National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)--Research Fellowships Program Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, CFDA Number 84.133F [OSERS]

FR Doc E6-15763
[Federal Register: September 26, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 186)]
[Notices]
[Page 56129-56133]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26se06-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR)--Research Fellowships Program Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133F.
Dates: Applications Available: September 26, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 27, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: Only individuals who have training and
experience that indicate a potential for engaging in scientific
research related to the solution of rehabilitation problems of
individuals with disabilities are eligible. The program provides two
categories of Research Fellowships: Merit Fellowships and Distinguished
Fellowships.
(a) To be eligible for a Distinguished Fellowship, an individual
must have seven or more years of research experience in subject areas,
methods, or techniques relevant to rehabilitation research and must
have a doctorate, other terminal degree, or comparable academic
qualifications.
(b) To be eligible for a Merit Fellowship, an individual must have
either advanced professional training or independent study experience
in an area that is directly pertinent to disability and rehabilitation.
In the most recent competitions, Merit Fellowship recipients had
research experience at the doctoral level.

Note: Institutions are not eligible to be recipients of Research
Fellowships.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$106,705,000 for NIDRR for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an
estimated $500,000 for the Research Fellowships competition. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Maximum Awards: Merit Fellowships: $65,000; Distinguished
Fellowships: $75,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 7 including both Merit and
Distinguished Fellowships.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.

Project Period: 12 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Research Fellowships Program
is to build research capacity by providing support to enable highly
qualified individuals, including those who are individuals with
disabilities, to conduct research about the rehabilitation of
individuals with disabilities.

Note: This program is in concert with President George W. Bush's
New Freedom Initiative (NFI) and NIDRR's Final Long-Range Plan for
FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at the
following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom.

The Plan is comprehensive and integrates many issues relating to
disability and rehabilitation research topics. The Plan, which was
published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165),
can be accessed on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html
.

Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to--(1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and

[[Page 56130]]

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.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority
is from the regulations for this program (34 CFR part 356).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Research Fellowships Program: Fellows must conduct original
research in an area authorized by section 204 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, as amended. Section 204 authorizes research designed to
maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment,
independent living, family, support, and economic and social self-
sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals
with the most severe disabilities.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(e).

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75.60-61, 77, 82,
84, 85, and 97. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR 350.51-52. (c) The
regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 356.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$106,705,000 for NIDRR for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an
estimated $500,000 for the Research Fellowships competition. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Maximum Awards: Merit Fellowships: $65,000; Distinguished
Fellowships: $75,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 7 including both Merit and
Distinguished Fellowships.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.

Project Period: 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Only individuals who have training and
experience that indicate a potential for engaging in scientific
research related to the solution of rehabilitation problems of
individuals with disabilities are eligible. The program provides two
categories of Research Fellowships: Merit Fellowships and Distinguished
Fellowships.
(a) To be eligible for a Distinguished Fellowship, an individual
must have seven or more years of research experience in subject areas,
methods, or techniques relevant to rehabilitation research and must
have a doctorate, other terminal degree, or comparable academic
qualifications.
(b) To be eligible for a Merit Fellowship, an individual must have
either advanced professional training or independent study experience
in an area that is directly pertinent to disability and rehabilitation.
In the most recent competitions, Merit Fellowship recipients had
research experience at the doctoral level.

Note: Institutions are not eligible to be recipients of research
Fellowships.

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: You may obtain an
application package via Internet or from the Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via Internet use the following
address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write or call the following:
Education Publications Center, 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 84.133F.
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 program contact
person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of
this notice.
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. The
application package will provide instructions for completing all
components to be included in either the paper application or
electronically using Grants.gov. Each application must include the
required forms; an abstract; Human Subjects narrative, if applicable;
Part III narrative; resume; and other related materials, if applicable.

Note: Part II, the budget section, is not required for this
program and should not be included.

Applicants submitting a paper application or electronically using
Grants.gov must place their Social Security Number in Block
8bSF 424 form in place of the Employer Identification Number
(EIN).
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. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 24 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative. Single spacing may be used for
titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as
well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, Application for Federal
Assistance; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page
abstract, the resume, the bibliography, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: September 26, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 27, 2006.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times)

[[Page 56131]]

about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand
delivery, 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: Applicants are not required to submit a
budget with their proposal. The Merit Fellowships and Distinguished
Fellowships awards are one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) awards. The
Fellow must work principally on the fellowship during the term of the
fellowship award. We define one FTE as equal to 40 hours per week. The
Fellow cannot receive support through any other Federal Government
grants during the term of the fellowship award.
We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions
in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
We have been accepting applications electronically through the
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. Research Fellowships--CFDA Number
84.133F is one of the programs included in this project. We request
your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the 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.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Research
Fellowships Program at: http://www.grants.gov.
You must search for the

downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number.
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
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 time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/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/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/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 application 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
register as an individual. You do not need to register in the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR). The steps to register as an individual are--
(1) Go to the Grants.gov Credential Provider Web page,
https://apply.grants.gov/IndCPRegister.
Then enter the funding opportunity

number.

Note: The funding opportunity number can be located when you
search for this grant opportunity on
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/search_opportunities.jsp
.

(2) Fill out the credential information to obtain a credential
username and password.
(3) Take the credential username and password and go to the
Register with Grants.gov link to complete the registration at: https://apply.grants.gov/IndGGRegister
.

(4) Registration for individuals is complete, once the Grants.gov
registration step is finished.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), and all necessary
assurances and certifications. If you choose to submit your application
electronically, 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 above 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 an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include 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 System Unavailability

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 as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 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 (if available). 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,

[[Page 56132]]

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: Extensions referred to 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 deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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 84.133F), 400
Maryland 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
84.133F), 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, or
(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, or
(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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) 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
84.133F), 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 in Item 11 of the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) the CFDA number--and
suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which you are
submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment 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
from 34 CFR 356.30 through 356.32 and are listed in the application
package for this competition.

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 as directed by 34 CFR 356.51.
4. Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of its
research program, NIDRR assesses the quality of its funded projects
through review of grantee performance and products. Each year, NIDRR
examines a portion of its grantees to determine the extent to which
grantees are conducting high-quality research and related activities
that lead to high quality products. Performance measures for the
Research Fellowships program include--
The percentage of NIDRR-supported fellows, post-doctoral
trainees, and doctoral students who publish results of NIDRR-sponsored
research in refereed journals;
The percentage of grantee research and development that
has appropriate study design, meets rigorous standards of scientific
and/or engineering methods, and builds on and contributes to knowledge
in the field; and
The number of publications per award based on NIDRR-funded
research and development activities in refereed journals.
NIDRR evaluates the overall success of individual research and
development grants through review of grantee performance and products.
NIDRR uses information submitted by grantees as part of their final
performance report for these reviews. Approved final performance report
guidelines require grantees to submit information regarding research
methods, results, outputs, and outcomes.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6030, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7462 or by e-mail:
donna.nangle@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 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-

[[Page 56133]]

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: September 20, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E6-15763 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]

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