FR Doc 04-7083
[Federal Register: March 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 16531-16535]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr04-55]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR)--Small Business Innovative Research Program (SBIR);
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133S-1.
DATES: Applications Available: March 31, 2004.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 30, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Small business concerns as defined by the
Small Business Administration (SBA) at the time of the award. This
definition is included in the application package.
All technology, science, or engineering firms with strong research
capabilities in any of the priority areas listed in this notice are
encouraged to participate.
Consultative or other arrangements between these firms and
universities or other non-profit organizations are
[[Page 16532]]
permitted, but the small business concern must serve as the grantee.
If it appears that an applicant organization does not meet the
eligibility requirements, we will request an evaluation by the SBA.
Under circumstances in which eligibility is unclear, we will not make a
SBIR award until the SBA makes a determination.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,125,000 for new Phase I awards.
Note: The estimated amount of funds available for new Phase I
awards is based upon the estimated threshold SBIR allocation for
OSERS, less prior commitments for Phase II continuation awards.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $75,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $75,000 for a single budget period of 6 months. The
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Note: Maximum award amount includes direct and indirect costs
and fees.
Estimated Number of Awards: 15.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 6 months for Phase I.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to stimulate
technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of
small business in meeting Federal research or research and development
(R/R&D) needs, increase the commercial application of Department of
Education (ED) supported research results, and improve the return on
investment from Federally funded research for economic and social
benefits to the Nation.
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 goals of the SBIR program are in concert with NIDRR's 1999-2003
Long-Range Plan (Plan). The Plan can be accessed on the Internet at the
following site:
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/index.html.
Through the implementation of the NFI and 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.
Background
The Small Business Reauthorization Act (Act) of 2000 was enacted on
December 21, 2000. The Act requires certain agencies, including the
Department, to establish SBIR programs by reserving a statutory
percentage of their extramural research and development budgets to be
awarded to small business concerns for research or research and
development (R/R&D) through a uniform, highly competitive three-phase
process.
The three phases of the SBIR program are:
Phase I: Phase I is to determine, insofar as possible, the
scientific or technical merit and feasibility of ideas submitted under
the SBIR program. The application should concentrate on research that
will significantly contribute to proving the scientific or technical
feasibility of the approach or concept and that would be prerequisite
to further Department support in Phase II.
Phase II: Phase II is to expand on the results of and to further
pursue the development of Phase I projects. Phase II is the principal
R/R&D effort. It requires a more comprehensive application, outlining
the effort in detail including the commercial potential. Phase II
applicants must be Phase I awardees with approaches that appear
sufficiently promising as a result of Phase I. Awards are for periods
of up to 2 years in amounts up to $500,000.
Phase III: In Phase III, the small business must use non-SBIR
capital to pursue commercial applications of the R/R&D. Also, under
Phase III, Federal agencies may award non-SBIR follow-on funding for
products or processes that meet the needs of those agencies.
Priorities: SBIR projects are encouraged to look to the future by
exploring uses of technology to ensure equal access to education,
employment, and community environments and information. Under this
competition we are particularly interested in applications that address
one of the following priorities.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2004 these priorities are
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an
application that meets one of these invitational priorities a
competitive or absolute preference over other applications. The
invitational priorities relate to innovative research utilizing new
technologies to address the needs of individuals with disabilities and
their families.
These priorities are:
(1) Development of technology to support access, promote
integration, or foster independence of individuals with disabilities in
the community, workplace, or educational setting.
(2) Development of technology to enhance sensory or motor function
of individuals with disabilities.
(3) Development of technology to support transition into post-
secondary educational or employment settings for individuals with
disabilities.
(4) Development of technology that promotes access to information
in educational, employment and community settings.
Each applicant should describe the approaches they expect to use to
collect empirical evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of the
technology they are proposing in an effort to assess the efficacy and
usefulness of the technology.
Note: New technologies must adhere to universal design
principles and Guidelines for More Accessible Design. Universal
design is defined as ``the design of products and environments to be
usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the
need for adaptation or specialized design'' (The Center for
Universal Design, 1997. The Principles of Universal Design, Version
2.0. Raleigh, NC: North Carolina State University. Web: http://www.design.ncsu.edu
). Accessible design of consumer products will
seek to minimize or alleviate barriers that reduce the ability of
individuals with disabilities to effectively or safely use standard
consumer products (For more information see--
http://www.trace.wisc.edu/docs/consumer_product_guidelines/consumer.pcs/disabil.htm
).
Program Authority: The Small Business Reauthorization Act of
2000, Pub. L. 106-554 (15 U.S.C. 631 and 638) and title II of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Pub. L. 105-220 (29 U.S.C.
760-764).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82,
84, 85, 97, 98 and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,125,000 for new Phase I awards.
Note: The estimated amount of funds available for new Phase I
awards is based upon the estimated threshold SBIR allocation
[[Page 16533]]
for OSERS, less prior commitments for Phase II continuation awards.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $75,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $75,000 for a single budget period of 6 months. The
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Note: Maximum award amount includes direct and indirect costs
and fees.
Estimated Number of Awards: 15.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 6 months for Phase I.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Small business concerns as defined by the
SBA at the time of the award. This definition is included in the
application package.
All technology, science, or engineering firms with strong research
capabilities in any of the priority areas listed in this notice are
encouraged to participate.
Consultative or other arrangements between these firms and
universities or other non-profit organizations are permitted, but the
small business concern must serve as the grantee.
If it appears that an applicant organization does not meet the
eligibility requirements, we will request an evaluation by the SBA.
Under circumstances in which eligibility is unclear, we will not make a
SBIR award until the SBA makes a determination.
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 ED 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 an
application package from ED Pubs, write or call the following: 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 84.133S-1.
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 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.
Notice of Intent to Apply: Due to the open nature of the SBIR
competition, and to assist with the selection of reviewers for this
competition, NIDRR is requiring all potential applicants to submit a
Letter of Intent (LOI). While the submission is mandatory, the content
of the LOI will not be peer reviewed or otherwise used to rate an
applicant's application. We will notify only those potential applicants
who have failed to submit an LOI that meets the following requirements.
Each LOI should be limited to a maximum of four pages and include
the following information: (1) the title of the proposed project, which
invitational priority will be addressed, the name of the company, the
name of the Project Director or Principal Investigator (PI), and the
names of partner institutions and entities; (2) a brief statement of
the vision, goals, and objectives of the proposed project and a
description of its activities at a sufficient level of detail to allow
NIDRR to select potential peer reviewers; (3) a list of proposed
project staff including the Project Director or PI and key personnel;
(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.; and (5) contact information for the Project
Director or PI. Submission of a LOI is a prerequisite for eligibility
to submit an application.
NIDRR will accept a LOI via surface mail, e-mail, or facsimile by
April 30, 2004. If a LOI is submitted via e-mail or facsimile, the
applicant must also provide NIDRR with the original signed LOI within
seven days after the date the e-mail or facsimile is submitted. The LOI
must be sent to: Surface mail: Carol Cohen, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3420, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2645; or fax (202) 205-8515; or e-mail:
carol.cohen@ed.gov.
For further information regarding the LOI requirement contact Carol
Cohen at (202) 205-5666.
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 25 pages, excluding any documentation of
prior multiple Phase II awards, if applicable, and required forms,
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.
Single space all text in the application
narrative, including 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). Standard black type
should be used to permit photocopying.
Draw all graphs, diagrams, tables, and charts in
black ink. Do not include glossy photographs or materials that cannot
be photocopied in the body of the application.
The page limit does not apply to the budget section, including the
narrative budget justification; the one-page abstract; the resumes; the
bibliography; the letters of support; certifications; statements;
related application(s) or award(s); or documentation of multiple Phase
II awards, if applicable.
The application package will provide instructions for completing
all components to be included in the application. Each application must
include a cover sheet (ED Standard Form 424); budget requirements (ED
Form 524) and other required forms; an abstract, certifications, and
statements; a technical content project narrative (subject to the 25-
page limit); and related application(s) or award(s) and documentation
of multiple Phase II awards, if applicable.
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. Content Restrictions: If an applicant chooses to respond to the
invitational priorities and an application is relevant to more than one
priority, the applicant must decide which priority is most relevant to
the application and submit the application under that priority only.
There is no limitation on the number of different applications that an
applicant
[[Page 16534]]
may submit under this competition. An applicant may submit separate
applications on different topics, or different applications on the same
priority. However, each application must respond to only one priority.
4. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 31, 2004.
Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: April 30, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 2004.
The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this competition. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
5. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
6. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
competition.
Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act
(GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to
undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. Enhancing the
ability of individuals and entities to conduct business with us
electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts.
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
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.
We are requiring that applications for grants under the Small
Business Innovative Research Program--CFDA Number 84.133S-1 be
submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System
(e-Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The
e-GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov
.
If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS
system, you may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic
submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason
or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your
application. Address your request to: Carol Cohen, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3420, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2704. Please submit your request no later than two
weeks before the application deadline date.
If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are
unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper
application by the application deadline date in accordance with the
transmittal instructions in the application package. The paper
application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the
reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your
application.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of
applications to include additional formula grant programs and
additional discretionary grant competitions. The Small Business
Innovative Research Program--CFDA Number 84.133S-1 is one of the
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under
the Small Business Innovative Research Program, you must submit your
application to us in electronic format or receive a waiver.
The pilot project involves the use of e-Application. If you use e-
Application, you will be entering data online while completing your
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant
application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a
database. We shall continue to evaluate the success of e-Application
and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
When you enter the e-Application system, you
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to
initiate an e-Application package.
You will not receive 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.
You must 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.
Your e-Application must comply with any page
limit requirements and content restrictions described in this notice.
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).
Within three 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 e-Application.
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.
We may request that you give us original
signatures on other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from submitting your application
on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand
delivery. We will grant this extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the
application deadline date.
[[Page 16535]]
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Small
Business Innovative Research Program at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific selection criteria to be used
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.
Note: NIDRR will provide information by letter to grantees on
how and when to submit the report.
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, through expert peer review, a portion of its grantees to
determine:
The degree to which the grantees are conducting
high-quality research, as reflected in the appropriateness of study
designs, the rigor with which accepted standards of scientific and
engineering methods are applied, and the degree to which the research
builds on and contributes to the level of knowledge in the field;
The number of new or improved tools,
instruments, protocols, and technologies developed and published by
grantees that are deemed to improve the measurement of disability and
rehabilitation-related concepts and to contribute to changes or
improvements in policy, practice, and outcomes for individuals with
disabilities and their families; and
The number of new or improved assistive and
universally designed technologies, devices, and systems developed by
grantees that are deemed to improve rehabilitation services and
outcomes and enhance opportunities for participation by, and are
successfully transferred to industry for potential commercialization.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristi E. Wilson, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3433, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2645. Telephone: (202) 260-0988 or by e-mail:
kristi.wilson@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-4475 or the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) 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 1-888-293-6498; 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 24, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-7083 Filed 3-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P