Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 1328—THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF UNIVERSITY CENTERS FOR EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, EDUCATION, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE
§ 1328.1   Definitions.
States. For the purpose of this part, “State” means each of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and Guam.
§ 1328.2   Purpose.
(a) The Secretary, or his or her designee awards grants to eligible entities designated as University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (“UCEDDs”, or “Centers”) in each State to pay for the Federal share of the cost of the administration and operation of the Centers. Centers shall:
(1) Provide leadership in, advise Federal, State, and community policymakers about, and promote opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to exercise self-determination, be independent, be productive, and be integrated and included in all facets of community life.
(2) Be interdisciplinary education, research, and public service units of universities or public not-for-profit entities associated with universities that engage in core functions, described in § 1328.3, addressing, directly or indirectly, one or more of the areas of emphasis, as defined in § 1325.3 of this chapter.
(b) To conduct National Training Initiatives on Critical and Emerging Needs as described in § 1328.4.
§ 1328.3   Core functions.
The Centers described in § 1328.2 must engage in the core functions referred to in this section, which shall include:
(a) Provision of interdisciplinary pre-service preparation and continuing education of students and fellows, which may include the preparation and continuing education of leadership, direct service, clinical, or other personnel to strengthen and increase the capacity of States and communities to achieve the purpose of the DD Act of 2000.
(b) Provision of community services:
(1) That provide training or technical assistance for individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, professionals, paraprofessionals, policy-makers, students, and other members of the community; and
(2) That may provide services, supports, and assistance for the persons listed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section through demonstration and model activities.
(c) Conduct of research, which may include basic or applied research, evaluation, and the analysis of public policy in areas that affect or could affect, either positively or negatively, individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
(d) Dissemination of information related to activities undertaken to address the purpose of the DD Act of 2000, especially dissemination of information that demonstrates that the network authorized under Subtitle D of the Act is a national and international resource that includes specific substantive areas of expertise that may be accessed and applied in diverse settings and circumstances.
§ 1328.4   National training initiatives on critical and emerging needs.
(a) Supplemental grant funds for National Training Initiatives (NTIs) on critical and emerging needs may be reserved when each Center described in section 152 of the DD Act has received a grant award of at least $500,000, adjusted for inflation.
(b) The grants shall be awarded to Centers to pay for the Federal share of the cost of training initiatives related to the unmet needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
(c) The grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis, and for periods of not more than 5 years.
§ 1328.5   Applications.
(a) To be eligible to receive a grant under § 1388.2 for a Center, an entity shall submit to the Secretary, or his or her designee, an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information, as the Secretary, or his or her designee, may require for approval.
(b) Each application shall describe a five-year plan that must include:
(1) Projected goal(s) related to one or more areas of emphasis described in § 1325.3 of this chapter for each of the core functions.
(2) Measures of progress.
(c) The application shall contain or be supported by reasonable assurances that the entity designated as the Center will:
(1) Meet the measures of progress;
(2) Address the projected goals, and carry out goal-related activities, based on data driven strategic planning and in a manner consistent with the objectives of subtitle D of the Act, that:
(i) Are developed in collaboration with the Consumer Advisory Committee established pursuant to paragraph (c)(5) of this section;
(ii) Are consistent with, and to the extent feasible complement and further, the Council goals contained in the State plan submitted under section 124 of the DD Act of 2000 and the goals of the Protection and Advocacy System established under section 143 of the DD Act of 2000; and
(iii) Will be reviewed and revised annually as necessary to address emerging trends and needs.
(3) Use the funds made available through the grant to supplement, and not supplant, the funds that would otherwise be made available for activities described in § 1328.2(a)(1) and (2).
(4) Protect, consistent with the policy specified in section 101(c) of the DD Act of 2000 the legal and human rights of all individuals with developmental disabilities (especially those individuals under State guardianship who are involved in activities carried out under programs assisted under subtitle D of the Act).
(5) Establish a Consumer Advisory Committee:
(i) Of which a majority of the members shall be individuals with developmental disabilities and family members of such individuals;
(ii) That is comprised of:
(A) Individuals with developmental disabilities and related disabilities;
(B) Family members of individuals with developmental disabilities;
(C) A representative of the State Protection and Advocacy System;
(D) A representative of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities;
(E) A representative of a self-advocacy organization described in section 124(c)(4)(A)(ii)(I) of the DD Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15024(c)(4)(A)(ii)(I)); and
(F) Representatives of organizations that may include parent training and information centers assisted under section 671or 672 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1471, 1472), entities carrying out activities authorized under section 104 or 105 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3003, 3004), relevant State agencies, and other community groups concerned with the welfare of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
(iii) That reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the State;
(iv) That shall:
(A) Consult with the Director of the Center regarding the development of the five-year plan;
(B) Participate in an annual review of, and comment on, the progress of the Center in meeting the projected goals contained in the plan;
(C) Make recommendations to the Director of the Center regarding any proposed revisions of the plan that might be necessary; and
(v) Meet as often as necessary to carry out the role of the committee, but at a minimum twice during each grant year.
(6) To the extent possible, utilize the infrastructure and resources obtained through funds made available under the grant to leverage additional public and private funds to successfully achieve the projected goals developed in the five-year plan;
(7) Have a director with appropriate academic credentials, demonstrated leadership, expertise regarding developmental disabilities, significant experience in managing grants and contracts, and the ability to leverage public and private funds; and
(i) Allocate adequate staff time to carry out activities related to each of the core functions described in § 1328.3.
(ii) [Reserved]
(8) Educate, and disseminate information related to the purpose of the DD Act of 2000 to the legislature of the State in which the Center is located, and to Members of Congress from such State.
(d) All applications submitted under this section shall be subject to technical and qualitative review by peer review groups as described under paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(1) Each peer review group shall include such individuals with disabilities and parents, guardians, or advocates of or for individuals with developmental disabilities, as are necessary to carry out this section.
(2) [Reserved]
(e)(1) The Federal share of the cost of administration or operation of a Center, or the cost of carrying out a training initiative, supported by a grant made under subtitle D of the Act may not be more than 75 percent of the necessary cost of such project, as determined by the Secretary, or his or her designee.
(2) In the case of a project whose activities or products target individuals with developmental disabilities who live in an urban or rural poverty area, as determined by the Secretary, or his or her designee, the Federal share of the cost of the project may not be more than 90 percent of the necessary costs of the project, as determined by the Secretary, or his or her designee.
§ 1328.6   Governance and administration.
(a) The UCEDD must be associated with, or an integral part of, a university and promote the independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
(b) The UCEDD must have a written agreement or charter with the university, or affiliated university that specifies the UCEDD designation as an official university component, the relationships between the UCEDD and other university components, the university commitment to the UCEDD, and the UCEDD commitment to the university.
(c) Within the university, the UCEDD must maintain the autonomy and organizational structure required to carry out the UCEDD mission and provide for the mandated activities.
(d) The UCEDD Director must report directly to, or be, a University Administrator who will represent the interests of the UCEDD within the University.
(e) The University must demonstrate its support for the UCEDD through the commitment of financial and other resources.
(f) UCEDD senior professional staff, including the UCEDD Director, Associate Director, Training Director, and Research Coordinator, must hold faculty appointments in appropriate academic departments of the host or an affiliated university, consistent with university policy. UCEDD senior professional staff must contribute to the university by participation on university committees, collaboration with other university departments, and other university community activities.
(g) UCEDD faculty and staff must represent the broad range of disciplines and backgrounds necessary to implement the full inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in all aspects of society, consonant with the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(h) The management practices of the UCEDD, as well as the organizational structure, must promote the role of the UCEDD as a bridge between the University and the community. The UCEDD must actively participate in community networks and include a range of collaborating partners.
(i) The UCEDD's Consumer Advisory Committee must meet regularly. The membership of the Consumer Advisory Committee must reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the State or community in which the UCEDD is located. The deliberations of the Consumer Advisory Committee must be reflected in UCEDD policies and programs.
(j) The UCEDD must maintain collaborative relationships with the SCDD and P&A. In addition, the UCEDD must be a permanent member of the SCDD and regularly participate in Council meetings and activities, as prescribed by the Act.
(k) The UCEDD must maintain collaborative relationships and be an active participant with the UCEDD network and individual organizations.
(l) The UCEDD must demonstrate the ability to leverage additional resources.
(m) The university must demonstrate that the UCEDD have adequate space to carry out the mandated activities.
(n) The UCEDD physical facility and all program initiatives conducted by the UCEDD must be accessible to individuals with disabilities as provided for by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
(o) The UCEDD must integrate the mandated core functions into its activities and
programs and must have a written plan for each core function area.
(p) The UCEDD must have in place a long range planning capability to enable it to respond to emergent and future developments in the field.
(q) The UCEDD must utilize state-of-the-art methods, including the active participation of individuals, families and others of UCEDD programs and services to evaluate programs. The UCEDD must refine and strengthen its programs based on evaluation findings.
(r) The UCEDD Director must demonstrate commitment to the field of developmental disabilities, leadership, and vision in carrying out the mission of the UCEDD.
(s) The UCEDD must meet the “Employment of Individuals with Disabilities” requirements as described in section 107 of the Act.
§ 1328.7   Five-year plan and annual report.
(a) As required by section 154(a)(2) of the DD Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15064), the application for core funding for a UCEDD shall describe a five-year plan, including a projected goal or goals related to one or more areas of emphasis for each of the core functions in section 153(a)(2) of the DD Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C.15063).
(1) For each area of emphasis under which a goal has been identified, the UCEDD must state in its application the measures of progress with the requirements of the law and applicable regulation, in accordance with current practice.
(2) If changes are made to the measures of progress established for a year, the five-year plan must be amended to reflect those changes and approved by AIDD upon review.
(3) By July 30 of each year, a UCEDD shall submit an Annual Report, using the system established or funded by AIDD. In order to be accepted by AIDD, an Annual Report must meet the requirements of section 154(e) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15064) and, the applicable regulations, and include the information necessary for the Secretary, or his or her designee, to comply with section 105(1), (2), and (3) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 15005) and any other information requested by AIDD. The Report shall include information on progress made in achieving the UCEDD's goals for the previous year, including:
(i) The extent to which the goals were achieved;
(ii) A description of the strategies that contributed to achieving the goals;
(iii) The extent to which the goals were not achieved;
(iv) A detailed description of why goals were not met; and
(v) An accounting of the manner in which funds paid to the UCEDD for a fiscal year were expended.
(4) The Report also must include information on proposed revisions to the goals and a description of successful efforts to leverage funds, other than funds under the Act, to pursue goals consistent with the UCEDD program.
(5) Each UCEDD must include in its Annual Report information on its achievement of the measures of progress.
(b) [Reserved]