Personnel Development to Improve Services 

and Results for Children with Disabilities

Preservice Improvement Enhancement Grants to Support Related Service 

Providers to Effectively Serve Children with Disabilities and Their Families 

(84.325S)

FY2024 Grant Competition

Applicant Resource

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program priorities, requirements, and definitions. Do not rely solely on the information in this 

document for guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the final priorities, requirements, and definitions published in 

the Federal Register for additional information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.
FY2024

Personnel Development

325S Grant Program

Program provides grants to help address State-identified needs for 

personnel preparation in special education, early intervention, 

related services, and regular education to work with children with 

disabilities; and ensure that those personnel have the necessary 

skills and knowledge to be successful in serving those children

Eligible: IHEs and private nonprofit organizations that have legal authority 

to enter into grants and cooperative agreements with the Federal 

government on behalf of an IHE.

Funding: The Department estimates making 13 awards in FY 2024. 

The maximum award is $450,000 for a total of 36 months.

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for guidance. Please 

refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional information, as these are the official 

documents governing the competition.
Absolute Priority 

The Personnel Development program (84.325S) has one absolute priority. 

Applications must meet this priority to be considered for funding.

Absolute Priority: Preservice Improvement Enhancement Grants to Support Related 

Service Providers to Effectively Serve Children with Disabilities and Their Families

Purpose

The purpose of this priority is to award grants to institutions of higher education with related 

services degree programs to expand or enhance curriculums, courses of study, and clinical 

experiences to increase the competencies of related services personnel to serve children with 

disabilities and their families in early intervention, early childhood, and educational settings.

Expected Outcomes 

Within this absolute priority, projects are expected to achieve, at a minimum, the following 

expected outcomes: 

Increased number of 

related services providers

Including those who are multilingual 

and from racially and ethnically 

diverse backgrounds, equipped with 

the competencies necessary to 

deliver services to children with 

disabilities and their families in early 

intervention, early childhood, and 

school-based settings

Increased number of IHEs

Including Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities 

(HBCUs), Tribally Controlled 

Colleges and Universities 

(TCCUs), and other MinorityServing Institutions (MSIs), with 

related services personnel 

preparation programs that prepare 

students to work in early 

intervention, early childhood, and 

school-base settings.

Increased capacity of 

related services faculty

to design and implement 

enhanced programs at the 

associate, bachelor’s master’s, 

educational specialist, or clinical 

doctorate degree level that 

prepare related services providers 

to deliver services to children with 

disabilities and their families in 

early intervention, early childhood, 

and school-based settings. 

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for 

guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional 

information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.
Major Project Activities 

Applicants must also describe the approaches that will be used in their project 

services. Major activities that should be included are described below. 

Develop or Modify a Curriculum

including courses, assignments, and clinical experiences, for an existing 

related services degree program to build the competencies of related 

services personnel to provide services in early intervention, early 

childhood, and school-based settings.

Develop Partnerships

with early intervention, early childhood, and 

school-based sites to prepare related 

services personnel to provide services to 

children with disabilities and their families.

Provide Professional Development

to faculty and staff to develop their capacity to 

develop and deliver the enhanced courses and 

the curriculum that prepares students to provide 

services in early intervention, early childhood, 

and school-based settings

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for 

guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional 

information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.
Other Application Elements

The application will be awarded based on responding to the absolute priority, an 

optional competitive preference priority, and five selection criteria, described below. 

Competitive Preference Priority

Applications from HBCUs, TCCUs, and other MSIs, and private 

nonprofit organizations that have legal authority to enter into 

grants and cooperative agreements with the Federal government 

on behalf of an HBCU, TCCU, and other MSI 

0 or 3 points

Selection Criteria

Significance: The extent to which the proposed project will prepare personnel for 

fields in which shortages have been demonstrated; and the importance or 

magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, 

especially improvements in teaching and student achievement.

10 points

Project Services: the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal 

access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups 

that have traditionally been underrepresented and the extent to which (i) The extent 

to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed 

project are clearly specified and measurable; (ii)the services to be provided by the 

proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice; 

and (iii) the training or professional development services to be provided by the 

proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to 

improvements in practice among the recipients of those services.

45 points

Project Personnel and Management Plan: extent to which the applicant 

encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups 

that have traditionally been underrepresented, as well as the qualifications of key 

project personnel, the adequacy of the management plan to achieve objectives on 

time and within budget, extent to which the time commitments of key personnel are 

appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project, and 

adequacy of mechanism for ensuring high quality products and services from the 

proposed project.

20 points

Adequacy of Resources & Project Personnel: the adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant 

organization and the extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 

objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

10 points

Project Evaluation: extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 

feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed 

project and the extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended 

outcomes.

15 points

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for 

guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional 

information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.
FAQs & Resources 

Common questions can be seen below but if you have additional questions, please 

visit the program website or reach out directly via the contact information below. 

When is the application due? 

The application is due May 1, 2024. 

Your application must be fully uploaded and 

submitted in the Grants.gov system no later than 

11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application 

date. 

Where can I find the application 

package?

You may access the electronic grant 

applications at www.grants.gov. You 

may search for the downloadable 

application package for this 

competition using 84.325S.

Where can I find more information about 

applying?

You may visit the program website, linked 

below, as well as the new funding 

opportunities page that includes access to 

webinars to assist with the application 

process. 

Helpful Links

Program Website Notice Inviting 

Applications (NIA)

Point of Contact

Yolanda Lusane, Competition Manager

Yolanda.Lusane@ed.gov

202-987-0146

This document is a brief summary of the 84.325S program and application requirements. Do not rely solely on the information in this document for 

guidance. Please refer to the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the program regulations published in the Federal Register for additional 

information, as these are the official documents governing the competition.