional factors complicate diagnosis,
reporting, and analysis necessary to address policy and service issues.
Population surveys on health and disability frequently lack an adequate
number of low prevalence but potentially highly disabling cases
necessary for statistical analyses.
Policymakers and program administrators need continual, rigorous
improvement in data methods to identify and respond to disability
trends. Decisionmakers and citizens must know the costs and benefits of
services and policies for individuals with disabilities at home, in the
community, and when learning or working. Measures and indicators of
supports such as technology, personal assistance services, health
insurance, and accommodations are needed in assessing factors that lead
to high quality outcomes such as successful employment, community
living, and educational success of people of all ages.
Lack of standard definitions, terminology, coding, classification,
and measurement of disability and functioning often limits
generalization of research findings. Extending use of research findings
or population trends to inform policy or clinical interventions is
limited due to the difficulty of extrapolating knowledge about
disabilities that is gathered from a disparate range of data sources,
classification and coding systems, and measures of disability. For
example, it is important to estimate future potential demands on
rehabilitation systems, but existing population data sources do not
adequately provide for planning, development, and evaluation of
rehabilitation services and population trends. The International
Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) is a coding
system that allows one to assess disability as a dynamic interaction
between the person and the environment. The ICF can assist with
generating evidence-based policy, research, programs, and services. To
extend the use of the ICF within the United States, a variety of
measurement tools and data systems must be examined in addition to
further evaluation of the implications of the classification system for
U.S. populations. To better serve consumers, NIDRR intends to support
the development, evaluation, and improvement of the ICF as it applies
to participation of individuals with disabilities in society and the
environments, systems, and policies that have the potential to affect
their lives.
Letters of Intent
To assist with selection of reviewers for 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. Submission of a LOI is
a prerequisite for eligibility to submit an application.
The signed, original LOI, or with prior approval an email or
facsimile copy, must be received by NIDRR no later than June 9, 2003.
Applicants that submit email 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: David Keer, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3431, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2645. With prior approval, an email or facsimile
copy of a LOI will be accepted by NIDRR as meeting the four-week
deadline. However, in these cases, NIDRR must receive a signed original
no later than one week after the date the e-mail or facsimile copy was
sent. For further information regarding the LOI requirement, contact
David Keer at (202) 205-5633 or by e-mail at: david.keer@ed.gov.
Proposed Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to fund one RRTC on disability
demographics and statistics. The purpose of the RRTC is to support
rigorous collaborative research to generate new knowledge that advances
evidence-based decisionmaking to improve the lives of persons with
disabilities. The references for this topic can be found in the Plan,
Chapter 2, Dimensions of Disability: Age, Gender, Education, Income,
and Geography; Chapter 7, Associated Disability Areas: Disabilty
Statistics. The RRTC must:
(1) Conduct analyses using a variety of data sources, including
those that assess facilitators and barriers to participation in
society, to address the status and understanding of the population of
individuals with disabilities;
(2) Identify, develop as necessary, and validate a series of best-
practice
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approaches that facilitate the selection of appropriate measures,
ensure a high degree of power and representativeness of the sample, and
apply techniques of interviewing and data collection that lead to high
levels of quality and relevance of information while minimizing the
burden on respondents;
(3) Identify, develop as necessary, and evaluate instruments, data
sources, administrative records, or other sources that allow Federal
policymakers to use the ICF classification system for evidence-based
decisionmaking;
(4) Serve as a resource on disability statistics and demographics
for Federal and other government agencies, policymakers, consumers,
advocates, researchers, and others; and
(5) Develop quality standards to guide the identification of
information for dissemination and conduct all activities to prepare,
produce, and disseminate findings in a variety of media, such as web-
based and print documents, meetings and conferences, and
teleconferences that are targeted to the wide range of audiences who
need such information.
In addition to the activities proposed by the applicant to carry
out these purposes, the 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. This conference must include materials
from experts internal and external to the center;
[sbull] 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.
[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;
[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.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priority 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 priority
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 priority, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the
costs.
Summary of potential costs and benefits: The potential cost
associated with this proposed priority 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 Disability Demographics and Statistics Center
have been well established over the years in that similar projects have
been completed. This proposed priority will generate new knowledge
through a research, dissemination, utilization, training, and technical
assistance project.
The benefit of this proposed priority and proposed applications and
project requirements will be the establishment of a new RRTC that
generates, disseminates, and promotes 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:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
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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).
Dated: May 6, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-11623 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
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