4988 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 22 / Monday, February 3, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.275C]

Partnership Training; Notice Inviting

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal

Year (FY) 1997

PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: To support the

formation of consortia or partnerships of

public or nonprofit private entities for

the purpose of providing opportunities

for career advancement or competencybased training to current employees of

public or nonprofit private agencies that

provide services to individuals with

disabilities. Those opportunities must

include certificate or degree granting

programs in vocational rehabilitation

services and related services.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: States, public or

nonprofit private agencies and

organizations, and institutions of higher

education.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Congress

expressed a concern that led to the

inclusion of the partnership training

program effort in the Rehabilitation Act

Amendments of 1992. The following is

an excerpt from the U.S. House of

Representatives report on the

Rehabilitation Act Amendments of

1992, H.R. Rep. No. 102–973, page 117,

(1992): ‘‘The recruitment, training and

retention of personnel continues to be a

problem in the provision of vocational

rehabilitation services to individuals

with disabilities. The personnel training

initiative (e.g., demonstration grants and

technical assistance) provides an

opportunity to train and retain workers

who currently hold entry level or

paraprofessional positions in public and

private agencies that serve individuals

with disabilities and have demonstrated

a commitment to remaining in the field

of vocational rehabilitation.’’

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: April 4, 1997.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: June 4, 1997.

Applications Available: February 5,

1997.

Available Funds: $400,000.

Estimated Range of Awards:

$150,000–$200,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$200,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Applicable Regulations: The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

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

85, and 86.

Statutory Authorizations: The

statutory authorizations in section

302(e) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,

as amended, apply to this program.

An entity that receives a grant under

this program may use the grant for

purposes including—

(1) Establishing a program with an

institution of higher education to

develop creative new programs and

coursework options, or to expand

existing programs, in the fields of

vocational rehabilitation services and

related services including—

(a) Providing release time for faculty

and staff for curriculum development;

(b) Paying for instructional costs and

start-up and other program development

costs;

(2) Establishing a career development

mentoring program using faculty and

professional staff members of

participating agencies as role models,

career sponsors, and academic advisors

for experienced State, city, and county

employees, and volunteers who—

(a) Have demonstrated a commitment

to working in the fields described in

paragraph (1)(a) above; and

(b) Are enrolled in a program relating

to such a field at an institution of higher

education;

(3) Supporting a wide range of

programmatic and research activities

aimed at increasing opportunities for

career advancement and competencybased training in fields related to

vocational rehabilitation and related

services; and

(4) Identifying existing public or

private agency and labor union

personnel policies and benefit programs

that may facilitate the ability of

employees to take advantage of higher

education opportunities, such as leave

time and tuition reimbursement.

In awarding grants for these projects,

the Commissioner ensures that the

projects are geographically distributed

throughout the United States in urban

and rural areas.

FOR APPLICATIONS: To request an

application package, please write to U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW., Room

3038, Switzer Building, Washington, DC

20202–2649, Attention Joyce R. Jones; or

call (202) 205–8351.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Beverly Brightly, U.S. Department of

Education, Room 3322, Switzer

Building, 600 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20202–2649.

Telephone: (202) 205–9561. 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.

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.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 774.

Dated: January 29, 1997.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97–2562 Filed 1–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

[CFDA No.: 84.264B]

Rehabilitation Continuing Education

Programs; Notice Inviting Applications

for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY)

1997

PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: To support

cooperative agreements for training

centers that serve either a Federal region

or another geographic area and provide

a broad, integrated sequence of training

activities throughout a multi-State

geographical area.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: States and public

or nonprofit agencies and organizations,

including Indian tribes and institutions

of higher education.

Note: Applications are invited for the

provision of training for Department of

Education Regions II, IV, and X only.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: April 4, 1997.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: June 4, 1997.

Applications Available: February 5,

1997.

Available Funds: $1,500,000.

Estimated Range of Awards:

$475,000-$500,000

Estimated Average Size of Award:

$500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 3.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Maximum Award: In no case does the

Secretary make an initial award greater

than $500,000 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 60 months.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in