[Federal Register: March 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 52)] [Notices] [Page 12898-12899] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr18mr03-50] Download:======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No. 84.128J] Recreational Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 Purpose of Program: To provide grants for recreational programs providing individuals with disabilities recreational activities and related experiences to aid in their employment, mobility, socialization, independence, and community integration. Eligible Applicants: States, public agencies, and nonprofit private organizations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Funds under this competition will be used to support projects in FY 2003. The Assistant Secretary may consider funding approved applications submitted in FY 2003 in later years. Applications Available: March 17, 2003. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 1, 2003. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 1, 2003. Estimated Available Funds: $985,779. 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. Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86. 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. Priority This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the absolute priority and the statutory requirements in the notice of final priority for this program, published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2001 (66 FR 20176). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet the priority. Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with disabilities. Recreational services include, but are not limited to, vocational skills development, leisure education, leisure 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. Application Procedures Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting applications differ from those in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not required. Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to expand its pilot project for electronic submission of applications to include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary grant competitions. The Recreational Program--CFDA No. 84.128J is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Recreational Program, you may submit your application to us in either electronic or paper format. The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) portion of the Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). Users of e-Application will be entering data on-line while completing their applications. You may not e-mail a soft copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an application electronically, the data you enter on-line will be saved into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for improvement. If you participate in e-Application, please note the following: [sbull] Your participation is voluntary. [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit an application in paper format. When you enter the e- Application system, you will find information about its hours of operation. [sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. [sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your application). [sbull] Within 3 working days after submitting your electronic application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following these steps: (1) Print ED 424 from the e-Application system. (2) The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this form. (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard copy signature page of the ED 424. (4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349. [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all other forms at a later date. [sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Recreational Program and you are prevented from submitting your application on the closing date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 1 business day in order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us to grant this extension-- (1) You must be a registered user of e-Application and have initiated an e-Application for this competition; and (2)(a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date; or (b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the deadline date. The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability before granting you an [[Page 12899]] extension. To request this extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930. You may access the electronic grant application for the Recreational Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov. We have included additional information about the e-Application pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic Applications) in the application package. For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), PO 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 via its Web site: http://www.edpubs.org/webstore/Content/search.asp. 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 by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-8207. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1- 800-877-8339. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the application package. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary E. Chambers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3322, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2647. Telephone (202) 205-8435. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in the preceding paragraph. 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 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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html . Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 775. Dated: March 12, 2003. Robert H. Pasternack, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. [FR Doc. 03-6377 Filed 3-17-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P