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 Department of Education
 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327A. Note: This notice includes one absolute priority with two phases, and funding information for each phase of the competition, and two competitive preference priorities within the absolute priority. *Dates:* *Applications Available:*
                     March 7, 2011. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See*
                     the chart in the 
                    *Award Information*
                     section of this notice (Chart). *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See*
                     Chart. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description *Purpose of Program:*
                     The purposes of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program are to: (1) Improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media services activities designed to be of educational value in the classroom setting to children with disabilities; and (3) provide support for captioning and video description that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting. *Priority:*
                     In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)). *Absolute Priority:*
                     For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: *Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities—Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities* *Background:*
                     The Department has made Steppingstones of Technology 
                    ( print page 12344)
                    Innovation for Children with Disabilities awards for several years under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. Awards are made in two phases: (1) Development and (2) research on effectiveness. Abstracts of projects funded under these two phases can be found at 
                    *http://publicddb.tadnet.org/​.* *Priority:*
                     The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities absolute priority requires grantees to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative technology approaches designed to improve results for children with disabilities. Phase 1 projects must develop, refine, and test the feasibility of specific technology-based approaches. Phase 2 projects must subject technology-based approaches to rigorous field-based research to determine their effectiveness. To be considered for funding under the Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities absolute priority, applicants must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority. The application, programmatic, and administrative requirements are as follows: (a) In the application, an applicant must— (1) Describe a technology-based approach for use in (a) early intervention programs, (b) response-to-intervention (RTI) assessment techniques, or (c) preschool, elementary school, middle school, or high school educational programs that is designed to improve results for children with disabilities. The technology-based approach must be an innovative combination of new technology and additional materials and methodologies that enable the technology to improve results for children with disabilities; (2) Present a justification, based on scientifically rigorous research or theory, that demonstrates the potential effectiveness of the technology-based approach described pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this priority for improving results for children with disabilities. The approach must have the potential to improve child outcomes, not just parent or provider outcomes. Child outcomes may include improved academic or pre-academic skills, improved behavioral or social functioning, and improved functional performance, provided that valid and reliable measurement instruments are employed to assess the outcomes. Technology-based approaches intended for use by providers or parents may not be funded under this priority unless child-level benefits are clearly demonstrated. Technology-based approaches for professional development will not be funded under this priority; (3) Provide a detailed plan for conducting work in one of the following two phases: (i) 
                    *Phase 1—Development:*
                     Projects funded under Phase 1 must develop and refine a technology-based approach, and test its feasibility for use with children with disabilities. Activities under Phase 1 of the priority may include development, adaptation, and refinement of technology, materials, or methodologies. Activities under Phase 1 of the priority must include a formative evaluation of the technology-based approach's usability and feasibility for use with children with disabilities. Each project funded under Phase 1 must be designed to develop, as its primary product, a promising technology-based approach for which it demonstrates evidence of its usability and feasibility for improving results for children with disabilities. (ii) 
                    *Phase 2—Research on Effectiveness:*
                     Projects funded under Phase 2 must select a promising technology-based approach that has been developed and tested in a manner consistent with the criteria for activities funded under Phase 1, and subject the approach to rigorous field-based research to determine its effectiveness in educational or early intervention settings. Approaches studied under Phase 2 may have been developed with previous funding under Phase 1 of this priority or with funding from other sources. Phase 2 of this priority is primarily intended to produce sound research-based evidence demonstrating that the technology-based approach can improve educational or early intervention results for children with disabilities in a defined range of real world contexts. Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct research that poses a causal question and must seek to answer that question through randomized assignment to treatment and comparison conditions, unless a strong justification is made for why a randomized trial is not possible. If a randomized trial is not possible, the applicant must employ alternatives that substantially minimize selection bias or allow the selection bias to be modeled. These alternatives include appropriately structured regression-discontinuity designs and natural experiments in which naturally occurring circumstances or institutions (perhaps unintentionally) divide people into treatment and comparison groups in a manner akin to purposeful random assignment. In their applications, applicants proposing to use an alternative system must (1) make a compelling case that randomization is not possible, and (2) describe in detail how the procedures will result in substantially minimizing the effects of selection bias on estimates of effect size. Choice of randomizing unit or units (
                    *e.g.,*
                     students, classrooms, schools) must be grounded in a theoretical framework. Observational, survey, or qualitative methodologies may complement experimental methodologies to assist in the identification of factors that may explain the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach being evaluated. Applicants must propose research designs that permit the identification and assessment of factors that may have an impact on the fidelity of implementation. Mediating and moderating variables that are both measured in the practice or model condition and are likely to affect outcomes in the comparison condition must be measured in the comparison condition (
                    *e.g.,*
                     student time-on-task, teacher experience, or time in position). Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct comprehensive research in order to provide convincing evidence of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach under study, at least within a defined range of settings. Applicants must provide documentation that available sample sizes, methodologies, and treatment effects are likely to result in conclusive findings regarding the effectiveness of the technology-based approach; (4) Provide a plan for forming collaborative relationships with vendors, other dissemination or marketing resources, or both to ensure that the technology-based approach can be made widely available if sufficient evidence of effectiveness is obtained. Applicants should document the availability and willingness of dissemination or marketing resources to participate. Applicants are encouraged to plan these collaborative relationships early in their projects, even in Phase 1 (if applicable), but should refrain from widespread dissemination of the technology-based approach to practitioners until evidence of its effectiveness is obtained in Phase 2; and (5) Budget for the project director to attend an annual three-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC, and another annual two-day trip to 
                    ( print page 12345)
                    Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and the other projects funded under this priority to share information, and to discuss findings and methods of dissemination. (b) The project also must conduct the following activities: (1) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a format that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility. (2) If the project produces instructional materials for dissemination, produce them in accessible formats (
                    *e.g.,*
                     with captioning, with video description) complying with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) when appropriate. *Competitive Preference Priorities:*
                     Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of the following priorities. For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. *Competitive Preference Priority 1:*
                     Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 3 points to an application that meets this priority. This priority is: Applicants with projects that are designed to improve school readiness and success by using technology-based approaches for children with disabilities from birth through third grade and focus on one or more of the following priority areas: (a) Physical well-being and motor development; (b) social-emotional development; (c) language and literacy development; (d) cognition and general knowledge, including early numeracy and early scientific development; and (e) approaches toward learning. *Competitive Preference Priority 2:*
                     Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 3 points to an application that meets this priority. This priority is: Applicants with projects that are designed to focus on technology-based approaches for instruction in science, mathematics, or both for children with disabilities. Note: Three is the maximum amount of points an applicant can receive for meeting one or both of the competitive preference priorities. Thus, even if an applicant meets both priorities, it will only earn a total of 3 points. Applicants must include in the project abstract a statement indicating which competitive preference priorities they have addressed. *Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:*
                     Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice. *Program Authority:*20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481. *Applicable Regulations:*
                     The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. 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 (IHEs) only. II. Award Information *Type of Award:*
                     Discretionary grants. *Estimated Available Funds:*
                     The Administration has requested $41,223,000 for awards for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program for FY 2011, of which we intend to use an estimated $2,400,000 for the Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities competition. Please refer to the “Estimated Range of Awards” column in the Chart for the estimated dollar amounts for the two phases of this 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. *Estimated Range of Awards: See*
                     Chart. *Estimated Average Size of Awards: See*
                     Chart. *Maximum Award:*
                     Phase 1: $200,000, per year and Phase 2: $300,000, per year. We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                    . *Estimated Number of Awards: See*
                     Chart. *Project Period:*
                     Projects funded under Phase 1 will be funded for up to 24 months. Projects funded under Phase 2 will be funded for up to 36 months. We will reject any application that proposes a project period exceeding 24 months for Phase 1 or 36 months for Phase 2. Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities
[Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2011]
CFDA No. and Name
Deadline for transmittal of applications
Deadline for intergovernmental review
Estimated available funds
Estimated range of awards
Estimated average size of awards
Estimated number of awards84.327A—Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities:Phase 1—Development
April 21, 2011
June 20, 2011
$1,200,000
$100,000-
                             200,000
$200,000
6Phase 2—Research on Effectiveness
April 21, 2011
June 20, 2011
1,200,000
200,000-
                             300,000
300,000
4
 Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. III. Eligibility Information 1. 
                    *Eligible Applicants:*
                     State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs); public charter schools that are LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations. 2. 
                    *Cost Sharing or Matching:*
                     This competition does not require cost sharing or matching.
                    ( print page 12346) 3. 
                    *Other: General Requirements*
                    —(a) The projects funded under this competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA). (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. 
                    *Address to Request Application Package:*
                     You can obtain an application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office. To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
                    *http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​grantapps/​index.html*. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. 
                    *Fax:*
                     (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734. You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: 
                    *http://www.EDPubs.gov*
                     or at its e-mail address: 
                    *edpubs@inet.ed.gov.* If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327A. To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the person listed under 
                    *For Further Information Contact*
                     in section VII of this notice. Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (
                    *e.g.,*
                     braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under 
                    *Accessible Format*
                     in section VIII 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. *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 50 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, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III. We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit; or if you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. 
                    *Submission Dates and Times:* *Applications Available:*
                     March 7, 2011. *Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*
                     See Chart. 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) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 7. 
                    *Other Submission Requirements*
                     of this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. 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*
                     in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. *Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See*
                     Chart. 4. 
                    *Intergovernmental Review:*
                     This program 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. 
                    *Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry:*
                     To do business with the Department of Education, you must— a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period. You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day. If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active. The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete. In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (
                    *see http://www.grants.gov/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf*). 7. 
                    *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 are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with 
                    ( print page 12347)
                    Disabilities competition, CFDA number 84.327A, is included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use 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. You may access the electronic grant application for the Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities competition, CFDA number 84.327A 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 (
                    *e.g.,*
                     search for 84.327, not 84.327A). 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 date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. 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 4:30:00 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home page at*http://www.G5.gov.*
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.
If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 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.
If you submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF 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, toll free, 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 under 
                    **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**
                     in section VII of this notice 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. 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 following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
                    *Attention:*
                     (CFDA Number 84.327A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. 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.
                    ( print page 12348) 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 84.327A), 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 grant 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 1. 
                    *Selection Criteria:*
                     The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package. 2. 
                    *Review and Selection Process:*
                     We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality. In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 3. 
                    *Additional Review and Selection Process Factors:* In the past, the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain competitions, because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness of the review process, while permitting panel members to review applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in each group. 4. 
                    *Special Conditions:*
                     Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible. 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 notify you informally, also. 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:*
                     (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b). (b) 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to 
                    *http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.* 4. 
                    *Performance Measures:*
                     Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and quality of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. These measures focus on the extent to which projects are of high quality, are relevant to improving outcomes of children with disabilities, and contribute to improving outcomes for children with disabilities. We will collect data on these measures from the projects funded under this competition. Grantees also will be required to report information on their projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590). 5. 
                    *Continuation Awards:*
                     In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes the review of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, 
                    ( print page 12349)
                    including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). VII. Agency Contact *For Further Information Contact:*
                     Terry Jackson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4081, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
                    *Telephone:*
                     (202) 245-6039. If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339. VIII. Other Information *Accessible Format:*
                     Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible 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, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
                    *Telephone:*
                     (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339. *Electronic Access to This Document:*
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                        **Federal Register.**
                         Free Internet access to the official edition of the 
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                         and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: 
                        *http://www.gpoaccess.gov/​nara/​index.html*. Dated: March 2, 2011. Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.


[FR Doc. 2011-5081 Filed 3-4-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P