26836 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 

(5) An estimate of the total number of 

respondents and the amount of time 

estimated for an average respondent to 

respond/reply: It is estimated that it will 

take 56 respondents an estimated 1 hour 

to respond to the application. 

(6) An estimate of the total public 

burden (in hours) associated with the 

collection: The total estimated annual 

burden hours to complete the 

application is 4,200 hours. 

If additional information is required 

contact: Lynn Bryant, Department 

Clearance Officer, United States 

Department of Justice, Justice 

Management Division, Policy and 

Planning Staff, Patrick Henry Building, 

Suite 1600, 601 D Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20530. 

Dated: May 7, 2007. 

Lynn Bryant, 

Department Clearance Officer, United States 

Department of Justice. 

[FR Doc. E7–9146 Filed 5–10–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4410–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Office of Disability Employment Policy 

[SGA 07–09] 

National Technical Assistance Center 

on Transition and Employment for 

Youth With Disabilities; Solicitation for 

Cooperative Agreement 

Announcement Type: New notice of 

Availability of Funds and Solicitation 

for Grant Application (SGA) for 

cooperative agreement. 

Funding Opportunity Number: SGA 

07–09. 

Catalogue of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720. 

DATES: Key Date: Applications must be 

received by June 25, 2007. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor 

(‘‘DOL’’ or ‘‘Department’’), Office of 

Disability Employment Policy 

(‘‘ODEP’’’), announces the availability of 

up to $1.7 million to fund a cooperative 

agreement to establish the National 

Technical Assistance Center on 

Transition and Employment for Youth 

with Disabilities with a 24-month 

period of performance. In addition, this 

initiative may be funded for up to three 

(3) additional option years at 

approximately $1,000,000 per year, 

depending on performance, identified 

need and the availability of future 

funding. 

Over the last 10 years, a number of 

federal and state efforts to improve 

access to transition planning and 

services to improve education, 

employment, and community living 

outcomes for youth with disabilities 

have emerged. As a result, there has 

been some improvement in indicators 

relevant to the successful transition of 

youth with disabilities, including 

increases in graduation rates, increases 

in enrollment in postsecondary 

education, and increases in the number 

of youth entering the workforce. While 

this progress is encouraging, education 

and employment outcomes for youth 

with disabilities continue to lag 

substantially behind that of their peers 

without disabilities. 

To address this situation, ODEP is 

funding a national technical assistance 

center to build capacity within and 

across both generic and disabilityspecific youth service delivery systems 

to help youth with disabilities 

successfully transition from high school 

to post-secondary education and/or 

employment in high-demand career 

areas. Effectively addressing the 

complex and significant barriers to 

employment faced by youth with 

disabilities transitioning into the adult 

world requires the use of multiple 

strategies and the active involvement of 

many stakeholders, including Federal, 

State and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and 

employers. 

This Center will conduct research, 

disseminate information, and provide 

technical assistance to a wide range of 

stakeholders on topics relevant to 

improving post-school outcomes for 

youth with disabilities including, but 

not limited to: 

• Effective practices, such as the 

emerging use of individual learning or 

graduation plans, for aligning and 

improving the education and workforce 

development systems to better meet 

employer demand; 

• Innovative service strategies which 

workforce development, and secondary 

and postsecondary programs and 

systems can utilize to better meet the 

needs of transitioning youth; 

• Professional development strategies 

for practitioners who work with youth; 

and 

• Effective models of multidisciplinary interagency collaboration 

and systems coordination needed to 

support youth in achieving positive 

post-school outcomes through 

comprehensive service delivery 

consistent with the Guideposts for 

Success, see http://www.dol.gov/odep/ 

categories/youth/. The Guideposts for 

Success serves as a conceptual 

framework on improving transition 

outcomes for youth with disabilities. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

1. Description and Purpose 

ODEP will award one cooperative 

agreement to establish a national 

technical assistance and research center. 

The center will: (1) Conduct research to 

identify, validate and document 

effective practices and policies; (2) 

disseminate information; (3) provide 

technical assistance; (4) encourage 

collaboration; and (5) work with states 

and localities on multiple strategies for 

improving the post-school outcomes or 

youth with disabilities. The overall 

purpose of this effort is to build the 

capacity of workforce development, 

economic development, and educational 

service delivery systems and their 

partners to work together strategically to 

ensure that youth with disabilities 

graduate from high school and enter 

employment and/or further postsecondary education and training with 

the skills needed to meet employer 

demand in the 21st century workplace, 

and to maximize their ability to be selfsufficient and to live independently. 

The Center’s research related 

activities will improve systems capacity 

to provide comprehensive transition 

services utilizing research-based 

strategies consistent with the 

Guideposts for Success. It must include, 

but is not limited to, the following 

activities: 

(a) Conducting an analysis of all states 

currently implementing individual 

learning/graduation planning strategies 

for all youth to identify practices and 

strategies that support positive 

outcomes or create barriers for youth 

with disabilities. 

(b) Identifying effective practices for 

coordinating education, career 

preparation, youth development and 

leadership, health, and other 

employment-related support services 

that improve transition outcomes for 

youth with disabilities. The Center must 

consult with other appropriate technical 

assistance providers within the 

Departments of Labor, Education, 

Health and Human Services, and other 

Federal agencies in this effort. 

(c) Assessing the impact of 

implementing a comprehensive 

professional development strategy on 

both the job retention of youth service 

practitioners and youth service 

outcomes. 

(d) The identification of curricula, 

instructional approaches, programs, and 

policies that are potentially effective for 

improving both the academic and 

functional workplace skills of 

adolescents and young adults with 

disabilities. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 26837 

The Center’s technical assistance and 

dissemination activities must include, 

but are not limited to, the following: 

• Assisting interested national, state 

and local entities in the creation of a 

professional development system for 

youth service practitioners; 

• Promoting youth-centered planning 

and youth development and leadership 

opportunities; 

• Producing reports and documents 

on trends, patterns, and legislation 

relating to secondary and postsecondary transition interventions, 

strategies, and supports and other 

pertinent topics as requested by ODEP; 

• Preparing and disseminating reports 

and documents in publications 

including peer-reviewed journals; 

• Providing information to educate 

relevant stakeholders, including state 

and local policymakers, educators, 

systems personnel, as well as youth and 

families, about changes in policy and 

practice needed in order to increase 

employment opportunities and wages 

for young people with disabilities; 

• Providing information to educate 

employers and the general public about 

the abilities of youth with disabilities to 

work in a wide variety of occupations 

and about the use of accommodations; 

• Providing technical assistance, 

training, and information that integrates 

evidence-based effective practices for 

improving transition results for young 

people with disabilities enrolled in 

Workforce Investment Act (WIA)- 

funded youth programs; 

• Providing technical assistance, 

training, and information to increase 

understanding by youth service 

providers about disability related 

employment issues such as health care, 

transportation, work incentive 

provisions, benefits planning, housing, 

etc.; 

• Providing technical assistance, 

training, and information to ODEP’s 

current and future grantees. This 

includes serving as a repository and 

dissemination center for the materials 

and effective practices developed by 

ODEP grantees; and 

• Creating and maintaining a userfriendly Web site with relevant 

information and documents in a form 

that meets a government or industryrecognized standard for accessibility. 

The Center’s collaboration activities 

must include, but are not limited to: 

• Promoting high quality interagency 

collaboration and service coordination 

between and among Federal, State, and 

local agencies with a focus on 

identifying, developing, and 

implementing interagency service 

strategies that effectively maximize 

available resources; and 

• Developing and maintaining 

relationships that encourage 

collaboration to foster integrated 

approaches to transition planning and 

services. Partners are not limited to, but 

may include the following entities: 

(1) State departments of Labor, 

Health, Education, Vocational 

Rehabilitation and Economic 

Development, Governors’ Committees 

on Employment of People with 

Disabilities, State Councils for 

Independent Living, Mental Health 

Agencies, Mental Retardation and 

Developmental Disability Councils, 

Temporary Assistance for Needy 

Families (TANF) Agencies; 

(2) Local WIA youth services 

providers, Job Corps representatives, 

foster care and juvenile justice agencies, 

public housing, health and 

transportation authorities, local OneStop centers, community and faithbased organizations, and disability 

organizations, such as Centers for 

Independent Living; 

(3) Employers and their professional 

networks such as Business Leadership 

Networks (BLNs), Chambers of 

Commerce, and other employer trade 

association; 

(4) National education and youth 

development and leadership 

organizations; 

(5) Federal agencies including the 

Departments of Education, 

Transportation and Health and Human 

Services, The Social Security 

Administration, The Corporation for 

National and Community Service and 

other agencies that work to improve 

access to public accommodations, 

commercial facilities, information 

technology, telecommunications 

services, and housing; and 

(6) Other Federal technical assistance 

projects that provide information about 

transition, postsecondary education, 

employment, and independent living 

issues for young people with 

disabilities. 

Additionally the Center will work to 

ensure that youth with disabilities are 

thoughtfully included in the emerging 

practice of individual learning/ 

graduation plans (ILPs) for all youth 

currently being implemented in at least 

20 states by: 

(1) Conducting research during its 

first 6 months to analyze existing 

policies and practices and the impact 

they have on youth with disabilities; 

(2) Providing targeted technical 

assistance including professional 

development support and training to a 

minimum of three (3) competitively 

selected states currently implementing 

individual learning/graduation planning 

strategies to ensure that the policies 

being developed and the practices being 

implemented are responsive to and 

inclusive of the needs of youth with 

disabilities; and 

(3) Spending at least 6 months 

conducting a follow up evaluation of the 

impact of the targeted technical 

assistance described above. A goal of the 

effort will be to document emerging 

effective practices and increase the 

capacity of other localities 

implementing ILPs. 

A minimum of $600,000 is to be spent 

on the above three components of the 

work plan relating to individual 

learning/graduation plans. Staff time 

and project resources dedicated to 

provide technical assistance to ODEPspecified states will be negotiated with 

ODEP as part of the cooperative 

agreement within thirty (30) days of the 

date of the award. 

The remainder of the funding that is 

provided is to be spent on carrying out 

the general technical assistance 

functions described previously. 

2. Background 

The Office of Disability Employment 

Policy (ODEP) provides national 

leadership by developing and 

influencing disability-related 

employment policies and practices. A 

five-year strategic plan guides ODEP in 

achieving its mission by identifying 

long-term strategic and outcome goals as 

well as shorter-term intermediate and 

performance goals. In addition to 

measuring agency performance, as 

required by the Government 

Performance and Results Act (GPRA), 

the strategic plan sets forth a road map 

for prioritizing the formulation and 

dissemination of innovative 

employment policies and practices to 

service delivery systems and employers. 

ODEP’s annual goal is to build 

knowledge and advance disability 

employment policy that affects and 

promotes systems change. The agency’s 

long- and short-term goals focus efforts 

on initiatives that bring about this level 

of change. In short, ODEP develops 

policies and strategies that will: 

• Enhance the capacity of service 

delivery systems to provide appropriate 

and effective services and supports to 

youth and adults with disabilities; 

• Increase planning and coordination 

within service delivery systems to 

develop and improve systems, 

processes, and services; 

• Improve individualization of 

services to better assist youth and adults 

with disabilities in seeking, obtaining, 

and retaining employment or selfemployment; 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
26838 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 

• Increase employer access to 

supports and services to meet their 

employment needs; 

• Increase the quality of competencybased training for service delivery 

systems; 

• Increase the adoption of universal 

strategies for service provision; and 

• Develop partnerships with and 

among critical stakeholders to 

effectively leverage available resources 

and facilitate implementation of 

practices and policies that increase 

employment and self-employment 

opportunities and the recruitment, 

retention, and promotion of youth and 

adults with disabilities. 

Three measures inform ODEP of its 

annual progress in meeting its three 

goals under the Government 

Performance and Results Act: (1) The 

number of policy-related documents; (2) 

the number of formal agreements; and 

(3) the number of effective practices. 

These performance results support 

achievement of the following 

intermediate outcome goals: Accessible 

employment resources; coordinated 

programs, processes, and services; and 

adoption of effective practices. 

Achievement of these intermediate 

outcome goals, in turn, supports 

achievement of the long-term service 

delivery systems outcome goals, which 

are marked by increases in these areas: 

Capacity of service delivery systems; 

planning and coordination within 

service delivery systems; and employer 

access to supports and services for 

recruitment, retention, and promotion. 

On February 1, 2001, in announcing 

the New Freedom Initiative (NFI), 

President George W. Bush explicitly 

recognized that in today’s global 

economy America must be able to draw 

on the talents and creativity of all its 

citizens and that people with 

disabilities represent valuable largely 

untapped human capital. The NFI 

represents an important step towards 

ensuring that all Americans have the 

opportunity to learn and develop skills, 

engage in productive work, and choose 

where to live and participate in 

community life. 

Developing the talents, skills and 

capabilities of the workforce has always 

played an important part in our nation’s 

economic strength. This is even more 

critical today because America is 

transitioning to a knowledge-based 

economy that places a premium on 

higher skills and education. Millions of 

new jobs have been created in industries 

that did not even exist a generation ago. 

In addition, two-thirds of the estimated 

18 million new jobs that will be created 

over the next 10 years will be in 

occupations that require some kind of 

post-secondary education. Therefore, it 

is more imperative now than at any time 

ever before that young Americans, 

including those with disabilities, stay in 

school, get a high school diploma or 

GED, and have some kind of education 

and job training beyond high school. 

The nature of what employers 

demand in the workplace of the 21st 

century is also changing. High school 

and college graduates must not only 

master basic academic skills, but in 

addition must master more advanced 

‘‘applied skills’’ such as teamwork, 

critical thinking, and communication. 

According, however, to a recent survey 

of 461 employers conducted by the 

Conference Board, Corporate Voices for 

Working Families, the Partnership for 

21st Century Skills, and the Society for 

Human Resources many new entrants to 

the workforce lack these important 

skills. These business leaders reported 

that while the three ‘‘R’s’’ are still 

fundamental to every employee’s ability 

to do the job, knowledge of applied 

skills is even more important. (Are They 

Really Ready to Work? Employers’

Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge 

and Applied Skills of New Entrants to 

the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (2006)). 

The need to improve education and 

employment outcomes of youth with 

disabilities has been recognized as a 

national priority over the past several 

years. The No Child Left Behind Act 

(NCLB), which was signed into law by 

President Bush in 2002, ushered in 

sweeping changes in the American 

educational system as it relates to 

students with disabilities because it 

requires that schools be held 

accountable for their educational 

progress to the same extent they are 

held accountable for the educational 

results of students without disabilities. 

Further, when the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act was 

reauthorized in 2004, it recognized the 

increasingly important relationship 

between education and employment. 

Thus, the transition planning 

requirements were expanded to include 

measurable postsecondary goals related 

to training, education, employment, 

and, where appropriate, independent 

living skills. 

In addition, The White House Task 

Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth 

(December 2003), recommended that an 

interagency group be created to help 

facilitate interagency collaboration at 

the state and local levels for federally 

funded youth programs to develop 

innovative approaches, enhance the 

quality of services delivered, improve 

cost-effectiveness, and improve 

outcomes for the neediest youth. Over 

the past several years, in response to the 

Task Force Report, the Department of 

Labor has been collaborating with 

multiple Federal agencies to implement 

a coordinated shared Federal Youth 

Vision to more effectively and 

efficiently serve out-of-school and atrisk youth. The Shared Youth Vision 

Federal Partnership explicitly 

recognizes that youth with disabilities, 

along with high school drop-outs and 

those at risk of dropping out, courtinvolved youth or those at risk of 

involvement, youth in or aging out of 

foster care, children of incarcerated 

parents, and migrant, American Indian 

and Alaska Native youth, are included 

among our nation’s neediest youth. In 

addition, the Vision partnership 

recognizes that these youth are an 

important part of the ‘‘supply pipeline’’

needed to fill job vacancies in the 

knowledge-based economy. 

ODEP has also funded several systems 

change efforts which have focused on 

improving transition outcomes for youth 

with disabilities using the Guideposts 

for Success as a conceptual framework. 

The Guideposts, which include schoolbased preparatory experiences, career 

preparation and work-based learning 

experiences, youth development and 

leadership, connecting activities, and 

family involvement and supports, 

reflect key educational and career 

development interventions that research 

has indicated can make a positive 

difference in the lives of all youth, 

including youth with disabilities. 

Federal and state efforts to improve 

transition policies and practices for 

youth with disabilities over the past 

decade have resulted in some positive 

gains including increases in graduation 

rates, enrollment in postsecondary 

education, and in the number of youth 

entering the workforce (Office of Special 

Education Programs, Data Analysis 

System (DANS); Newman, 2005; Cameto 

and Levine, 2005). For example, 

national data indicate that there has 

been some improvement in the overall 

graduation rate of students with 

disabilities in the United States. 

Between the 1995–1996 and 1999–2000 

school years, the percentage of youth 

with disabilities graduating with regular 

diplomas, as reported by states, grew 

from 52.6% to 56.2%. During the same 

period, the percentage of students with 

disabilities reported as having dropped 

out of school declined from 34.1% to 

29.4% (U.S. Department of Education, 

2002). 

Nonetheless, significant challenges 

remain. National studies and reports 

have shown that, compared to their nondisabled peers, students with 

disabilities are less likely to receive a 

regular high school diploma; drop out 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 26839 

twice as often; and enroll in and 

complete postsecondary education 

programs at half the rate. 

According to recent reports from the 

National Longitudinal Transition 

Study–2 (NLTS–2) (2005) (see http:// 

www.nlts2.org/) (Wagner, Marder, et al., 

2003; Wagner, Newman, et al., 2005), a 

study of a nationally representative 

sample of adolescents with disabilities, 

students’ grade-level equivalent 

performance on standardized 

achievement tests was on average 3.6 

years behind grade level in reading and 

mathematics. Among those individuals 

who were no longer in school, about 28 

percent had dropped out prior to 

receiving a diploma, a rate nearly twice 

that of their peers without disabilities. 

In the first years after high school, 

individuals with disabilities were much 

less likely to attend postsecondary 

education than were individuals 

without disabilities. In addition, about 

21 percent of youth with disabilities 

were not engaged in their community 

either through postsecondary education, 

job training, or work in the first years 

after high school. 

In addition, up to two years after 

leaving high school, about 4 in 10 youth 

with disabilities are employed as 

compared to 6 in 10 same-age, out-ofschool youth in the general population. 

(National Center for Education 

Statistics, 2000; NLTS–2) In addition, 

youth with disabilities are four times 

more likely to become involved in the 

juvenile justice system. (National 

Collaborative on Workforce and 

Disability for Youth, 2005) 

According to the NLTS–2, 

employment rates vary considerably 

across disability categories for students 

with disabilities who were enrolled in 

special education. Youth with learning 

disabilities, emotional disturbances, 

other health impairments, or speech 

impairments are the most likely to be 

employed in a 1-year period (50% to 

60%). In contrast, 15% of youth with 

autism, approximately one-fourth of 

youth with multiple disabilities, deafblindness, or orthopedic impairments, 

and about one-third of youth with 

mental retardation or visual 

impairments are employed in a 1-year 

period. Moreover, the 2000 Census 

revealed that the overall employment 

rate of Americans with disabilities of 

working age in 2000 was only around 56 

percent, a number which is far below 

the national average. 

The impending changes in our 

economy in conjunction with the 

aforementioned data on high school and 

college graduation rates underscore the 

need for our nation to continue to direct 

resources to address the complex and 

significant barriers to employment many 

youth with disabilities face in 

transitioning into the adult world. The 

research and technical assistance effort 

proposed herein will support this effort 

by increasing the capacity of multiple 

youth service delivery systems by 

expanding the knowledge base of 

existing effective practices for 

improving transition outcomes; 

identifying, investigating and validating 

models that promote systems change; 

and providing proactive support, 

training, and dissemination of other 

relevant useful information. 

The technical assistance to be 

provided will build upon ODEP’s prior 

research and technical assistance efforts 

which focused on promoting increased 

understanding that: 

• Addressing the transition needs of 

youth with disabilities requires 

meaningful collaboration and 

coordination; 

• Providing effective services to 

youth with disabilities in the context of 

general youth service delivery is not 

difficult because, as articulated in the 

Guideposts for Success, the vast 

majority of what they need, are the same 

things all youth need; and 

• Providing effective transition 

services for all youth, which support 

positive youth development, requires 

viewing what youth need holistically. 

The research and technical assistance 

also found that: 

• Generic service providers may 

unknowingly already be serving 

significant numbers of youth with 

disabilities as they are overrepresented 

in all at-risk groups; and 

• Generic youth serving delivery 

systems, such as programs supported by 

the WIA, bear a part of the 

responsibility of serving transitioning 

youth with disabilities. 

3. Definitions 

Definitions for purposes of this 

solicitation include: 

• Youth with disabilities: Refers to 

individuals with disabilities who are 

ages 14 to 24. 

• Individual Graduation/Learning 

Plan: Refers to a plan that emphasizes 

academic and career development for all 

students as early as middle school and 

continues throughout high school. The 

plans, currently being implemented by 

many states, assist students in setting 

post-secondary education and 

employment goals based on their 

academic, career, and personal interests, 

as well as their strengths and 

weaknesses. 

II. Award Information 

Estimated Available Funds: The full 

$1,700,000 for the initial 24 month 

period of performance will be awarded 

in 2007. 

Period of Performance: 24 months 

from date of award with up to three (3) 

additional option years at 

approximately $1,000,000 per year, 

depending on performance, identified 

need, and the availability of future 

funding. 

The U.S. Department of Labor (‘‘DOL’’

or ‘‘Department’’), Office of Disability 

Employment Policy (‘‘ODEP’’), 

announces the availability of up to 

$1,700,000 to fund a national technical 

assistance and research cooperative 

agreement. 

Note: Selection of an organization as a 

Grantee does not constitute approval of the 

grant application as submitted. Before the 

actual grant is awarded, DOL may enter into 

negotiations about such items as program 

components, staffing and funding levels, and 

administrative systems in place to support 

grant implementation. If the negotiations do 

not result in a mutually acceptable 

submission, the Grant Officer reserves the 

right to terminate the negotiation and decline 

to fund the application. 

Because ODEP plans to make this 

award in the form of a cooperative 

agreement, DOL will have substantial 

involvement in the administration of the 

agreement. Such DOL involvement will 

consist of: 

(1) Approval of any sub-contract 

awarded by the grantee after the grant 

award; 

(2) Participation in site visits to 

project areas; 

(3) Providing advice and consultation 

to the Grantee on specific program 

criteria; 

(4) Providing the Grantee(s) with 

technical and programmatic support, 

including training in DOL monitoring 

and evaluation systems, and standard 

procedures regarding DOL management 

of cooperative agreements; 

(5) Reviewing, at reasonable times, all 

documents pertaining to the project, 

including status and technical progress 

reports, and financial reports. ODEP 

will provide the format for the reports; 

(6) Discussing administrative and 

technical issues pertaining to the 

project; 

(7) Approving all key personnel 

decisions, and sub-contractors or subawardees; 

(8) Approving all fact sheets, training 

materials, press releases and publicityrelated materials regarding the project; 

(9) Approving all content for online 

resources developed through project 

activities, including clearing concepts 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
26840 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 

1 In this context, the term direct financial 

assistance means financial assistance that is 

provided directly by a government entity or an 

intermediate organization, as opposed to financial 

assistance that an organization receives as the result 

of the genuine and independent private choice of 

a beneficiary. In other contexts, the term ‘‘direct’’

financial assistance may be used to refer to financial 

assistance that an organization receives directly 

from the Federal government (also known as 

‘‘discretionary’’ assistance), as opposed to 

assistance that it receives from a State or local 

government (also known as ‘‘indirect’’ or ‘‘block’’

grant assistance). The term ‘‘direct’’’ has the former 

meaning throughout this SGA. 

for material production and final 

document production; and 

(10) Drafting terms of reference for, 

and participating in project evaluations. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible applicants are consortia made 

up of a minimum of three (3) entities 

which may include a combination of 

any of the following: Public/private 

non-profits or for-profit organizations 

including faith-based organizations, and 

universities and colleges, with 

demonstrated appropriate experience 

and expertise in conducting research 

and providing technical assistance 

about issues important to increasing 

employment opportunities for people 

with disabilities. The expertise required 

should include, but not be limited to: 

Education and career planning for 

transitioning youth, including those 

with mental health needs; 

comprehensive transition services 

delivery; strategies for meeting 

employer demand and for systems 

change, professional development 

strategies for youth service providers; 

and personal assistance, transportation, 

health and other related employment 

support services. There must be a prime 

or lead member of the consortium who 

is responsible for overall grant 

management and serves as the fiscal 

agent. All applications must clearly 

identify the lead grant recipient and 

fiscal agent, as well as all other 

members of the consortium applying for 

the grant. In addition, the application 

must identify the relationship between 

all of the members of the consortium. 

According to section 18 of the 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an 

organization, as described in section 

501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code 

of 1986, that engages in lobbying 

activities will not be eligible for the 

receipt of Federal funds constituting an 

award, grant, or loan. See 2 U.S.C. 1611; 

26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). Funding restrictions 

apply. See Section IV(5). 

2. Cost Sharing 

Cost sharing, matching funds, and 

cost participation are not required under 

this SGA. However, leveraging of public 

and private resources to foster inclusive 

service delivery and achieve project 

sustainability is highly encouraged and 

included under evaluation criteria. See 

V(1)(b)(9). 

3. Other Eligibility Requirements 

Legal rules pertaining to inherently 

religious activities by organizations that 

receive Federal Financial Assistance: 

• Neutral, non-religious criteria that 

neither favor nor disfavor religion will 

be employed in the selection of grant 

recipients and must be employed by 

grantees or in the selection of subawardees. 

• The government is generally 

prohibited from providing direct 

financial assistance for inherently 

religious activities.1

In addition, no organization or 

individual investigator/program director 

may submit more than two separate 

applications. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Addresses To Request Application 

Package 

This SGA contains all the information 

and forms needed to apply for this grant 

funding. Application announcements or 

forms will not be mailed. The Federal 

Register may be obtained from your 

nearest government office or library. In 

addition, a copy of this notice and the 

application requirements may be 

downloaded from ODEP’s Web site at 

http://www.dol.gov/odep and at http:// 

www.grants.gov. If additional copies of 

the standard forms are needed, they can 

also be downloaded from: http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/ 

grants_forms.html. All mailed 

applications must be addressed to: 

Department of Labor, Procurement 

Services Center, Attention: Cassandra 

Mitchell, Reference SGA 07–09, 200 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S–

4307, Washington, DC 20210, Phone 

Number: (202) 693–4570 (this is not a 

toll-free number). Applicants are 

encouraged to apply online at http:// 

www.grants.gov. Applicants submitting 

proposals online are requested to refrain 

from mailing a hard copy application as 

well. It is strongly recommended that 

applicants using http://www.grants.gov 

immediately initiate and complete the 

‘‘Get Started’’ registration steps at 

http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. 

These steps may take multiple days to 

complete, and this time should be 

factored into plans for electronic 

submission in order to avoid facing 

unexpected delays that could result in 

the rejection of an application. If 

submitting electronically through 

http://www.grants.gov it would be 

appreciated if the application submitted 

is saved as .doc, .pdf, or .txt files. Except 

as provided in Section IV.3., any 

application received after the deadline 

(hard copy or electronic) will be 

considered as non-responsive and will 

not be evaluated. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

General Requirements: Applicants 

must submit one (1) paper copy with an 

original signature, and two (2) 

additional paper copies of the signed 

proposal. To aid with the review of 

applications, DOL also requires 

applicants to submit an electronic copy 

of their proposal’s Sections II (Executive 

Summary) and III (Project Narrative) on 

disc or compact disc (CD) using 

Microsoft Word. The application (not to 

exceed 25 pages for Section III), must be 

double-spaced with standard one-inch 

margins (top, bottom, and sides) on 81⁄2

× 11-inch paper, and must be presented 

on single-sided and numbered pages. A 

font size of at least twelve (12) pitch is 

required throughout. All text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, and 

captions must be double-spaced (no 

more than three lines per vertical inch); 

and, if using a proportional computer 

font, must be in at least a 12-point font, 

and must have an average character 

density no greater than 18 characters per 

inch (if using a non-proportional font or 

a typewriter, must not be more than 12 

characters per inch). Applications that 

fail to meet these requirements will be 

considered non-responsive. 

Cooperative Agreement Mandatory 

Application Requirements 

The three required sections of the 

application are titled below and 

described thereafter: 

Section I—Project Financial Plan (No page 

limit). 

Section II—Executive Summary—Project 

Synopsis (Not to exceed two (2) pages). 

Section III—Project Narrative (Not to 

exceed 25 pages). 

The mandatory requirements for each 

section are set forth below. Applications 

that fail to meet the stated mandatory 

requirements for each section will be 

considered non-responsive. 

Section I. Project Financial Plan 

(Budget): The Project Financial Plan 

will not count against the application 

page limits. Section I of the application 

must include the following: 

(1) Completed ‘‘SF–424—Application 

for Federal Assistance.’’ 

Please note that, beginning October 1, 

2003, all applicants for Federal grant 


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and funding opportunities are required 

to include a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) 

number with their application. See 

OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 

FR 38402 (June 27, 2003). The DUNS 

number is a nine-digit identification 

number that uniquely identifies 

business entities. There is no charge for 

obtaining a DUNS number (although it 

may take 14–30 days). To obtain a 

DUNS number, access the following 

Web site: http:// 

www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 

1–866–705–5711. Requests for 

exemption from the DUNS number 

requirement must be made to OMB. The 

Dun and Bradstreet Number of the 

applicant should be entered in the 

‘‘Organizational Unit’’ section of block 5 

of the SF–424. (See Appendix A of this 

SGA for required form.) 

(2) The SF–424 must contain the 

original signatures of the legal entity 

applying for cooperative agreement 

funding and two additional copies of 

the signed SF–424. The individual 

signing the SF–424 on behalf of the 

applicant must represent and be able to 

legally bind the responsible financial 

and administrative entity for a 

cooperative agreement should that 

application result in an award. 

Applicants shall indicate on the SF–424 

the organization’s Internal Revenue 

Service (IRS) status (e.g. 501(c)(3) 

organization), if applicable. 

(3) Completed SF–424 A—Budget 

Information Form by line item for all 

costs required to implement the project 

design effectively. (See Appendix B of 

this SGA for required forms.) 

(4) DOL Budget Narrative and 

Justification that provides sufficient 

information to support the 

reasonableness of the costs included in 

the budget in relation to the service 

strategy and planned outcomes, 

including continuous improvement 

activities. 

The DOL Budget Narrative and 

Justification must describe all costs 

associated with implementing the 

project that are to be covered with 

cooperative agreement funds. The 

budget must support the travel and 

associated costs of sending 

representatives to both a post-award 

conference and periodic meetings with 

ODEP staff in Washington, DC (at least 

once per quarter), at a time and place to 

be determined. In addition to other 

administrative requirements identified 

in section VI(2) of this SGA, the 

applicant must comply with the 

‘‘Uniform Administrative Requirements 

for Grants and Cooperative Agreements 

to State and Local Governments’’ (also 

known as OMB Circular A–102), 

codified at 29 CFR part 97, or ‘‘Grants 

and Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 

Non-Profit Organizations’’ (also known 

as the ‘‘Common Rule’’’ or OMB 

Circular A–110), codified at 2 CFR part 

215 and 29 CFR part 95. 

In addition, the budget submitted for 

review by DOL must include, on a 

separate page, a detailed cost analysis of 

each line item. The costs listed in the 

detailed cost analysis must comply with 

the applicable OMB cost principles 

circulars, as identified in 29 CFR 95.27 

and 29 CFR 97.22(b). Justification for 

administrative costs must be provided. 

Approval of a budget by DOL is not the 

same as the approval of actual costs. 

The applicant must also include the 

Assurances and Certifications Signature 

Page (Appendix C) and the Survey on 

Ensuring Equal Opportunity for 

Applicants (Appendix D). 

Section II. Executive Summary—

Project Synopsis: The Executive 

Summary is limited to no more than two 

single-spaced, single-sided pages on 81⁄2

× 11-inch paper with standard margins 

throughout. The project synopsis must 

identify the following: 

(1) The lead entity; 

(2) The list of consortium members, as 

appropriate; and 

(3) An overview of how the applicant 

will carry out the technical assistance 

and research activities described in 

Section 1 of this solicitation. 

Section III. Project Narrative: The 

DOL Cooperative Agreement Project 

Narrative is limited to no more than 

twenty-five (25), 81⁄2 ′′ × ′′ 11 pages, 

double-spaced with standard one-inch 

margins (top, bottom, and sides), and 

must be presented on single-sided, 

numbered pages. 

Note: Any Appendices, including letters of 

cooperation and resumes are not included in 

this twenty-five-page limit. 

Applications must include a Project 

Narrative that addresses the work 

proposed to be accomplished under the 

cooperative agreement, and the 

evaluation/selection criteria in Part V(1) 

that will be used by reviewers in 

evaluating the application. 

Applicants must limit Section III to 

the equivalent of not more than 25 pages 

using the following standard. This page 

limit does not apply to Section I, the 

Project Financial Plan (Budget), Section 

II, the Executive Summary and the 

Appendices (the assurances and 

certifications, resumes, a bibliography 

or references, and the documentation of 

commitment/formal agreement/letters of 

support and other materials relevant to 

the application). A page is 81⁄2 ′′ × 11′′ 

(on one side only) with one-inch 

margins (top, bottom, and sides). All 

text in the application narrative, 

including titles, headings, footnotes, 

quotations, and captions must be 

double-spaced (no more than three lines 

per vertical inch); and, if using a 

proportional computer font, use no 

smaller than a 12-point font, and an 

average character density no greater 

than 18 characters per inch (if using a 

non-proportional font or a typewriter, 

do not use more than 12 characters per 

inch). 

The successful applicant will be a 

Technical Assistance and Research 

Consortium and will describe in their 

Project Narrative their innovative and 

comprehensive plan for accomplishing 

the technical assistance and research 

activities described in Part I(1), 

Description and Purpose, and Part I(2) 

Background. 

The Project Narrative must: 

(1) Identify members of the 

consortium (including the lead entity, a 

minimum of 3 consortium members is 

required) and provide documentation 

(such as letters of intent and 

memorandum of agreement which will 

be included in an Appendix) of a formal 

agreement of participation; 

(2) Demonstrate each of the 

consortium members’ relevant 

experience and expertise; and 

(3) Identify how the applicant 

proposes to disseminate research 

findings and technical assistance 

products. 

Each Project Narrative must include: 

(1) A detailed 24 month management 

plan for project goals, objectives, and 

activities; 

(2) A detailed 24 month timeline for 

project activities, including producing 

and submitting a final report; 

(3) A detailed outline for an 

evaluation of the project (see Section 

V(1)(F) for more information); 

(4) A description of procedures and 

approaches that will be used to provide 

ongoing communication, collaboration 

with, and input from ODEP’s Project 

Officer on all grant-related activities. 

(5) A detailed description of how the 

consortia will work with multiple 

Federal, State and local public and 

private entities to implement policy 

recommendations and strategies 

identified in carrying out project 

activities; and 

(6) A detailed description of measures 

that will be taken to ensure that 

elements of the project’s technical 

assistance model will be sustained 

following the completion of project 

activities. 

The Project Narrative must describe 

the proposed staffing for the project and 

must identify and summarize the 

qualifications of the personnel who will 


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carry it out. In addition, the evaluation 

criteria listed in Section V(1)(c) include 

consideration of the qualifications, 

including relevant education, training 

and experience of key project personnel, 

as well as the qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

Resumes must be included in the 

appendices. Key personnel include: 

Principle Investigator, Project Director, 

Project Coordinator, Project Manager, 

Research Analyst, and any other 

individual playing a substantial role in 

the project. Minimum qualifications 

should be commensurate with the role 

identified in the application. In 

addition, the applicant must specify in 

the application, the percentages of time 

to be dedicated by each key person on 

the project. 

For each staff person named in the 

application, please provide 

documentation of all internal and 

external time commitments. In instances 

where a staff person is committed on a 

federally supported project, please 

provide the project name, Federal office, 

program title, the project Federal award 

number, and the amount of committed 

time by each project year. This 

information (e.g., Staff: Jane Doe; Project 

Name: Succeeding in the General 

Curriculum; Federal office: Office of 

Special Education Programs; Program 

title: Field Initiated Research; Award 

number: H324C980624; Time 

commitments: Year 1–30%; Year 2–25% 

and Year 3–40%) can be provided as an 

appendix to the application. 

In general, ODEP will not reduce time 

commitments on currently funded 

grants from the time proposed in the 

original application. Therefore, we will 

not consider for funding any application 

where key staff are bid above a time 

commitment level that staff have 

available to bid. Further, the time 

commitments stated in newly submitted 

applications will not be negotiated 

down to permit the applicant to receive 

a new grant award. 

The Project Narrative should also 

describe how the applicant plans to 

comply with the employment 

discrimination and equal employment 

opportunity requirements of the various 

laws listed in the assurances section. 

3. Submission Dates, Times and 

Addresses 

Applications will be accepted 

commencing May 11, 2007. The closing 

date for receipt of applications by DOL 

under this announcement is June 25, 

2007. 

Applications, including those handdelivered, must be received by 4:45 p.m. 

(EST) on the closing date at the address 

specified below. No exceptions to the 

mailing and hand-delivery conditions 

set forth in this notice will be granted. 

Applications that do not meet the 

conditions set forth in this notice will 

be considered non-responsive. 

Applications must be mailed or handdelivered to: U.S. Department of Labor, 

Procurement Services Center, Attention: 

Cassandra Mitchell, Reference SGA 07–

09, Room S–4307, 200 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. 

Applications sent by e-mail or 

telefascimile (FAX) will not be 

accepted. 

Hand-Delivered Proposals: It is 

preferred that applications be mailed at 

least five (5) days prior to the closing 

date to ensure timely receipt. Handdelivered applications will be 

considered for funding, but must be 

received by the above specified date and 

time. Overnight or express delivery from 

carriers other than the U.S. Postal 

Service will be considered handdelivered applications. Failure to adhere 

to the above instructions will serve as a 

basis for a determination of nonresponsiveness. 

Applicants are advised that mail in 

the Washington DC. area may be 

delayed due to mail decontamination 

procedures and may wish to take this 

information into consideration when 

preparing to meet the application 

deadline. 

Late Applications: Any application 

received by the designated office after 

the exact date and time specified will be 

considered non-responsive, unless it is 

received before awards are made and it: 

(a) Is determined that its late receipt was 

caused by DOL error after timely 

delivery to the Department of Labor; (b) 

was sent by U.S. Postal Service 

registered or certified mail not later than 

the fifth calendar day before the date 

specified for receipt of applications 

(e.g., an application submitted in 

response to a solicitation requiring 

receipt of applications by the 20th of the 

month must have been postmarked by 

the 15th of that month); or (c) was sent 

by the U.S. Postal Service Express Mail 

Next Day Service to addressee not later 

than 5 p.m. at the place of mailing two 

(2) working days prior to the date 

specified for receipt of applications. The 

term ‘‘working days’’ excludes 

weekends and Federal holidays. 

‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, 

stamped, or otherwise placed 

impression (exclusive of a postage meter 

machine impression) that is readily 

identifiable without further action as 

having been supplied or affixed on the 

date of mailing by an employee of the 

U.S. Postal Service. 

Withdrawal of Applications: An 

application that is timely submitted may 

be withdrawn by written notice or 

telegram (including mailgram) at any 

time before an award is made. 

Applications may be withdrawn in 

person by the applicant or by an 

authorized representative thereof, if the 

representative’s identity is made known 

and the representative signs a receipt for 

the proposal. 

4. Intergovernmental Review 

This funding opportunity is not 

subject to Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’

5. Funding Restrictions 

(a) Funding Levels: The total funding 

available for this solicitation is 

$1,700,000. The Department of Labor 

reserves the right to negotiate the 

amounts to be awarded under this 

competition. Please be advised that 

requests exceeding the maximum stated 

amount will be considered nonresponsive. Additionally, there will be 

no reimbursement of pre-award costs. 

(b) Period of Performance: The period 

of performance will be for 24 months 

from the date of the award unless 

modified. It is expected that the 

successful applicant will begin program 

operations under this solicitation 

immediately upon receiving the ‘‘Notice 

of Award.’’

(c) Option Year Funding: Up to three 

(3) additional option years may be 

available at approximately $1,000,000 

per year, depending on performance, 

identified need and the availability of 

future funding. 

(d) Indirect Charges: If indirect 

charges are claimed in the proposed 

budget, the recipient must provide on a 

separate sheet, the following 

information: 

(1) Name and address of cognizant 

Federal audit agency; 

(2) Name, address and phone number 

(including area code) of the Government 

auditor; 

(3) Documentation from the cognizant 

agency indicating: 

(a) Current indirect cost rate and the 

base against which the rate should be 

applied; 

(b) Effective period (dates) for the rate; 

and 

(c) Date last rate was computed and 

negotiated. 

(4) If no government audit agency 

computed and authorized the rate 

claimed, a proposed rate with 

justification may be submitted 

providing a brief explanation of 

computation, who computed the rate 

and the date of the computation. 


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Successful applicants will be required 

to negotiate an acceptable and allowable 

rate within 90 days of grant award with 

the appropriate DOL Regional Office of 

Cost Determination or with the 

applicant’s cognizant agency for indirect 

cost rates (See Office of Management 

and Budget Web site at http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/ 

attach.html). The recipient shall call the 

Office of Cost Determination at 202–

693–4100 for the initial contact. 

However, applications claiming an 

indirect cost rate greater than 15% will 

not be considered. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Evaluation Criteria 

A technical panel will review grant 

applications against the criteria listed 

below, on the basis of the maximum 

points indicated. 

(a) Significance of the Proposed 

Project (10 points) 

In determining the significance of the 

proposed research, the Department will 

consider the following factors: 

1. The potential contribution of the 

proposed project to increase knowledge 

or understanding of problems, issues, or 

effective strategies for providing 

comprehensive transition services and 

supports to youth with disabilities; 

2. The likelihood that the proposed 

project will result in systems change or 

improvement; 

3. The extent to which the proposed 

project is likely to build capacity to 

provide, improve, or expand services 

that address the needs of the target 

population as they relate to 

employment; 

4. The likely utility of the products 

(such as information, materials, 

processes, or techniques) that will result 

from the proposed project, including the 

potential for their being used effectively 

in a variety of other settings; 

5. The importance or magnitude of the 

results or outcomes likely to be attained 

by the proposed project; and 

6. The extent to which the proposed 

project builds upon prior work done by 

ODEP and its partners around youth in 

transition, including the Guideposts for 

Success and related policies and 

practices. 

(b) Project Design (25 points) 

In evaluating the quality of the 

proposed project design, the Department 

will consider the following factors: 

1. The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable; 

2. The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project includes a highquality review of the relevant literature, 

a high-quality plan for project 

implementation, and the use of 

appropriate methodological tools to 

ensure successful achievement of 

project objectives; 

3. The extent to which the proposed 

project will effectively contribute to 

increased knowledge and understanding 

by building upon current theory, 

research, and effective practices; 

4. The extent to which the proposed 

project will be coordinated with similar 

or related Federal technical assistance, 

research, training, and information 

efforts; 

5. The extent to which the proposed 

project encourages involvement of 

youth with disabilities and their 

families, relevant experts, and 

organizations; 

6. The extent to which performance 

feedback and continuous improvement 

are integral to the design of the 

proposed project; 

7. The extent to which the services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

appropriate to the needs of the intended 

recipients or beneficiaries of those 

services; 

8. The adequacy of the documentation 

submitted in support of the proposed 

project to demonstrate the commitment 

of each entity or individual included in 

project implementation; 

9. The extent to which the proposed 

project leverages other public and 

private resources to foster inclusive 

service delivery and sustainability and 

provides other concrete evidence of 

sustainability, including appropriate 

letters of support included in the 

appendices; and 

10. The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project includes a 

comprehensive strategy for providing 

technical assistance and conducting 

research to identify and evaluate 

systems models that effectively integrate 

services for students with disabilities 

into individual learning/graduation 

plans and ensure that they benefit from 

these plans to the same extent as their 

peers without disabilities. 

(c) Organizational Capacity and 

Quality of Key Personnel (25 points) 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the extent to which the applicant 

demonstrates organizational capacity 

and quality of key personnel to 

implement the proposed project, 

including: 

1. Demonstrated experience with 

similar projects providing technical 

assistance and conducting research 

relating to youth in transition; 

2. Qualifications and experience of 

the applicant’s key personnel and 

consultants; 

3. Commitment to developing and 

sustaining work across key stakeholders; 

4. Experience and commitment of any 

proposed consultants or subcontractors; 

and 

5. Appropriateness of the 

organization’s structure to carry out the 

project. 

(d) Budget and Resource Capacity (10 

points) 

In evaluating the capacity of the 

applicant to carry out the proposed 

project, ODEP will consider the 

following factors: 

1. The extent to which the budget is 

adequate to support the proposed 

project; and 

2. The extent to which the anticipated 

costs are reasonable in relation to the 

objectives, design, and potential 

significance of the proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the Management Plan 

(15 points) 

In evaluating the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, ODEP will consider the 

following factors: 

1. The extent to which the 

management plan for project 

implementation appears likely to 

achieve the objectives of the proposed 

project on time and within budget, and 

includes clearly defined staff 

responsibilities, time allocation to 

project activities, time lines, milestones 

for accomplishing project tasks, project 

deliverables and information on 

adequacy of other resources necessary 

for project implementation; 

2. The extent to which the 

management plan appears likely to 

result in sustainable activities beyond 

the period of direct Federal investment; 

3. The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services relating to the scope of work for 

the proposed project; and 

4. The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director 

and/or principal investigator and other 

key project personnel are appropriate 

and adequate to meet the objectives of 

the proposed project. 

(f). Quality of the Project Evaluation 

(15 points) 

In evaluating the quality of the 

project’s evaluation design, ODEP will 

consider the following factors: 

1. The extent to which the methods of 

evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, 

context, and outcomes of the proposed 

project; 

2. The extent to which the design of 

the evaluation includes the use of 

objective performance measures and 

methods that will clearly document the 

project’s intended outputs and 

outcomes and will produce measurable 

quantitative and qualitative data; 


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3. The extent to which the evaluation 

will provide Federal, State and local 

government entities with useful 

information about transition and 

systems change models suitable for 

replication or testing in other settings; 

and 

4. The extent to which the methods of 

evaluation provide measures that will 

inform ODEP’s annual performance 

goals and measures and ODEP’s longterm strategic goals. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

A technical review panel will 

objectively rate each complete 

application against the criteria 

described in this SGA. The panel 

recommendations to the Grant Officer, 

including any point scores, are advisory 

in nature. The Grant Officer may elect 

to award grants either with or without 

discussion with the applicant. In 

situations where no discussion occurs, 

an award will be based on the signed 

SF–424 form (see Appendix A), which 

constitutes a binding offer. 

The Grant Officer may consider the 

availability of funds and any 

information that is available and will 

make final award decisions based on 

what is most advantageous to the 

government, considering factors such as 

the advisory recommendations from the 

grant technical evaluation panel and the 

geographic distribution of Federally 

funded grants. 

3. Anticipated Announcement and 

Award Dates 

Announcement of this award is 

expected to occur within 30 days of 

award. The cooperative agreement will 

be awarded by no later than September 

28, 2007. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices 

The Notice of Award signed by the 

Grant Officer is the authorizing 

document and will be provided through 

postal mail and/or by electronic means 

to the authorized representative listed 

on the SF–424 Grant Application. 

Notice that an organization has been 

selected as a grant recipient does not 

constitute final approval of the grant 

application as submitted. Before the 

actual grant award, the Grant Officer 

and/or the Grant Officer’s Technical 

Representative may enter into 

negotiations concerning such items as 

program components, funding levels, 

and administrative systems. If the 

negotiations do not result in an 

acceptable submittal, the Grant Officer 

reserves the right to terminate the 

negotiation and decline to fund the 

proposal. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All grantees, including faith-based 

organizations, will be subject to 

applicable Federal laws (including 

provisions of appropriations law), 

regulations, and the applicable Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

Circulars. The grant awarded under this 

SGA will be subject to the following 

administrative standards and 

provisions, and requirements applicable 

to particular entities. The applicant 

must include assurances and 

certifications that it will comply with 

these laws in its grant application. The 

assurances and certifications are 

attached as Appendix C. 

a. Regulations 

29 CFR parts 31 and 32—

Nondiscrimination in Federally 

Assisted Programs of the Department of 

Labor (respectively, effectuation of Title 

VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964, and on 

the Basis of Handicap in Programs and 

Activities Receiving or Benefiting from 

Federal Financial Assistance). 

29 CFR part 35—Nondiscrimination 

on the Basis of Age in Programs or 

Activities receiving Federal Financial 

Assistance from the Department of 

Labor. 

29 CFR part 36—Nondiscrimination 

on the Basis of Sex in Education 

Programs or Activities Receiving 

Federal Financial Assistance. 

29 CFR part 93—New Restrictions on 

Lobbying. 

29 CFR part 95—Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals and Other 

Non-Profit Organizations, and with 

Commercial Organizations, Foreign 

Governments, Organizations Under the 

Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments 

and International Organizations. 

29 CFR part 96—Federal Standards 

for Audit of Federally Funded Grants, 

Contracts and Agreements. 

29 CFR part 97—Uniform 

Administrative Regulations for Grants to 

States, Local Governments or Tribes. 

29 CFR part 98—Federal Standards 

for Government wide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) and 

Government wide Requirements for 

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants). 

29 CFR part 99—Federal Standards 

for Audits of States, Local Governments, 

and Non-Profit Organizations. 

29 CFR part 2—General Participation 

in Department of Labor Programs by 

Faith-Based and Community 

Organizations; Equal Treatment of All 

Department of Labor Program 

Participants and Beneficiaries. 

Applicable cost principles under 

OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, A–122, or 

48 CFR part 31. 

b. Travel 

Any travel undertaken in performance 

of this cooperative agreement shall be 

subject to and in strict accordance with 

Federal travel regulations. 

c. Acknowledgement of DOL Funding 

Printed Materials: In all 

circumstances, the following shall be 

displayed on printed materials prepared 

by the grantee while in receipt of DOL 

grant funding: ‘‘Preparation of this item 

was funded by the United States 

Department of Labor under Grant No. 

[insert the appropriate Grant number].’’

All printed materials must also 

include the following notice: ‘‘This 

document does not necessarily reflect 

the views or policies of the U.S. 

Department of Labor, nor does mention 

of trade names, commercial products, or 

organizations imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.’’

Public reference to grant: When 

issuing statements, press releases, 

requests for proposals, bid solicitations, 

and other documents describing projects 

or programs funded in whole or in part 

with Federal money, all grantees 

receiving Federal funds must clearly 

state: 

• The percentage of the total costs of 

the program or project, which will be 

financed with Federal money; 

• The dollar amount of Federal 

financial assistance for the project or 

program; and 

• The percentage and dollar amount 

of the total costs of the project or 

program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources. 

Use of DOL and ODEP Logo: In 

consultation with DOL/ODEP, the 

Grantee must acknowledge DOL’s role 

as described. The DOL and/or ODEP 

logo may be applied to DOL-funded 

material prepared for world-wide 

distribution, including posters, videos, 

pamphlets, research documents, 

national survey results, impact 

evaluations, best practice reports, and 

other publications of global interest. The 

Grantee must consult with DOL on 

whether the logo may be used on any 

such items prior to final draft or final 

preparation for distribution. In no event 

shall the DOL and/or ODEP logo be 

placed on any item until DOL has given 

the grantee written permission to use 

the logo on the item. 

All documents must include the 

following notice: ‘‘This document does 

not necessarily reflect the views or 

policies of the U.S. Department of 

Labor, nor does mention of trade names, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 26845 

commercial products, or organizations 

imply endorsement by the U.S. 

Government.’’

d. Intellectual Property 

Please be advised that DOL will 

reserve a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 

irrevocable license to reproduce, 

publish, distribute, publicly display and 

perform, and create derivative works 

from, and to authorize others to use, for 

Federal Government purposes: 

(a) Any work developed under a 

grant, subgrant, or contract under a 

grant or subgrant; and 

(b) Any rights to which a grantee, 

subgrantee or a contractor purchases 

ownership with grant support. 

In addition, the grantee will agree to 

notify DOL of any pre-existing 

copyrighted materials it intends to 

incorporate into materials developed 

under the grant, and, prior to such 

incorporation, the grantee will agree 

that it will acquire, on behalf of DOL, 

any necessary licenses to allow DOL to 

exercise the rights described in the 

paragraph above. 

e. Approval of Key Personnel and 

Subcontractors 

The recipient shall notify the Grant 

Officer at least 14 calendar days in 

advance if any key personnel are to be 

removed or diverted from the 

cooperative agreement, shall supply 

written justification as part of this 

notice as to why these persons are to be 

removed or diverted, shall provide the 

names(s) of the proposed substitute or 

replacement, and shall include 

information on each new individual’s 

qualifications such as education and 

work experience. 

VII. Reporting and Monitoring 

ODEP is responsible for ensuring 

effective implementation of this 

cooperative agreement, in accordance 

with the provisions of this 

announcement and the terms of the 

cooperative agreement award document. 

Applicants should assume that ODEP 

staff will conduct on-site project 

reviews periodically. Reviews will focus 

on timely project implementation, 

performance in meeting the cooperative 

agreement’s objectives, tasks and 

responsibilities, expenditures of 

cooperative agreement funds on 

allowable activities, and administration 

of project activities. Projects may be 

subject to other additional reviews, at 

the discretion of the ODEP. 

The selected applicant must submit 

on a quarterly basis, beginning ninety 

(90) days from the award of the grant, 

financial and activity reports under this 

program as prescribed by OMB Circular 

A–110, codified at 2 CFR part 215 and 

29 CFR part 95. Specifically the 

following reports will be required: 

1. Quarterly report: The quarterly 

report is estimated to take five (5) hours 

to complete. The form for the quarterly 

report will be provided by ODEP. The 

Department will work with the grantee 

to help refine the requirements of the 

report, which, among other things, will 

include measures of ongoing analysis 

for continuous improvement. This 

report will be filed using an on-line 

reporting system. The form will be 

submitted within thirty (30) days of the 

close of the quarter. 

2. Standard Form 269, Financial 

Status Report Form: This form is to be 

completed and submitted on a quarterly 

basis using the on-line electronic 

reporting system unless ODEP provides 

different instructions. 

3. Final Project Report: The Final 

Project Report is to include an 

assessment of project performance and 

outcomes achieved. It is estimated that 

this report will take twenty (20) hours 

to complete. This report will be 

submitted in hard copy and on 

electronic disk using a format and 

following instructions, to be provided 

by ODEP. A draft of the final report is 

due to ODEP sixty (60) days before the 

end of the period of performance of the 

cooperative agreement. The final report 

is due to ODEP and the DOL Grants 

Office ten (10) days before the end of the 

period of performance of the 

cooperative agreement. 

The Department will arrange for an 

evaluation of the outcomes, impacts, 

accomplishments, and benefits of each 

funded project. The grantee must agree 

to cooperate with this evaluation and 

must make available records on all parts 

of project activity, including available 

data on service delivery models being 

studied, and provide access to 

personnel, as specified by the 

evaluator(s), under the direction of 

ODEP. This evaluation is separate from 

the ongoing evaluation for continuous 

improvement required of the grantee for 

project implementation. 

Technical assistance efforts will be 

coordinated with ODEP’s other 

technical assistance efforts, including, if 

applicable, ODEP’s National Center on 

Workforce and Disability for Youth 

(NCWD/Y). The Grantee must also agree 

to work with ODEP in its various 

technical assistance efforts in order to 

freely share with others what is learned 

about transitioning youth with 

disabilities. The grantee must agree to 

collaborate with other research 

institutes, centers, studies, and 

evaluations that are supported by the 

DOL and other relevant Federal 

agencies, as appropriate. Finally, the 

grantees must agree to actively utilize 

the programs sponsored by the ODEP, 

including the Job Accommodation 

Network (http://www.jan.wvu.edu), and 

the Employer Assistance and Recruiting 

Network (http://www.earnworks.com). 

The successful applicant will be 

required to prepare a strategic plan for 

achieving the goals of the cooperative 

agreement for the initial 24 month 

period of performance and submit it to 

ODEP within 45 days of award for 

approval. 

VIII. Agency Contacts 

Any questions regarding this SGA 

should be directed to Cassandra 

Mitchell, e-mail address: 

mitchell.cassandra@dol.gov, tel: 202–

693–4570 (note that this is not a toll-free 

number). To obtain further information 

about the Office of Disability 

Employment Policy of the U.S. 

Department of Labor, visit the DOL Web 

site of the Office of Disability 

Employment Policy at http:// 

www.dol.gov/odep. 

IX. Appendices 

The appendices are as follows: 

Appendix A. Application for Federal 

Assistance, Form SF–424. 

Appendix B. Budget Information 

Sheet, Form SF–424A. 

Appendix C. Assurances and 

Certifications Signature Page. 

(Appendices D and E are not 

applicable). 

Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring 

Equal Opportunity for Applicants. 

Detailed information and document 

locations: 

• Appendix A. Application for 

Federal Assistance, Form SF–424 (OMB 

No. 4040–0004). 

• Appendix B. Budget Information 

Sheet, Form SF–424A (OMB No. 0348–

0044). Both forms SF–424 and 424A can 

be obtained at the following Web 

address: http://apply.grants.gov/agency/ 

FormLinks?family=7. 

• Appendix F. Survey on Ensuring 

Equal Opportunity for Applicants (OMB 

No. 1890–0014). 

• The Survey on Ensuring Equal 

Opportunity for Applicants form can be 

obtained at the following Web address: 

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ 

appforms/surveyeo.pdf. 

(If you are viewing this in an 

electronic format and are receiving 

‘‘page not found’’, please cut and paste 

the URL into your browser window) 

Appendix C. Assurances and 

Certifications Signature Page. 

Certifications and Assurances 

Assurances and Certifications 

Signature Page 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
26846 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Notices 

The Department of Labor will not 

award a grant or agreement where the 

grantee/recipient has failed to accept the 

assurances and certifications contained 

in this section. By signing and returning 

this signature page, the grantee/ 

recipient is providing the certifications 

set forth below: 

A. Certification Regarding Lobbying, 

Debarment, Suspension, Other 

Responsibility Matters—Primary 

Covered Transactions and Certifications 

Regarding Drug-Free/Tobacco-Free 

Workplace. 

B. Certification of Release of 

Information, 

C. Assurances—Non-Construction 

Programs, 

D. Applicant is not a 501(c)(4) 

organization. 

Applicant Name and Legal Address: 

If there is any reason why one of the 

assurances or certifications listed cannot 

be signed, please explain. Applicant 

need only submit and return this 

signature page with the grant 

application. All other instruction shall 

be kept on file by the applicant. 

lllllllllllllllllll

Signature of Authorized Certifying 

Official 

lllllllllllllllllll

Title 

lllllllllllllllllll

Applicant Organization 

lllllllllllllllllll

Date Submitted 

Please Note: This signature page and any 

pertinent attachments which may be required 

by these assurances and certifications shall 

be attached to the applicant’s cost proposal. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 7th day of 

May 2007. 

Lisa Harvey, 

Grant Officer. 

[FR Doc. E7–9117 Filed 5–10–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FK–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

[TA–W–61,404] 

Air System Components, Inc.; El Paso, 

TX; Notice of Termination of 

Investigation 

Pursuant to Section 221 of the Trade 

Act of 1974, as amended, an 

investigation was initiated on April 30, 

2007 in response to a petition filed on 

behalf of workers of Air System 

Components, Inc., El Paso, Texas. 

The petitioning group of workers is 

covered by a duplicate petition (TA–W–

61,367) instituted on April 24, 2007 that 

is the subject of an ongoing 

investigation for which a determination 

has not yet been issued. Further 

investigation in this case would 

duplicate efforts; therefore the 

investigation under this petition has 

been terminated. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

May 2007. 

Richard Church, 

Certifying Officer, Division of Trade 

Adjustment Assistance. 

[FR Doc. E7–9100 Filed 5–10–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

[TA–W–60,548] 

Alan White Company; Sulligent, AL; 

Notice of Revised Determination on 

Reconsideration 

On April 13, 2007, the Department 

issued an Affirmative Determination 

Regarding Application on 

Reconsideration applicable to workers 

and former workers of the subject firm. 

The notice was published in the Federal 

Register on April 23, 2007 (72 FR 

20139). 

The previous investigation initiated 

on December 7, 2006, resulted in a 

negative determination issued on March 

8, 2007, was based on the finding that 

imports of upholstered furniture did not 

contribute importantly to worker 

separations at the subject firm and no 

shift of production to a foreign source 

occurred. The denial notice was 

published in the Federal Register on 

March 22, 2007 (72 FR 13528). 

In the request for reconsideration, the 

petitioner provided additional 

information regarding the subject firm’s 

customers. Upon further review of the 

initial investigation, the Department 

requested from a company official an 

additional list of declining customers of 

the subject firm. 

A survey of these customers revealed 

that a major declining customer 

increased its imports of upholstered 

furniture during the relevant period. 

The imports accounted for a meaningful 

portion of the subject plant’s lost sales 

and production. 

In accordance with Section 246 the 

Trade Act of 1974 (26 U.S.C. 2813), as 

amended, the Department of Labor 

herein presents the results of its 

investigation regarding certification of 

eligibility to apply for alternative trade 

adjustment assistance (ATAA) for older 

workers. 

In order for the Department to issue 

a certification of eligibility to apply for 

ATAA, the group eligibility 

requirements of Section 246 of the 

Trade Act must be met. The Department 

has determined in this case that the 

requirements of Section 246 have been 

met. 

A significant number of workers at the 

firm are age 50 or over and possess 

skills that are not easily transferable. 

Competitive conditions within the 

industry are adverse. 

Conclusion 

After careful review of the additional 

facts obtained on reconsideration, I 

conclude that increased imports of 

articles like or directly competitive with 

those produced at Alan White 

Company, Sulligent, Alabama, 

contributed importantly to the declines 

in sales or production and to the total 

or partial separation of workers at the 

subject firm. In accordance with the 

provisions of the Act, I make the 

following certification: 

All workers of Alan White Company, 

Sulligent, Alabama, who became totally or 

partially separated from employment on or 

after November 22, 2005 through two years 

from the date of this certification, are eligible 

to apply for adjustment assistance under 

Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are 

eligible to apply for alternative trade 

adjustment assistance under Section 246 of 

the Trade Act of 1974. 

Signed in Washington, DC this 8th day of 

May 2007. 

Elliott S. Kushner, 

Certifying Officer, Division of Trade 

Adjustment Assistance. 

[FR Doc. E7–9103 Filed 5–10–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

[TA–W–60,757] 

Alan White Company; Shannon, MS; 

Notice of Revised Determination on 

Reconsideration 

On April 12, 2007, the Department 

issued an Affirmative Determination 

Regarding Application on 

Reconsideration applicable to workers 

and former workers of the subject firm. 

The notice was published in the Federal 

Register on April 23, 2007 (72 FR 

20139). 

The previous investigation initiated 

on January 12, 2007, resulted in a 

negative determination issued on March 

8, 2007, was based on the finding that 

imports of upholstered furniture did not 


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