41998 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Individuals With Disabilities Education

Act; Notice Inviting Applications for

New Awards for Fiscal Year 1998

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for

new awards for fiscal year 1998.

SUMMARY: On June 4, 1997, the President

signed into law Pub. L. 105–17, the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act Amendments, amending the

Individual with Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA).

This notice provides closing dates and

other information regarding the

transmittal of applications for fiscal year

1998 competitions under four programs

authorized by the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act (the Act, as

amended by the 1997 amendments). The

priorities under these programs are

based on the statutory provisions in the

Act or on previously published

priorities, as indicated in each priority.

Only changes authorized by the 1997

Amendments to IDEA were made to

priorities previously published. For

example, the Act no longer refers to

‘‘youth with disabilities’’. ‘‘Youth with

disabilities’’ is no longer distinguished

from ‘‘children with disabilities’’ under

the Act; therefore, all references to

‘‘youth with disabilities’’ have been

deleted from the priorities. Also, the

types of entities eligible to apply for

grants under these programs have been

changed where necessary to reflect

changes in the Act.

This notice supports the National

Education Goals by improving

understanding of how to enable

children with disabilities to reach

higher levels of academic achievement.

Note: The Department of Education is not

bound by any estimates in this notice.

Research and Innovation To Improve

Services and Results for Children With

Disabilities (CFDA No. 84.023)

Purpose of Program: To produce, and

advance the use of, knowledge to (1)

improve services provided under the

Act, including the practices of

professionals and others involved in

providing those services to children

with disabilities; and (2) improve

educational and early intervention

results for infants, toddlers, and

children with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants: State and local

educational agencies; institutions of

higher education; other public agencies;

private nonprofit organizations; outlying

areas; freely associated States; and

Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82,

85, and 86; and (b) The selection criteria

included in regulations in 34 CFR

324.31.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priorities: Under sections 661(e)(2)

and 672 of the Act and 34 CFR

75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an

absolute preference to applications that

meet the following priorities. The

Secretary funds under these

competitions only those applications

that meet these absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 1—Field-Initiated

Research Projects (84.023C). This

statutory priority provides support for a

wide range of field-initiated research

projects that support innovation,

development, exchange, and use of

advancements in knowledge and

practice designed to contribute to the

improvement of early intervention,

instruction and learning of infants,

toddlers, and children with disabilities

as described in section 672 of the Act.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

A project must budget for a trip to

Washington, DC. for the annual two-day

Research Project Directors’ meeting.

Invitational Priorities

Within Absolute Priority 1 the

Secretary is particularly interested in

applications that meet one or more of

the following invitational priorities.

However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an

application that meets one or more of

these invitational priorities does not

receive competitive or absolute

preference over other applications:

(1) Projects to address the specific

problems of over-identification and

under-identification of children with

disabilities. (See section 672(a)(3) of the

Act).

(2) Projects to develop and implement

effective strategies for addressing

inappropriate behavior of students with

disabilities in schools, including

strategies to prevent children with

emotional and behavioral problems

from developing emotional disturbances

that require the provision of special

education and related services. (See

section 672(a)(4) of the Act).

(3) Projects studying and promoting

improved alignment and compatibility

of general and special education reforms

concerned with curricular and

instructional reform, evaluation and

accountability of those reforms, and

administrative procedures. (See section

672(b)(2)(D) of the Act).

(4) Projects that advance knowledge

about the coordination of education

with health and social services. (See

section 672(b)(2)(G) of the Act).

Project Period: The majority of

projects will be funded for up to 36

months. Only in exceptional

circumstances—such as research

questions that require repeated

measurement within a longitudinal

design—will projects be funded for

more than 36 months, up to a maximum

of 60 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $180,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. However,

because of budgetary considerations

contingent upon congressional action,

the Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

the Part III of its application—

Application Narrative, to no more than

50 double-spaced 8 1⁄2 × 11′′ pages (on

one side only) with one inch margins

(top, bottom, and sides). Please refer to

the ‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 2—Student-Initiated

Research Projects (84.023B). This

absolute priority was published in the

Federal Register on November 21, 1994

(59 FR 60054).

This priority provides support for

short-term (up to 12 months)

postsecondary student-initiated research

projects focusing on special education

and related services for children with

disabilities and early intervention

services for infants and toddlers,

consistent with the purposes of the

program, as described in section 672 of

the Act.

Projects must—

(1) Develop research skills in

postsecondary students; and

(2) Include a principal investigator

who serves as a mentor to the student

researcher while the project is carried

out by the student.

A project must budget for a trip to

Washington, DC for the annual two-day

Research Project Directors’ meeting.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices 41999

Project Period: Up to 12 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $20,000 for the entire project

period. However, because of budgetary

considerations contingent upon

congressional action, the Secretary may

change the maximum amount through a

notice published in the Federal

Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 25 doublespaced 81⁄2 × 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 3—Initial Career

Awards (84.023N). This absolute

priority was published in the Federal

Register on March 5, 1996 (61 FR 8810).

Background: There is a need to enable

individuals in the initial phases of their

careers to initiate and develop

promising lines of research that would

improve early intervention services for

infants and toddlers, and special

education and related services for

children with disabilities. Support for

research activities among individuals in

the initial phases of their careers is

intended to develop the capacity of the

special education research community.

This priority would address the

additional need to provide support for

a broad range of field-initiated research

projects—focusing on the special

education and related services for

children with disabilities and early

intervention for infants and toddlers—

consistent with the purpose of the

program as described in section 672 of

the Act.

Priority: The Secretary establishes an

absolute priority for the purpose of

awarding grants to eligible applicants

for the support of individuals in the

initial phases of their careers to initiate

and develop promising lines of research

consistent with the purposes of the

program. For purposes of this priority,

the initial phase of an individuals career

is considered to be the first three years

after completing a doctoral program and

graduating (e.g., for fiscal year 1998

awards, projects may support

individuals who completed a doctoral

program and graduated no earlier than

the 1994–95 academic year).

Projects must—

(a) Pursue a line of inquiry that

reflects a programmatic strand of

research emanating either from theory

or a conceptual framework. The line of

research must be evidenced by a series

of related questions that establish

directions for designing future studies

extending beyond the support of this

award. The project is not intended to

represent all inquiry related to the

particular theory or conceptual

framework; rather, it is expected to

initiate a new line or advance an

existing one;

(b) In addition to involving

individuals with disabilities or parents

of individuals with disabilities in

planning, implementing, and evaluating

the project, as required by the Act,

include, in its design and conduct,

sustained involvement with nationally

recognized experts having substantive

or methodological knowledge and

expertise relevant to the proposed

research. Experts do not have to be at

the same institution or agency at which

the project is located, but the interaction

must be sufficient to develop the

capacity of the researcher to pursue

effectively the research into mid-career

activities. At least 50 percent of the

researcher’s time must be devoted to the

project;

(c) Prepare its procedures, findings,

and conclusions in a manner that

informs other interested researchers and

is useful for advancing professional

practice or improving programs and

services to infants, toddlers, and

children with disabilities and their

families; and

(d) Disseminate project procedures,

findings, and conclusions to appropriate

research institutes and technical

assistance providers.

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend the two-day Research Project

Directors’ meeting to be held in

Washington, DC each year of the project.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $75,000 for any single budget

period of 12 months. However, because

of budgetary considerations contingent

upon congressional action, the Secretary

may change the maximum amount

through a notice published in the

Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 30 doublespaced 81⁄2× 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 672 of the

Act.

Personnel Preparation To Improve

Services and Results for Children With

Disabilities (CFDA No. 84.029)

Purpose Of Program: The purposes of

this program are to (1) help address

State-identified needs for qualified

personnel in special education, related

services, early intervention, and regular

education, to work with children with

disabilities; and (2) to ensure that those

personnel have the skills and

knowledge, derived from practices that

have been determined, through research

and experience, to be successful, that

are needed to serve those children.

Eligible Applicants: Institutions of

higher education and private nonprofit

organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,

85, and 86; (b) The selection criteria

included in regulations in 34 CFR

318.22; and (c) 34 CFR 318.31–33.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priorities: Under section 661(e)(2) and

673 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3),

the Secretary gives an absolute

preference to applications that meet the

following priorities. The Secretary funds

under these competitions only those

applications that meet these absolute

priorities:

Absolute Priority 1—Preparation of

Special Education, Related Services,

and Early Intervention Personnel to

Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Children

with Low-Incidence Disabilities

(84.029A). This absolute priority was

published in the Federal Register on

May 9, 1996 (61 FR 21230).

Background: The national demand for

educational, related services, and early

intervention personnel to serve infants,

toddlers, and children with lowincidence disabilities exceeds available

supply. However, because of the small

number of these personnel needed in

each State, institutions of higher

education and individual States are

reluctant to support the needed

professional development programs. Of

the programs that are available, not all

are producing graduates with the

prerequisite skills needed to meet the

needs of the low-incidence disability

population. Federal support is required

to ensure an adequate supply of

personnel to serve children with low-
42000 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices

incidence disabilities and to improve

the quality of appropriate training

programs so that graduates possess

necessary prerequisite skills.

Priority: The Secretary establishes an

absolute priority to support projects that

increase the number and quality of

personnel to serve children with lowincidence disabilities. This priority

supports projects that provide

preservice preparation of special

educators, early intervention personnel,

and related services personnel at the

associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or

specialist level.

The term ‘‘low-incidence disability’’

means a visual or hearing impairment,

or simultaneous visual and hearing

impairments, a significant cognitive

impairment, or any impairment for

which a small number of personnel with

highly specialized skills and knowledge

are needed in order for children with

that impairment to receive early

intervention services or a free

appropriate public education.

Applicants may propose to prepare

one or more of the following types of

personnel:

(1) Special educators including early

childhood, speech and language,

adapted physical education, and

assistive technology personnel;

(2) Related services personnel who

provide developmental, corrective, and

other supportive services that assist

children with low-incidence disabilities

to benefit from special education. Both

comprehensive programs and specialty

components within a broader discipline

that prepares personnel for work with

the low-incidence population may be

supported; or,

(3) Early intervention personnel who

serve children birth through age 2 with

low-incidence disabilities and their

families. Early intervention personnel

include persons prepared to provide

training for, or be consultants to, service

providers and case managers.

The Secretary particularly encourages

projects that address the needs of more

than one State, provide multidisciplinary training, and include

collaboration among several institutions

and between training institutions and

public schools. In addition, projects that

foster successful coordination between

special education and regular education

professional development programs to

meet the needs of children with lowincidence disabilities in inclusive

settings are encouraged.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

To be considered for an award an

applicant must satisfy the following

requirements contained in section

673(f)–(h) of the Act—

(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one

or more States that the project proposes

to serve, that States need personnel in

the area or areas in which the applicant

proposes to provide preparation, as

identified in the State’s comprehensive

system of personnel development

(CSPD) under Parts B and C of the Act;

(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in

a cooperative effort with one or more

State educational agencies to plan, carry

out, and monitor the project;

(c) Provide letters from one or more

States stating that they intend to accept

successful completion of the proposed

personnel preparation program as

meeting State personnel standards for

serving children with disabilities or

serving infants and toddlers with

disabilities;

(d) Meet State and professionallyrecognized standards for the preparation

of special education and related services

personnel (See section 673(g)(2) of the

Act); and

(e) Ensure that individuals who

receive a scholarship under the

proposed project will subsequently

provide special education and related

services to children with disabilities for

a period of two years for every year for

which assistance was received or repay

all or part of the cost of that assistance,

in accordance with regulations to be

issued by the Secretary.

The application requirement

described in paragraph (e) is required by

section 673(h)(1) of the Act (20 U.S.C.

1474(h)(1)). Because this provision was

added to the Act during the recent

reauthorization, the Secretary has not

had the opportunity to promulgate

regulations, but expects to do so before

grant awards are made. In order for an

applicant to provide the assurances

required by statute, the applicant must,

at a minimum, describe:

(1) How it will notify trainees of the

work or repay requirement; and (2) How

it will notify trainees when the

regulations are finalized. The Secretary

encourages applicants to award stipends

and scholarships that last at least for

one-year. By having at least one-year

stipends and scholarships, it would be

less likely that any trainee would enter

work or repay status before the

regulations are in effect.

Each project funded under this

absolute priority must—

(a) Prepare personnel to address the

specialized needs of children with lowincidence disabilities from different

cultural and language backgrounds;

(b) Incorporate best practices in the

design of the program and the curricula;

(c) Incorporate curricula that focus on

improving results for children with lowincidence disabilities;

(d) Promote high expectations for

students with low-incidence disabilities

and foster access to the general

curriculum in the regular classroom,

wherever appropriate; and

(e) Develop linkages with Education

Department technical assistance

providers to communicate information

on program models used and program

effectiveness;

(f) If the project prepares personnel to

provide services to visually impaired or

blind children that can be appropriately

provided in Braille, prepare those

individuals to provide those services in

Braille (See section 673(b)(5) of the Act);

Under this absolute priority, the

Secretary plans to award approximately:

• 55 percent of the available funds for

projects that support careers in special

education, including early childhood

educators;

• 30 percent of the available funds for

projects that support careers in related

services; and

• 15 percent of the available funds for

projects that support careers in early

intervention.

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Director’s

meeting to be held in Washington, D.C.

each year of the project.

Competitive Priority

Within this absolute priority, the

Secretary under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii),

and section 673(g)(3)(B) of the Act will

select an application from an institution

of higher education that is successfully

recruiting and preparing individuals

with disabilities and individuals from

groups that are underrepresented in the

profession for which they are preparing

individuals over an application of

comparable merit that does not meet the

priority.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $300,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. However,

because of budgetary considerations

contingent upon congressional action,

the Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 × 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices 42001

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 2—Preparation of

Leadership Personnel (84.029D).

This statutory priority supports

projects that support leadership

activities such as: (a) Preparing

personnel at the advanced graduate,

doctoral, and postdoctoral levels of

training to administer, enhance, or

provide services for children with

disabilities; or (b) providing

interdisciplinary training for various

types of leadership personnel, including

teacher preparation faculty,

administrators, researchers, supervisors,

principals, and other persons whose

work affects early intervention,

educational, and transitional services

for children with disabilities.

To be considered for an award, an

applicant must satisfy the following

requirements contained in section 673

(f)–(h) of the Act—

(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one

or more States that the project proposes

to serve, that States need personnel in

the area or areas in which the applicant

proposes to provide preparation, as

identified in the State’s comprehensive

system of personnel development under

Parts B and C of the Act, if the purpose

of the project is to assist personnel in

obtaining a degree;

(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in

a cooperative effort with one or more

State educational agencies to plan, carry

out, and monitor the project;

(c) Meet State and professionallyrecognized standards for the preparation

of special education and related services

personnel, if the purpose of the project

is to assist personnel in obtaining a

degree; and

(d) Ensure that individuals who

receive a scholarship under the

proposed project will subsequently

perform work related to their

preparation for a period of two years for

every year for which assistance was

received or repay all or part of the cost

of that assistance, in accordance with

regulations to be issued by the

Secretary.

The application requirement

described in paragraph (d) is required

by section 673(h)(2) of the Act (20

U.S.C. 1474(h)(2)). Because this

provision was added to the Act during

the recent reauthorization, the Secretary

has not had the opportunity to

promulgate regulations, but expects to

do so before grant awards are made. In

order for an applicant to provide the

assurances required by statute, the

applicant must, at a minimum, describe:

(1) How it will notify trainees of the

work or repay requirement; and (2) How

it will notify trainees when the

regulations are finalized. The Secretary

encourages applicants to award stipends

and scholarships that last at least for

one-year. By having at least one year

stipends and scholarships, it would be

less likely that any trainee would enter

work or repay status before the

regulations are in effect.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Director’s

meeting to be held in Washington, DC

each year of the project.

Invitational Priorities

Within Absolute Priority 2 the

Secretary is particularly interested in

applications that meet one or more of

the following invitational priorities.

However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an

application that meets one or more of

these invitational priorities does not

receive competitive or absolute

preference over other applications:

(a) Projects designed to foster

successful coordination between special

education and regular education

teachers, administrators, related services

personnel, infant intervention

specialists, and parents.

(b) Projects that coordinate their

professional development programs for

regular and special education personnel.

(c) Projects that include recruitment

of leadership personnel from groups

that are underrepresented, including

individuals with disabilities, in

educational leadership positions.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $225,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. However,

because of budgetary considerations

contingent upon congressional action,

the Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2×11′′ pages (on one side only)

with one inch margins (top, bottom, and

sides). Please refer to the ‘‘Page Limit

Requirements for All Applications’’

section of this notice for more specific

information on this page limit

requirement.

Absolute Priority 3— Preparation of

Personnel in Minority Institutions

(84.029E).

This statutory priority supports

awards to institutions of higher

education whose minority student

enrollment is at least 25 percent,

including Historically Black Colleges

and Universities, for the purposes of

preparing personnel to work with

children with disabilities. Awards must

be made consistent with the objectives

in section 673(a) of the Act.

To be considered for an award, an

applicant must satisfy the following

requirements contained in section 673

(f)–(h) of the Act—

(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one

or more States that the project proposes

to serve, that States need personnel in

the area or areas in which the applicant

proposes to provide preparation, as

identified in the State’s comprehensive

system of personnel development under

Parts B and C of the Act.

(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in

a cooperative effort with one or more

State educational agencies to plan, carry

out, and monitor the project;

(c) Provide letters from one or more

States stating that they intend to accept

successful completion of the proposed

personnel preparation program as

meeting State personnel standards for

serving children with disabilities or

serving infants and toddlers with

disabilities;

(d) Meet State and professionallyrecognized standards for the preparation

of special education and related services

personnel; and

(e) Ensure that individuals who

receive a scholarship under the

proposed project will subsequently

provide special education and related

services to children with disabilities for

a period of two years for every year for

which assistance was received or repay

all or part of the cost of that assistance,

in accordance with regulations to be

issued by the Secretary.

The application requirement

described in paragraph (e) is required by

section 673(h)(1) of the Act (20 U.S.C.

1474(h)(1)). Because this provision was

added to the Act during the recent

reauthorization, the Secretary has not

had the opportunity to promulgate

regulations, but expects to do so before

grant awards are made. In order for an

applicant to provide the assurances

required by statute, the applicant must,

at a minimum, describe: (1) How it will

notify trainees of the work or repay

requirement; and (2) How it will notify

trainees when the regulations are

finalized. The Secretary encourages

applicants to award stipends and

scholarships that last at least for one-
42002 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices

year. By having at least one-year

stipends and scholarships, it would be

less likely that any trainee would enter

work or repay status before the

regulations are in effect.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’

meeting to be held in Washington, DC

each year of the project.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $200,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. However,

because of budgetary considerations

contingent upon congressional action,

the Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 × 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 673 of the

Act.

Training and Information for Parents of

Children With Disabilities (CFDA No.

84.029)

Purpose of Program: The purpose of

this statutory priority is to ensure that

children with disabilities, and their

parents, receive training and

information on their rights and

protections under this Act, in order to

develop the skills necessary to

effectively participate in planning and

decisionmaking relating to early

intervention, educational, and

transitional services and in systemicchange activities.

Eligible Applicants: Parent

organizations, as defined in section

682(g) of the Act.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,

and 85; and (b) the selection criteria

included in 34 CFR 316.22.

Supplementary Information: Under

sections 682 (e)(1) and (e)(2), the

Secretary is required to: (1) Make at

least one award to a parent organization

in each State, unless the Secretary does

not receive an application from such an

organization in each State of sufficient

quality to warrant approval; and (2)

select among applications submitted by

parent organizations in a State in a

manner that ensures the most effective

assistance to parents, including parents

in urban and rural areas, in the State. If

there is more than one parent center in

a particular State, the Secretary expects

that the parent center projects will

coordinate activities to ensure the most

effective assistance to parents in that

State.

Priority: Under sections 661(e)(2) and

682 of the Act, and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3),

the Secretary gives an absolute

preference to applications that meet the

following priority. The Secretary funds

under these competitions only those

applications that meet this absolute

priority:

Absolute Priority—Parent Training

and Information Centers (84.029M).

Each parent training and information

center funded under this absolute

priority must satisfy the following

requirements contained in Section

682(b)and (c) of the Act—

(1) Provide training and information

that meets the training and information

needs of parents of children with

disabilities in the area served by the

center, particularly underserved parents

and parents of children who may be

inappropriately identified;

(2) Assist parents to understand the

availability of, and how to effectively

use procedural safeguards under the

Act, including encouraging the use, and

explaining the benefits, of alternative

methods of dispute resolution, such as

the mediation process described in the

Act;

(3) Serve the parents of infants,

toddlers, and children with the full

range of disabilities;

(4) Assist parents to——

(A) Better understand the nature of

their children’s disabilities and their

educational and developmental needs;

(B) Communicate effectively with

personnel responsible for providing

special education, early intervention,

and related services;

(C) Participate in decision making

processes and the development of

individualized education programs and

individualized family service plans;

(D) Obtain appropriate information

about the range of options, programs,

services, and resources available to

assist children with disabilities and

their families;

(E) Understand the provisions of the

Act for the education of, and the

provision of early intervention services

to, children with disabilities; and

(F) Participate in school reform

activities.

(5) In States where the State elects to

contract with the parent training and

information center, contract with the

State education agencies to provide,

consistent with sections 615(e)(2)(B)

and (D) of the Act, individuals who

meet with parents to explain the

mediation process to them;

(6) Network with appropriate

clearinghouses, including organizations

conducting national dissemination

activities under section 685(d) of the

Act, and with other national, State, and

local organizations and agencies, such

as protection and advocacy agencies,

that serve parents and families of

children with the full range of

disabilities;

(7) Upon request from a Community

Parent Resource Center, establish a

cooperative partnership in accordance

with section 683(b)(3) of the Act; and

(8) Annually report to the Secretary

on——

(A) The number of parents to whom

it provided information and training in

the most recently concluded fiscal year,

and

(B) The effectiveness of strategies

used to reach and serve parents,

including underserved parents of

children with disabilities.

A parent training and information

center that receives assistance under

this absolute priority may also conduct

the following activities——

(1) Provide information to teachers

and other professionals who provide

special education and related services to

children with disabilities;

(2) Assist students with disabilities to

understand their rights and

responsibilities on reaching the age of

majority, as included under section

615(m) of the Act; and

(3) Assist parents of children with

disabilities to be informed participants

in the development and implementation

of the State’s State improvement plan

under the Act.

An applicant must identify special

efforts it will undertake——

(A) To ensure that the needs for

training and information of underserved

parents of children with disabilities in

the area to be served are effectively met;

and

(B) To work with community-based

organizations.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

projects. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices 42003

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’

meeting to be held in Washington, DC

each year of the project.

Competitive Priority:

Within this absolute priority, the

Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i),

gives preference to applications that

meet the following competitive priority:

Providing parent training and

information in one or more

Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities. The Secretary awards 5

points to an application that meets the

competitive priority relating to

Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities published in the Federal

Register on November 7, 1994 (59 FR

55544). These points are in addition to

any points the application earns under

the selection criteria for the program.

A list of areas that have been selected

as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities is included in an

appendix to a notice published in the

Federal Register on December 6, 1995

(60 FR 62699).

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $400,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount.

However, because of budgetary

considerations contingent upon

congressional action, the Secretary may

change the maximum amount through a

notice published in the Federal

Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 × 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 682 of the

Act.

Technology And Media Services For

Individuals With Disabilities [CFDA

No. 84.026]

Purpose Of Program: The purpose of

this program is to promote the

development, demonstration, and

utilization of technology and to support

educational media activities designed to

be of educational value to children with

disabilities. This program supports

providing free educational materials,

including textbooks, in accessible media

for visually impaired and print disabled

students in elementary, secondary,

postsecondary, and graduate schools.

Eligible Applicants: State and local

educational agencies; institutions of

higher education; other public agencies;

private nonprofit organizations; outlying

areas; freely associated States; Indian

tribes or tribal organizations; and forprofit organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81,

82, 85, and 86; and (b) The selection

criteria included in regulations for these

programs in 34 CFR 332.32.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priority: Under sections 661(e)(2) and

687 and 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(3), the

Secretary gives an absolute preference to

applications that meet the following

priority. The Secretary funds under this

competition only those applications that

meet this absolute priority:

Absolute Priority—Recorded Audio

Cassettes for Visually and Print

Disabled Students (84.026K). This

absolute priority was published in the

Federal Register on November 7, 1994

(59 FR 55544).

Background: This priority would

support recording, producing,

duplicating, and distributing 15/16 ips

(inch per second) four-track cassette

versions of textbooks and other

educational reading materials for

students (elementary, secondary,

postsecondary and graduate) who are

visually or print disabled. These

cassette tapes will help provide equal

educational opportunities to target

students and lessen some of the barriers

they face in the classroom.

Priority:

To be considered for funding under

this priority, the project must—

(1) Handle all requests for materials,

including confirmation of eligibility by

disability;

(2) Ensure the project activities are

conducted in compliance with section

121 of the Copyright Act, as amended.

(3) Record or duplicate the books on

15/16 ips (inch per second), four-track

cassettes of one hour per track recording

time. (Publishers must be provided

rights to copies of the master tape and

rights to market the cassettes as they see

fit);

(4) Mail the cassettes on a free-loan,

postage paid basis;

(5) Handle returned cassettes,

preservative re-recording, and all other

associated administrative and

circulation functions; and

(6) To the extent that funds are not

sufficient to meet the demand for free

materials, place a priority on providing

free materials that are not otherwise

required to be provided by educational

agencies or institutions.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of the

Act).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’

meeting to be held in Washington, DC

each year of the project.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $4,500,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount.

However, because of budgetary

considerations contingent upon

congressional action, the Secretary may

change the maximum amount through a

notice published in the Federal

Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application—Application

Narrative, to no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 × 11’’ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 687 of the

Act.

Page Limit Requirements For All

Applications: Part III of the application,

the Application Narrative, requires

applicants to address the selection

criteria that will be used by reviewers in

evaluating individual proposals.

Applicants must limit the Part III—

Application Narrative, to the specific

page limit requirement listed under

each priority. The Application Narrative

must be double-spaced 81⁄2 × 11’’ pages

(on one side only) with one inch

margins (top, bottom, and sides). This

page limitation applies to all material

presented in the application narrative—

including, for example, any charts,

tables, figures, and graphs. The

application narrative page limit does not

apply to: Part I—the cover sheet; Part

II—the budget section (including the

narrative budget justification); and Part

IV—the assurances and certifications.

Also, the one-page abstract, resumes,

bibliography, or letters of support, while

considered part of the application, are

not subject to the page limitation.

Applicants should note that reviewers
42004 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 149 / Monday, August 4, 1997 / Notices

are not required to review any

information provided in addition to the

application information listed above.

All sections of text in the application

narrative must be double-spaced (no

more than 3 lines per vertical inch). If

using a proportional computer font, use

no smaller than a 12-point font, and an

average character density no greater

than 14 characters per inch. If using a

nonproportional font or a typewriter, do

not use more than 12 characters to the

inch. Double-spacing and font

requirements do not apply within

charts, tables, figures, and graphs, but

the information presented in those

formats should be easily readable. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that does not adhere to

these requirements.

For Applications and General

Information Contact: Requests for

applications and general information

should be addressed to the Grants and

Contracts Services Team, 600

Independence Avenue, SW, room 3317,

Switzer Building, Washington, DC

20202–2641. The preferred method for

requesting information is to FAX your

request to: (202) 205–8717. Telephone:

(202) 260–9182.

Ingergovernmental Review

Except for the Research and

Innovation to Improve Services and

Results for Children with Disabilities,

all other programs in this notice are

subject to the requirements of Executive

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34

CFR part 79. The objective of the

Executive order is to foster an

intergovernmental partnership and a

strengthened federalism by relying on

processes developed by State and local

governments for coordination and

review of proposed Federal financial

assistance.

In accordance with the order, this

document is intended to provide early

notification of the Department’s specific

plans and actions for those program.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998

CFDA No. and name Applications

available

Application

deadline

date

Deadline for

intergovernmental review

Maximum

award

(per year)1

Page

limit2

Estimated

number of

awards

84.023C Field-Initiated Research Projects ..................................... 08/08/97 10/01/97 .................... $180,000 50 14

84.023B Student-Initiated Research Projects ................................ 8/08/97 2/06/98 .................... 20,000 25 12

84.023N Initial Career Awards ....................................................... 8/08/97 10/01/97 .................... 75,000 30 4

84.029A Preparation of Special Education, Related Services, and

Early Intervention Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and

Children with Low-Incidence Disabilities ....................................... 8/08/97 10/01/97 12/01/97 300,000 40 16

84.029D Preparation of Leadership Personnel .............................. 8/08/97 9/26/97 11/25/97 225,000 40 6

84.029E Preparation of Personnel in Minority Institutions ............. 8/8/97 9/26/97 11/25/97 200,000 40 16

84.029M Parent Training and Information Centers ........................ 8/08/97 10/17/97 12/14/97 400,000 40 13

84.026K Recorded Audio Cassettes for Visually and Print Disabled Students .............................................................................. 8/08/97 9/12/97 11/10/97 4,500,000 40 1

1The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any single budget period of 12 months. 2Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ‘‘Page Limit’’ section of this notice for the specific requirements. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953. Individuals with disabilities

may obtain a copy of this notice or the

application packages referred to in this

notice in an alternate format (e.g.

Braille, large print, audiotape, or

computer diskette) by contacting the

Department as listed above.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at

Gopher://gcs.ed.gov); or on the World

Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Dated: July 30, 1997.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97–20454 Filed 8–1–97; 8:45 am]

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