13578 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

techniques to quantify anticipated 

present and future benefits and costs as 

accurately as possible.’’ The Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs of 

OMB has emphasized that these 

techniques may include ‘‘identifying 

changing future compliance costs that 

might result from technological 

innovation or anticipated behavioral 

changes.’’ 

We are taking this regulatory action 

only on a reasoned determination that 

its benefits justify its costs. In choosing 

among alternative regulatory 

approaches, we selected those 

approaches that maximize net benefits. 

Based on the analysis that follows, the 

Department believes that this proposed 

priority is consistent with the principles 

in Executive Order 13563. 

We also have determined that this 

regulatory action would not unduly 

interfere with State, local, and tribal 

governments in the exercise of their 

governmental functions. 

In accordance with both Executive 

orders, the Department has assessed the 

potential costs and benefits of this 

regulatory action. The potential costs 

associated with this regulatory action 

are those resulting from statutory 

requirements and those we have 

determined as necessary for 

administering the Department’s 

programs and activities. 

The benefits of the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Programs have been well 

established over the years in that similar 

projects have been completed 

successfully. This proposed priority 

would generate new knowledge through 

research and development. Another 

benefit of this proposed priority is that 

the establishment of new DRRPs would 

improve the lives of individuals with 

disabilities. The new DRRP would 

generate, disseminate, and promote the 

use of new information that would 

improve the options for individuals 

with disabilities to perform activities of 

their choice in the community. 

Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is not subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

by contacting the Grants and Contracts 

Services Team, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll 

free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the 

official edition of the Federal Register 

and the Code of Federal Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 

can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dated: March 2, 2012. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5565 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Project; Traumatic Brain Injury Model 

Systems Centers 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: 

Proposed priority—National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research—Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research Projects and Centers 

Program—Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research Project—Traumatic Brain 

Injury Model Systems Centers. 

CFDA Number: 84.133A–5. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services proposes a priority under the 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program 

administered by the National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this 

notice proposes a priority for Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research Projects 

(DRRPs) to serve as Traumatic Brain 

Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) Centers. 

The Assistant Secretary may use this 

priority for competitions in fiscal year 

(FY) 2012 and later years. We take this 

action to focus research attention on 

areas of national need. We intend this 

priority to contribute to improved 

outcomes for individuals with traumatic 

brain injury. 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

on or before April 6, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about 

this notice to Marlene Spencer, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 5133, Potomac 

Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 

20202–2700. 

If you prefer to send your comments 

by email, use the following address: 

marlene.spencer@ed.gov. You must 

include ‘‘Proposed Priority for 

Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems 

(TBIMS) Centers’’ in the subject line of 

your electronic message. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marlene Spencer. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7532 or by email: 

marlene.spencer@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

This notice of proposed priority is in 

concert with NIDRR’s currently 

approved Long-Range Plan (Plan). The 

Plan, which was published in the 

Federal Register on February 15, 2006 

(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the 

Internet at the following site: http:// 

www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/ 

other/2006-1/021506d.pdf. 

Through the implementation of the 

Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve the 

quality and utility of disability and 

rehabilitation research; (2) foster an 

exchange of expertise, information, and 

training to facilitate the advancement of 

knowledge and understanding of the 

unique needs of traditionally 

underserved populations; (3) determine 

best strategies and programs to improve 

rehabilitation outcomes for underserved 

populations; (4) identify research gaps; 

(5) identify mechanisms of integrating 

research and practice; and (6) 

disseminate findings. 

This notice proposes a priority that 

NIDRR intends to use for a DRRP 

competition in FY 2012 and possibly 

later years. However, nothing precludes 

NIDRR from publishing additional 

priorities, if needed. Furthermore, 

NIDRR is under no obligation to make 

an award for this priority. The decision 

to make an award will be based on the 

quality of applications received and 

available funding. 

Invitation to Comment: We invite you 

to submit comments regarding this 

notice. To ensure that your comments 

have maximum effect in developing the 

notice of final priority, we urge you to 

identify clearly the specific topic that 

each comment addresses. 

We invite you to assist us in 

complying with the specific 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 13579 

requirements of Executive Orders 12866 

and 13563 and their overall requirement 

of reducing regulatory burden that 

might result from this proposed priority. 

Please let us know of any further ways 

we could reduce potential costs or 

increase potential benefits while 

preserving the effective and efficient 

administration of the program. 

During and after the comment period, 

you may inspect all public comments 

about this notice in Room 5133, 550 

12th Street SW., PCP, Washington, DC, 

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 

p.m., Washington, DC time, Monday 

through Friday of each week except 

Federal holidays. 

Assistance to Individuals With 

Disabilities in Reviewing the 

Rulemaking Record: On request we will 

provide an appropriate accommodation 

or auxiliary aid to an individual with a 

disability who needs assistance to 

review the comments or other 

documents in the public rulemaking 

record for this notice. If you want to 

schedule an appointment for this type of 

accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research Projects and Centers Program 

is to plan and conduct research, 

demonstration projects, training, and 

related activities, including 

international activities, to develop 

methods, procedures, and rehabilitation 

technology, that maximize the full 

inclusion and integration into society, 

employment, independent living, family 

support, and economic and social selfsufficiency of individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities, and to 

improve the effectiveness of services 

authorized under the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation 

Act). 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects 

The purpose of NIDRR’s DRRPs, 

which are funded through the Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research Projects 

and Centers Program, are to improve the 

effectiveness of services authorized 

under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 

amended, by developing methods, 

procedures, and rehabilitation 

technologies that advance a wide range 

of independent living and employment 

outcomes for individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities. DRRPs 

carry out one or more of the following 

types of activities, as specified and 

defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 

350.19: Research, training, 

demonstration, development, 

dissemination, utilization, and technical 

assistance. 

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) 

and 764(a). 

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 

CFR part 350. 

PROPOSED PRIORITY: 

This notice contains one proposed 

priority. 

Traumatic Brain Injury Model 

Systems (TBIMS) Centers. 

Background: 

The Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) report that each year 

in the United States at least 1.7 million 

people sustain a traumatic brain injury 

(TBI). Of these, approximately 52,000 

die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.3 

million are treated and released from 

emergency departments (CDC, 2010; 

Faul, Xu, Wald, & Coronado, 2010). 

These estimates do not include those 

individuals who sustained a TBI and 

did not seek medical care, those seen 

only in private doctors’ offices, or those 

treated in military or veteran health care 

facilities. The leading causes of TBI are 

falls (35.2 percent), motor vehicle/traffic 

collisions (17.3 percent), struck by/ 

against events (16.5 percent), and 

assaults (10 percent) (Faul et al., 2010). 

Blasts are a leading cause of TBI among 

active duty military personnel serving 

in war zones (Defense and Veterans 

Brain Injury Center, 2011a). The number 

of TBIs experienced by members of the 

U.S. Armed Forces between the start of 

2000 and the end of the second quarter 

of 2011 is reported to be 220,430 

(Defense and Veterans Brain Injury 

Center, 2011b). 

Common disabilities resulting from 

TBI include problems with cognition, 

sensory processing, communication, 

and behavioral or mental health; and 

some TBI survivors develop long-term 

medical complications (National 

Institute of Neurological Disorders and 

Stroke, 2011). Direct medical costs and 

indirect costs such as lost productivity 

associated with TBI totaled an estimated 

$76.5 billion in the United States in 

2010 (CDC, 2011). Despite the 

prevalence of TBI and the disabilities 

that often follow, less than 20 percent of 

the management guidelines for TBI are 

supported by either Class I (prospective, 

randomized, controlled trials with 

masked outcome assessment, in a 

representative population) or Class II 

(prospective matched group cohort 

study in a representative population 

with masked outcome assessments) 

research evidence (Maas, Roozenbeek, & 

Manley, 2010). 

The Traumatic Brain Injury Model 

Systems Centers (TBIMS Centers) 

program was created by NIDRR in 1987 

to demonstrate the benefits of a 

coordinated system of neurotrauma and 

rehabilitation care and to conduct 

innovative research on all aspects of 

care for those who sustain TBI. The 

mission of the TBIMS Centers is to 

improve the lives of persons who 

experience TBI, and of their families 

and communities, by creating and 

disseminating new knowledge about the 

natural course of TBI and rehabilitation 

treatment and outcomes following TBI. 

The influence of the program was 

expanded in the current grant cycle 

through numerous TBI interagency 

initiatives with the U.S. Departments of 

Veterans Affairs and Defense, the 

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke, the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, and the 

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury 

Center. 

NIDRR currently funds 16 TBIMS 

Centers, which are located throughout 

the United States. These centers provide 

comprehensive systems of brain injury 

care to individuals who sustain TBI and 

conduct TBI research, including clinical 

research and the analysis of 

standardized data in collaboration with 

other related projects. Since 1989, the 

TBIMS Centers have collected and 

contributed information on common 

data elements for a centralized TBIMS 

database, which is maintained through 

a NIDRR-funded grant for a National 

Data and Statistical Center for the 

TBIMS Centers. (Additional information 

on the TBIMS database can be found at 

http://tbindsc.org). The TBI National 

Data and Statistical Center for the 

TBIMS Centers coordinates data 

collection, manages the TBIMS 

database, and provides statistical 

support to the model systems projects. 

As of December, 2011, TBIMS Centers 

have contributed 10,631 cases to the 

TBIMS database, with follow-up data 

available to date for 8,136 participants 

at 1 year post injury; 6,889 at 2 years 

post injury; 4,425 at 5 years post injury; 

1,834 at 10 years post injury; and 484 

at 20 years post injury. 

Through this priority, we seek to fund 

new TBIMS Centers that will continue 

to provide a coordinated, 

multidisciplinary system of 

rehabilitation care specifically designed 

to meet the needs of individuals with 

TBI. These services would span the 

continuum of treatment from acute care 

through community re-entry. Under this 

priority, TBIMS Centers would engage 

in initiatives and new approaches and 

maintain close working relationships 

with other governmental and non-profit 

institutions and organizations to 

coordinate scientific efforts, encourage 

joint planning, and promote the 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
13580 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

interchange of data and reports among 

TBI researchers. As part of these 

cooperative efforts, TBIMS Centers 

would participate in collaborative 

research projects that range from pilot 

research to more extensive studies. 

A committee consisting of the 

individual TBIMS project directors has, 

since its inception, guided the TBIMS 

Centers program. This group meets biannually in Washington, DC, and, in 

consultation with NIDRR, develops and 

oversees the policies of the TBIMS 

Centers. NIDRR intends to form such a 

committee with the project directors 

awarded grants under this proposed 

priority. 

References: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

(2010). Injury prevention & control: 

Traumatic brain injury. Retrieved December 

2, 2011, from www.cdc.gov/ 

traumaticbraininjury/statistics.html. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

(2011). Severe traumatic brain injury. 

Retrieved December 2, 2011, from 

www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/ 

severe.html. 

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. 

(2011a). TBI facts: What is a traumatic brain 

injury? Retrieved December 2, 2011, from 

www.dvbic.org/TBI---The-Military/TBIFacts.aspx. 

Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. 

(2011b). DOD worldwide numbers for TBI— 

Archives. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from 

www.dvbic.org/Archive-of-DoD-Numbers-forTBI.aspx. 

Faul, M., Xu, L., Wald, M.M., & Coronado, 

V.G. (2010). Traumatic brain injury in the 

United States: Emergency department visits, 

hospitalizations, and deaths 2002–2006. 

Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, National Center for Injury 

Prevention and Control. 

Maas, A.I.R., Roozenbeek, R., & Manley, 

G.T. (2010). Clinical trials in traumatic brain 

injury: Past experience and current 

developments. Neurotherapeutics, 7, 115– 

126. 

National Institute of Neurological 

Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). (2011, April). 

Traumatic brain injury: Hope through 

research. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes 

of Health. NIH Publication No. 02–2478. 

Retrieved December 2, 2011, from 

www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/ 

detail_tbi.htm. 

Proposed Priority: 

The Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services 

proposes a priority for the funding of 

Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems 

(TBIMS) Centers under the Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research Projects 

(DRRP) program. The TBIMS Centers 

must provide comprehensive, 

multidisciplinary services to 

individuals with traumatic brain injury 

(TBI) and conduct research that 

contributes to the development of 

evidence-based rehabilitation 

interventions and clinical and practice 

guidelines. 

For purposes of this priority, the term 

traumatic brain injury or TBI is defined 

as damage to brain tissue caused by an 

external mechanical force as evidenced 

by loss of consciousness or posttraumatic amnesia due to brain trauma 

or by objective neurological findings 

that can be reasonably attributed to TBI 

on physical examination or mental 

status examination. Both penetrating 

and non-penetrating wounds that fit this 

criteria are included, but, primary 

anoxic encephalopathy is not. 

The TBIMS Centers must generate 

new knowledge that can be used to 

improve outcomes of individuals with 

TBI in one or more domains identified 

in NIDRR’s currently approved Long 

Range Plan, published in the Federal 

Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 

8165): Health and function, community 

living and participation, technology, 

and employment. Each TBIMS Center 

must contribute to this outcome by: 

(a) Providing a multidisciplinary 

system of rehabilitation care specifically 

designed to meet the needs of 

individuals with TBI. The system must 

encompass a continuum of care, 

including emergency medical services, 

acute care services, acute medical 

rehabilitation services, and post-acute 

services; 

(b) Continuing the assessment of longterm outcomes of individuals with TBI 

by enrolling at least 35 subjects per year 

into the TBIMS database, following 

established protocols for the collection 

of enrollment and follow-up data on 

subjects (found at http:// 

www.tbindsc.org/); 

Note: TBIMS Centers will be funded at 

varying amounts up to the maximum award 

based on the numbers of TBIMS database 

participants from whom TBIMS Centers must 

collect follow-up data. TBIMS Centers that 

have previously been TBIMS grantees with 

large numbers of database participants will 

receive more funding within the specified 

range than TBIMS Centers with fewer 

participants, as determined by NIDRR after 

applicants are selected for funding. 

Applicants must include in their budgets 

specific estimates of their costs for follow-up 

data collection. Funding will be determined 

individually for each successful applicant, 

up to the maximum allowed, based upon the 

documented workload associated with the 

follow-up data collection, other costs of the 

grant, and the overall budget of the research 

project. 

(c) Proposing and conducting at least 

one, but no more than two, site-specific 

research projects to test innovative 

approaches to treating TBI or to assess 

outcomes of individuals with TBI. Sitespecific research projects must focus on 

outcomes in one or more domains 

identified in the Plan: Health and 

function, community living and 

participation, technology, and 

employment; 

Note: Applicants who propose more than 

two site-specific research projects will be 

disqualified. 

(d) Participating as research 

collaborators in at least one module 

project. Module projects are research 

collaborations with one or more TBIMS 

Centers on topics of mutual interest and 

expertise. Such module projects must be 

carried out as part of the TBIMS 

Centers’ activities. They must not be 

part of a current TBIMS Multi-Site 

Collaborative Project, which the 

Department funded under a separate 

priority (see the notice inviting 

applications, published in the Federal 

Register on February 1, 2008 (73 FR 

6162) and the associated notice of final 

priority, published in the Federal 

Register on February 1, 2008 (73 FR 

6132). 

Note: Applicants should not propose a 

specific module project in their application. 

While all TBIMS Centers grantees are 

required to participate as research 

collaborators in at least one module project, 

they are not required to develop any module 

project on their own. Immediately following 

the announcement of awards under this 

priority, TBIMS Centers that are interested in 

proposing module projects may identify 

module topics, identify potential 

collaborators from among the other TBIMS 

Centers, and propose research protocols for 

the potential modules. At the first TBIMS 

Centers Project Directors’ meeting, Project 

Directors will review, discuss, and decide 

upon specific module projects to implement. 

NIDRR staff will facilitate this post-award 

discussion and negotiation among TBIMS 

Centers grantees. Once these module projects 

are agreed upon by the Project Directors, each 

TBIMS Center must participate in at least one 

of them. 

(e) Demonstrating, in its application, 

its capacity to successfully engage in 

multi-site collaborative research on TBI. 

This capacity includes access to 

research participants, the ability to 

maintain data quality, and the ability to 

adhere to research protocols; 

(f) Spending at least 15 percent of its 

annual budget on participating in a 

module project, as described in 

paragraph (d) of this priority; 

(g) Spending $5,000 of its total budget 

towards the costs of a state-of-thescience conference to be planned and 

executed with input and participation 

by the TBIMS Centers; 

(h) Coordinating with the NIDRRfunded Model Systems Knowledge 

Translation Center (MSKTC; http:// 

www.msktc.org/) to provide scientific 

results and information for 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 13581 

dissemination to clinical and consumer 

audiences; 

(i) Addressing the needs of 

individuals with TBI, including 

individuals from one or more 

traditionally underserved populations; 

and 

(j) Ensuring that the input of 

individuals with TBI is used to shape 

TBIMS research. 

Types of Priorities: 

When inviting applications for a 

competition using one or more 

priorities, we designate the type of each 

priority as absolute, competitive 

preference, or invitational through a 

notice in the Federal Register. The 

effect of each type of priority follows: 

Absolute priority: Under an absolute 

priority, we consider only applications 

that meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3)). 

Competitive preference priority: 

Under a competitive preference priority, 

we give competitive preference to an 

application by (1) awarding additional 

points, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets the priority 

(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting 

an application that meets the priority 

over an application of comparable merit 

that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(ii)). 

Invitational priority: Under an 

invitational priority, we are particularly 

interested in applications that meet the 

priority. However, we do not give an 

application that meets the priority a 

preference over other applications (34 

CFR 75.105(c)(1)). 

Final Priority: 

We will announce the final priority in 

a notice in the Federal Register. We will 

determine the final priority after 

considering responses to this notice and 

other information available to the 

Department. This notice does not 

preclude us from proposing additional 

priorities, requirements, definitions, or 

selection criteria, subject to meeting 

applicable rulemaking requirements. 

Note: This notice does not solicit 

applications. In any year in which we choose 

to use this priority, we invite applications 

through a notice in the Federal Register. 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563: 

Regulatory Impact Analysis 

Under Executive Order 12866, the 

Secretary must determine whether this 

regulatory action is ‘‘significant’’ and, 

therefore, subject to the requirements of 

the Executive order and subject to 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive 

Order 12866 defines a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ as an action likely to 

result in a rule that may— 

(1) Have an annual effect on the 

economy of $100 million or more, or 

adversely affect a sector of the economy, 

productivity, competition, jobs, the 

environment, public health or safety, or 

State, local or Tribal governments or 

communities in a material way (also 

referred to as an ‘‘economically 

significant’’ rule); 

(2) Create serious inconsistency or 

otherwise interfere with an action taken 

or planned by another agency; 

(3) Materially alter the budgetary 

impacts of entitlement grants, user fees, 

or loan programs or the rights and 

obligations of recipients thereof; or 

(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues 

arising out of legal mandates, the 

President’s priorities, or the principles 

stated in the Executive order. 

This proposed regulatory action is not 

a significant regulatory action subject to 

review by OMB under section 3(f) of 

Executive Order 12866. 

We have also reviewed this regulatory 

action under Executive Order 13563, 

which supplements and explicitly 

reaffirms the principles, structures, and 

definitions governing regulatory review 

established in Executive Order 12866. 

To the extent permitted by law, 

Executive Order 13563 requires that an 

agency— 

(1) Propose or adopt regulations only 

on a reasoned determination that their 

benefits justify their costs (recognizing 

that some benefits and costs are difficult 

to quantify); 

(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the 

least burden on society, consistent with 

obtaining regulatory objectives and 

taking into account—among other things 

and to the extent practicable—the costs 

of cumulative regulations; 

(3) In choosing among alternative 

regulatory approaches, select those 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety, 

and other advantages; distributive 

impacts; and equity); 

(4) To the extent feasible, specify 

performance objectives, rather than the 

behavior or manner of compliance a 

regulated entity must adopt; and 

(5) Identify and assess available 

alternatives to direct regulation, 

including economic incentives—such as 

user fees or marketable permits—to 

encourage the desired behavior, or 

provide information that enables the 

public to make choices. 

Executive Order 13563 also requires 

an agency ‘‘to use the best available 

techniques to quantify anticipated 

present and future benefits and costs as 

accurately as possible.’’ The Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs of 

OMB has emphasized that these 

techniques may include ‘‘identifying 

changing future compliance costs that 

might result from technological 

innovation or anticipated behavioral 

changes.’’ 

We are taking this regulatory action 

only on a reasoned determination that 

its benefits justify its costs. In choosing 

among alternative regulatory 

approaches, we selected those 

approaches that maximize net benefits. 

Based on the analysis that follows, the 

Department believes that this proposed 

priority is consistent with the principles 

in Executive Order 13563. 

We also have determined that this 

regulatory action would not unduly 

interfere with State, local, and Tribal 

governments in the exercise of their 

governmental functions. 

In accordance with both Executive 

orders, the Department has assessed the 

potential costs and benefits of this 

regulatory action. The potential costs 

associated with this regulatory action 

are those resulting from statutory 

requirements and those we have 

determined as necessary for 

administering the Department’s 

programs and activities. 

The benefits of the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Programs have been well 

established over the years in that similar 

projects have been completed 

successfully. This proposed priority 

would generate new knowledge through 

research and development. Another 

benefit of this proposed priority is that 

the establishment of new DRRPs would 

improve the lives of individuals with 

disabilities. The new DRRP would 

generate, disseminate, and promote the 

use of new information that would 

improve the options for individuals 

with disabilities to perform activities of 

their choice in the community. 

Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is not subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

by contacting the Grants and Contracts 

Services Team, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll 

free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the 

official edition of the Federal Register 

and the Code of Federal Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
13582 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 

can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dated: March 2, 2012. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5576 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Project; Burn Model Systems Centers 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: 

Proposed priority—National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDRR)—Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Program—Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Project 

(DRRP)—Burn Model Systems Centers. 

CFDA Number: 84.133A–3. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services proposes a priority under the 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program 

administered by the National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this 

notice proposes a priority for DRRPs 

that will serve as Burn Model Systems 

(BMS) Centers. The Assistant Secretary 

may use this priority for competitions in 

fiscal year (FY) 2012 and later years. We 

take this action to focus research 

attention on areas of national need. We 

intend this priority to contribute to 

improved outcomes for individuals with 

burn injury. 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

on or before April 6, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about 

this notice to Lynn Medley, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 5140, Potomac 

Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 

20202–2700. 

If you prefer to send your comments 

by email, use the following address: 

lynn.medley@ed.gov. You must include 

‘‘Proposed Priority for Burn Model 

Systems (BMS) Centers’’ in the subject 

line of your electronic message. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynn Medley. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7338 or by email: Lynn.Medley@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

This notice of proposed priority is in 

concert with NIDRR’s currently 

approved Long-Range Plan (Plan). The 

Plan, which was published in the 

Federal Register on February 15, 2006 

(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the 

Internet at the following site: http:// 

www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/ 

other/2006–1/021506d.pdf. 

Through the implementation of the 

Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve the 

quality and utility of disability and 

rehabilitation research; (2) foster an 

exchange of expertise, information, and 

training to facilitate the advancement of 

knowledge and understanding of the 

unique needs of traditionally 

underserved populations; (3) determine 

best strategies and programs to improve 

rehabilitation outcomes for underserved 

populations; (4) identify research gaps; 

(5) identify mechanisms of integrating 

research and practice; and (6) 

disseminate findings. 

This notice proposes a priority that 

NIDRR intends to use for a DRRP 

competition in FY 2012 and possibly 

later years. However, nothing precludes 

NIDRR from publishing additional 

priorities, if needed. Furthermore, 

NIDRR is under no obligation to make 

an award for this priority. The decision 

to make an award will be based on the 

quality of applications received and 

available funding. 

Invitation to Comment: We invite you 

to submit comments regarding this 

notice. To ensure that your comments 

have maximum effect in developing the 

notice of final priority, we urge you to 

identify clearly the specific topic that 

each comment addresses. 

We invite you to assist us in 

complying with the specific 

requirements of Executive Orders 12866 

and 13563 and their overall requirement 

of reducing regulatory burden that 

might result from this proposed priority. 

Please let us know of any further ways 

we could reduce potential costs or 

increase potential benefits while 

preserving the effective and efficient 

administration of the program. 

During and after the comment period, 

you may inspect all public comments 

about this notice in room 5140, 550 12th 

Street SW., PCP, Washington, DC, 

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 

p.m., Washington, DC time, Monday 

through Friday of each week except 

Federal holidays. 

Assistance to Individuals With 

Disabilities in Reviewing the 

Rulemaking Record: On request we will 

provide an appropriate accommodation 

or auxiliary aid to an individual with a 

disability who needs assistance to 

review the comments or other 

documents in the public rulemaking 

record for this notice. If you want to 

schedule an appointment for this type of 

accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research Projects and Centers Program 

is to plan and conduct research, 

demonstration projects, training, and 

related activities, including 

international activities, to develop 

methods, procedures, and rehabilitation 

technology, that maximize the full 

inclusion and integration into society, 

employment, independent living, family 

support, and economic and social selfsufficiency of individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities, and to 

improve the effectiveness of services 

authorized under the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation 

Act). 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects 

The purpose of NIDRR’s DRRPs, 

which are funded through the Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research Projects 

and Centers Program, are to improve the 

effectiveness of services authorized 

under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 

amended, by developing methods, 

procedures, and rehabilitation 

technologies that advance a wide range 

of independent living and employment 

outcomes for individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities. DRRPs 

carry out one or more of the following 

types of activities, as specified and 

defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 

350.19: Research, training, 

demonstration, development, 

dissemination, utilization, and technical 

assistance. 

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) 

and 764(a). 

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 

CFR part 350. 

Proposed Priority: 

This notice contains one proposed 

priority. 

Burn Model Systems (BMS) Centers. 


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