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###### Department of Education

# AGENCY:

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

# ACTION:

Notice.

## Overview Information

Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities; Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011.

*Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:*                         84.250H.                    

Dates:

*Applications Available:*                     April 8, 2011.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     June 7, 2011.                          ( print page 19754)    

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

*Purpose of Program:*                     The purpose of this program is to provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near Federal or State reservations, consistent with their individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment, including self-employment, telecommuting, or business ownership.                

*Priority:*                     In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 121(b)(4) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 741(b)(4)).                

*Competitive Preference Priority:*                     For FY 2011, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 10 points to an application that meets this priority.                

This priority is:

### Continuation of Previously Funded Tribal Programs

In making new awards under this program, we give priority consideration to applications for the continuation of VR services programs that have been funded under the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities program.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 741.

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, and 97. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 369 and 371.                

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     The Department expects to set aside $37,449,000 for the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities program for FY 2011, of which we intend to use an estimated $3,500,000 for 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 before the end of the current fiscal year, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.                

*Estimated Range of Awards:*                     $365,000-$740,000.                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                     $550,000.                

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     6.                

# Note:

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

*Project Period:*                     Up to 60 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     The governing bodies of Indian Tribes (and consortia of those governing bodies) located on Federal and State reservations.                

# Note:

 The term “Indian Tribe” is defined in the program regulations at 34 CFR 371.4 as “any Federal or State Indian band, rancheria, pueblo, colony, and community, including any Alaskan native village or regional village corporation (as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act).”

The term “consortium” is defined in 34 CFR 371.4 to mean two or more eligible governing bodies of Indian Tribes that apply for an award under this program by either: (1) Designating one governing body to apply for the grant; or (2) establishing and designating a separate legal entity to apply for a grant.

                    2.                     *Cost Sharing or Matching:*                     See 34 CFR 371.40.                

## IV. Application and Submission Information

                    1.                     *Address to Request Application Package:*                     You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). 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 from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.250H.

                    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.                

*Other:*                     In its application, an applicant must describe how it will meet the Special Application Requirements stated at 34 CFR 371.21.                

                    3.                     *Submission Dates and Times:*

*Applications Available:*                     April 8, 2011.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                     June 7, 2011.                

                    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.                

                    4.                     *Intergovernmental Review:*                     This competition is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.                

                    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                           ( print page 19755)                        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 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities, CFDA number 84.250H, 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 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities at                     *http://www.Grants.gov.*                     You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (                    *e.g.,*                     search for 84.250, not 84.250H).                

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 upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to 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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 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                               ( print page 19756)                            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 84.250H) 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.

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 84.250H) 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 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 competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package. The selection criteria may total 100 points, plus the 10 competitive preference priority points (see Section I.                     *Competitive Preference Priority*).                

                    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.                     *Special Conditions:*                     Under 34 CFR 874.14 and 0.12, 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 three performance measures for the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities program. The measures are (1) the percentage of individuals who leave the program with an employment outcome, (2) the percentage of projects that demonstrate an average annual cost per employment outcome of no more than $35,000, and (3) the percentage of projects that demonstrate an average annual cost per participant of no more than $10,000. Each grantee must annually report its performance on these measures through the Annual Progress Reporting Form (APR Form) for the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) program.                

*Job Training and Employment Common Measures:*                     In addition, this program is part of the job training and employment common measures initiative. The common measures for job training and employment programs targeting adults are (1) entered                           ( print page 19757)                        employment (percentage employed in the first quarter after program exit); (2) retention in employment (percentage of those employed in the first quarter after exit that were still employed in the second and third quarters after program exit); (3) average weekly earnings (average earnings of those participants who are employed in the first, second, and third quarters after the exit quarter); and (4) the annual cost per participant.                

The AIVRS Annual Progress Reporting Form was revised in 2008 to collect data needed to assess the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities program's performance on supplemental measures that are comparable to the job training and employment common measures. Each grantee will be required to collect and report data for these supplemental measures as part of the annual performance report requirement, including information on: (1) The number of individuals whose case record has not been closed, but have not received project services for 90 consecutive calendar days, (2) the number of eligible individuals who were employed three months after achieving an employment outcome, (3) the number of eligible individuals who were employed six months after achieving an employment outcome, (4) the average weekly earnings at entry, and (5) the average weekly earnings of the individuals whose employment outcomes resulted in earnings.

# Note:

 For purposes of this section VI. 4., the term “employment outcome” has the meaning provided in 34 CFR 369.4.

                    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, 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:

                        August Martin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5049, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7410 or by e-mail:                         *august.martin@ed.gov.*

If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 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:*                         You can 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.                    

# 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 via the Federal Digital System at:                             *http://www.gpo.gov/​fdsys.*

Dated: April 5, 2011.

Alexa Posny,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 2011-8455 Filed 4-7-11; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P