FR Doc E7-5371
[Federal Register: March 23, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 56)]
[Notices]
[Page 13761-13764]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23mr07-60]
Download: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Recreational Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.128J.
Dates:
Applications Available: March 23, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 22, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: States, public agencies, and nonprofit private
organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,078,665.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2008 from
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $130,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $130,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Recreational Programs is to
provide individuals with disabilities with recreational activities and
related experiences to aid in their employment, mobility,
socialization, independence, and community integration. Recreational
Programs initiate local recreation projects that will continue after
Federal assistance ends.
Statutory Requirements for Program
All applicants seeking funding under this competition must--
(a) Describe the manner in which the applicant will address the
needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds
(section 21(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the
Act));
(b) Describe the manner in which the findings and results of the
project to be funded under the grant, particularly information that
facilitates the replication of the results of that project, will be
made generally available (section 305(a)(4)(A) of the Act);
(c) Demonstrate ways in which recreational activities assist in
maximizing the independence and integration of individuals with
disabilities into community-based recreational programs (section
305(a)(1)(C) of the Act);
(d) Assure that the project will maintain, at a minimum, the same
level of services over the three-year project period (section 305(a)(5)
of the Act);
(e) Assure that the service program funded under the grant will be
continued after Federal assistance ends (section 305(a)(4)(B) of the
Act); and
(f) Provide non-Federal resources (in cash or in-kind) to pay the
non-Federal share cost of the project in year two at 25 percent of the
year one Federal grant and in year three at 50 percent of the year one
Federal grant (section 305(a)(3)(B) of the Act).
Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and one
competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(1), the absolute priority is from the notice of final
priority for this program, published in the Federal Register on April
19, 2001 (66 FR 20176). The competitive preference priority is from
section 75.225 of the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with
disabilities. Recreational services include, but are not limited to,
vocational skills development, leisure education, leisure
[[Page 13762]]
networking, leisure resource development, physical education and
sports, scouting and camping, 4-H activities, music, dancing,
handicrafts, art, and homemaking. Recreational services do not include
the construction of facilities for aquatic rehabilitation therapy.
Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with
disabilities in settings with peers who are not individuals with
disabilities.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
The applicant must be a novice applicant. Novice applicant means
any applicant for a grant from the Department that--
(a) Has never received a grant or subgrant under the Recreational
Programs;
(b) Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in
accordance with section 75.127 through 75.129, that received a grant
under the Recreational Programs; and
(c) Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal
Government in the five years before the deadline date for applications
under the Recreational Programs.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 775.
Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, and 86. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 369. (c)
The notice of final priority published in the Federal Register on April
19, 2001 (66 FR 20176).
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: $1,078,665.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2008 from
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $130,000-$140,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $130,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: States, public agencies, and nonprofit
private organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: The Federal share of the cost of a
project is 100 percent in the first year, 75 percent in the second
year, and 50 percent in the third year. The local match may be in cash
or in-kind contributions. See section 305(a)(3) of the Act.
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 84.128J.
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) 245-7363.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 23, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 22, 2007.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including date and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer
to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 2007.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under For Further Information Contact.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Recreational Programs, CFDA
Number 84.128J must be submitted electronically using the
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through
this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application
package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for Recreational
Programs at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for
84.128, not 84.128J).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through
the site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application
[[Page 13763]]
must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we
will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was
date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of
the application and the speed of your Internet connection.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the
application deadline date to begin the submission process through
Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure
that you submit your application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission
Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at
http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps
include (1) Registering your organization, a multi-part process that
includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR);
(2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your
organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov
3-Step Registration Guide (see
http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration.
Please note that the registration process may take five or more
business days to complete, and you must have completed all
registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an
application via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to update your
CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more
business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--
Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and
the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--
have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education
Assistance).
You must attach any narrative sections of your
application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the
three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-
protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you
will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt
that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification
indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the
Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from
Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This
second notification indicates that the Department has received your
application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an
ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures
on forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed
elsewhere in this notice under For Further Information Contact and
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Ed Hofler, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5065, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. FAX: (202) 245-7592.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.128J), 400 Maryland
[[Page 13764]]
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260 or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.128J), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.128J), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington,
DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
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: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), a measure has been developed for evaluating
the overall effectiveness of the Recreational Programs: the percentage
of projects in operation one, two, and three years after Federal
funding ends. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) collects
data on this measure by contacting grantees once a year after the
project period has ended. All grantees will be expected to submit an
annual performance report documenting their success in maintaining the
same level of service over their three-year project period and to
provide information to RSA when they are contacted about their on-going
activities after the project period has ended.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Ed Hofler, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5065, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7377 or by e-mail:
ed.hofler@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
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 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: March 20, 2007.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E7-5371 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P