[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 181 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48996-48997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24777]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.235A]


Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational 
Rehabilitation Services to Individuals With Disabilities; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

    Purpose of Program: To provide financial assistance to projects for 
expanding or otherwise improving vocational rehabilitation and other 
rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, especially 
individuals with the most severe disabilities, and for applying new 
types or patterns of services or devices for individuals with 
disabilities (including programs for providing individuals with 
disabilities, or other individuals in programs servicing individuals 
with disabilities, with opportunities for new careers and career 
advancement).
    Eligible Applicants: State agencies; other public agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes; and nonprofit, private agencies 
and organizations.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 18, 1997.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 18, 1998.
    Applications Available: September 29, 1997.
    Available Funds: $6,600,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $220,000-$245,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $230,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 28-30.

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

    Maximum Award: In no case does the Secretary make an award greater 
than $245,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Secretary 
rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget 
exceeding this maximum amount.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    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 regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 
369.

Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority

    The competitive preference priority concerning Empowerment Zones 
and Enterprise Communities in the notice of final priorities for this 
program, published in the Federal Register on December 9, 1994 (59 FR 
63860), applies to this competition.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the Secretary gives preference to 
applications based on the extent to which they meet the following 
competitive priority. The Secretary awards 10 bonus points to an 
application depending on the extent to which the application meets this 
competitive priority. These bonus points are in addition to any points 
the application earns under the selection criteria for the program:
Competitive Preference Priority--Providing Program Services in an 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community
    Under this program the Secretary gives competitive preference to 
applications that--
    (1) Propose the provision of substantial services in Empowerment 
Zones or Enterprise Communities; and
    (2) Propose projects that contribute to the strategic plan of the 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community and that are made an integral 
component of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community activities.

[[Page 48997]]

    Under this program a project is considered to be providing 
substantial services if a minimum of 51 percent of the persons served 
by the project reside within the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise 
Community.

Invitational Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary is particularly interested 
in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational 
priorities. However, an application that meets one or more of these 
invitational priorities does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications:
Invitational Priority 1--Projects To Enhance Employment Outcomes for 
Individuals on Public Assistance
    Projects that provide rehabilitation services to individuals with 
disabilities who are receiving public assistance to enhance employment 
outcomes that are consistent with the individual's unique strengths, 
capacities, abilities, interests, priorities, and resources.
Invitational Priority 2--Projects To Increase Client Choice
    Projects that address and emphasize effective ways to increase 
client choice in the vocational rehabilitation process to enhance 
employment outcomes that are consistent with the individual's unique 
strengths, capacities, abilities, interests, priorities, and resources.
    Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new grant 
under this competition, the Secretary uses selection criteria chosen 
from the general selection criteria in Sec. 75.210 of EDGAR. The 
selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in 
the application package for this competition.
    For Applications Contact: The Grants and Contracts Service Team 
(GCST), U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8351. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday. The preferred method for requesting applications is to FAX your 
request to (202) 205-8717.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format by contacting the GCST. However, the 
Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard 
forms included in the application package.
    For Information Contact: Susan Oswald or Alfreda Reeves, U.S. 
Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3314, 
Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2650. Telephone: (202) 260-
9870 or (202) 205-9361.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

    Note: The official application notice for a discretionary grant 
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg/htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 777a(a)(1).
    Dated: September 12, 1997.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 97-24777 Filed 9-17-97; 8:45 am]
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