[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15760-15767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06880]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Rehabilitation Training: 
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program--Rehabilitation Specialty 
Areas

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information: Rehabilitation Services Administration 
(RSA)--Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training 
Program--Rehabilitation Specialty Areas.
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.129Q and 
W.


DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 25, 2015.
    Date of Pre-Application Webinar: April 8, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 26, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program 
provides financial assistance for projects that provide--
    (1) Basic or advanced training leading to an academic degree in 
areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the 
Secretary;
    (2) A specified series of courses or program of study leading to 
the award of a certificate in areas of personnel shortages in 
rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary; and
    (3) Support for medical residents enrolled in residency training 
programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for 
this program, published on July 23, 2014 in the Federal Register (79 FR 
42680).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Rehabilitation Specialty Areas.
    The purpose of the priority is to fund programs leading to a 
master's degree or certificate in one of two specialty areas: 
Rehabilitation of Individuals Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (84.129Q) 
and Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (84.129W). The goal 
of this priority is to increase the skills of scholars in these 
rehabilitation specialty areas so that, upon successful completion of 
their master's degree or certificate programs, they are prepared to 
effectively meet the needs and demands of individuals with 
disabilities.
    Under this priority, applicants must:
    (a) Provide data on the current and projected employment needs and

[[Page 15761]]

personnel shortages in the specialty area in State VR agencies and 
other related agencies as defined in 34 CFR 386.4 in their local area, 
region, and State, and describe how the proposed program will address 
those employment needs and personnel shortages.
    (b) Describe how the proposed program will provide rehabilitation 
professionals with the skills and knowledge that will help ensure that 
the individuals with disabilities whom they serve can meet current 
demands and emerging trends in the labor market, including how:
    (1) The curriculum provides a breadth of knowledge, experience, and 
rigor that will adequately prepare scholars to meet the employment 
needs and goals of VR consumers and aligns with evidence-based and 
competency-based practices in the rehabilitation specialty area;
    (2) The curriculum prepares scholars to meet all applicable 
certification standards;
    (3) The curriculum addresses new or emerging consumer needs or 
trends at the national, State, and regional levels in the 
rehabilitation specialty area;
    (4) The curriculum teaches scholars to address the needs of 
individuals with disabilities who are from diverse cultural 
backgrounds;
    (5) The curriculum trains scholars to assess the assistive 
technology needs of consumers, identify the most appropriate assistive 
technology services and devices for assisting consumers to obtain and 
retain employment, and train consumers to use such technology;
    (6) The curriculum teaches scholars to work with employers 
effectively in today's economy, including by teaching strategies for 
developing relationships with employers in their State and local areas, 
identifying employer needs and skill demands, making initial employer 
contacts, presenting job-ready clients to potential employers, and 
conducting follow-up with employers; and
    (7) The latest technology is incorporated into the methods of 
instruction (e.g., the use of distance education to reach scholars who 
live far from the university and the use of technology to acquire labor 
market information).
    (c) Describe their methods to:
    (1) Recruit highly capable prospective scholars who have the 
potential to successfully complete the academic program, all required 
practicum and internship experiences, and the required service 
obligation;
    (2) Educate potential scholars about the terms and conditions of 
the service obligation under 34 CFR 386.4, 386.34, and 386.40 through 
386.43 so that they will be fully informed before accepting a 
scholarship;
    (3) Maintain a system that ensures that scholars sign a payback 
agreement and an exit form when they exit the program, regardless of 
whether they drop out, are removed, or successfully complete the 
program;
    (4) Provide academic support and counseling to scholars throughout 
the course of the academic program to ensure successful completion;
    (5) Ensure that all scholars complete an internship in a State VR 
agency or a related agency as a requirement for completion of a program 
leading to a master's degree. The internship must be in a State VR 
agency unless the VR agency does not directly perform work related to 
the scholar's course of study or an applicant can provide sufficient 
justification that it is not feasible for all students receiving 
scholarships to complete an internship in a State VR agency. In such 
cases, the applicant may require scholars to complete an internship in 
a related agency, as defined in 34 CFR 386.4. Circumstances that would 
constitute sufficient justification may include, but are not limited 
to, a lack of capacity at the State VR agency to provide adequate 
supervision of scholars during their internship experience and the 
physical distance between scholars and the nearest office of the State 
VR agency (e.g., for scholars enrolled in distance-learning programs or 
at rural institutions). Applicants should include a written 
justification in the application or provide it to RSA for review and 
approval by the appropriate RSA Project Officer no later than 30 days 
prior to a scholar beginning an internship in a related agency. For 
applicants proposing a certificate program, the requirement for an 
internship in a State VR agency or a related agency is waived unless 
the certificate program has an internship requirement.
    (6) Provide career counseling, including informing scholars of 
professional contacts and networks, job leads, and other necessary 
resources and information to support scholars in successfully obtaining 
and retaining qualifying employment;
    (7) Maintain regular contact with scholars upon successful program 
completion to ensure that they have support during their search for 
qualifying employment as well as support during the initial months of 
their employment (e.g., by matching scholars with mentors in the 
field);
    (8) Maintain regular communication with scholars after program exit 
to ensure that their contact information is current and that 
documentation of employment is accurate and meets the regulatory 
requirements for qualifying employment; and
    (9) Maintain accurate information on, while safeguarding the 
privacy of, current and former scholars from the time they are enrolled 
in the program until they successfully meet their service obligation.
    (d) Describe a plan for developing and maintaining partnerships 
with State VR agencies and community-based rehabilitation service 
providers that includes:
    (1) Coordination between the grantee and the State VR agencies and 
community-based rehabilitation service providers that will promote 
qualifying employment opportunities for scholars and formalized on-
boarding and induction experiences for new hires;
    (2) Formal opportunities for scholars to obtain work experiences 
through internships, practicum agreements, job shadowing, and mentoring 
opportunities; and
    (3) When applicable, a scholar internship assessment tool that is 
developed to ensure a consistent approach to the evaluation of scholars 
in a particular program. The tool should reflect the specific 
responsibilities of the scholar during the internship. The grantee and 
worksite supervisor are encouraged to work together as they see fit to 
develop the assessment tool. Supervisors at the internship site will 
complete the assessment detailing the scholar's strengths and areas for 
improvement that must be addressed and provide the results of the 
assessment to the grantee. The grantee should ensure that (i) scholars 
are provided with a copy of the assessment and all relevant rubrics 
prior to beginning their internship, (ii) supervisors have sufficient 
technical support to accurately complete the assessment, and (iii) 
scholars receive a copy of the results of the assessment within 90 days 
of the end of their internship.
    (e) Describe how scholars will be evaluated throughout the entire 
program to ensure that they are proficient in meeting the needs and 
demands of today's consumers and employers, including the steps that 
will be taken to provide assistance to a scholar who is not meeting 
academic standards or who is performing poorly in a practicum or 
internship setting.
    (f) Describe how the program will be evaluated. Such a description 
must include:
    (1) How the program will determine its effect over a period of time 
on filling vacancies in the State VR agency with qualified 
rehabilitation professionals

[[Page 15762]]

capable of providing quality services to consumers;
    (2) How input from State VR agencies and community-based 
rehabilitation service providers will be included in the evaluation;
    (3) How feedback from consumers of VR services and employers 
(including the assessments described in paragraph (d)(3)) will be 
included in the evaluation;
    (4) How data from other sources, such as those from the Department 
on the State VR program, will be included in the evaluation; and
    (5) How the data and results from the evaluation will be used to 
make necessary adjustments and improvements to the program.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: In deciding whether to 
continue funding any Rehabilitation Long-Term Training project for the 
fourth and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 
34 CFR 75.253(a), and in addition--
    (a) The recommendation of the RSA project officer who will monitor 
the reported annual performance of the grantee's training program and 
measure progress towards achieving the projections in the grantee's 
application. This review will consider the number of students actually 
enrolled in the grantee's training program, the number of students who 
successfully enter qualifying employment with State vocational 
rehabilitation (VR) agencies, and the number of students who obtain 
qualifying employment in related agencies;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the grant award have been or are being met by the grantee, including 
the submission of annual performance reports and annual RSA scholar 
payback program reports, and adherence to fiduciary responsibilities 
related to the budget submitted in the application; and
    (c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the grantee's 
training program and activities, and the degree to which the training 
program and activities and their outcomes have contributed to 
significantly improving the quality of VR professionals ready for 
employment with State VR agencies and related agencies, as measured by 
the percentage of students entering eligible employment under 34 CFR 
386.34.
    Grantees must also provide assurances that they will abide by all 
of the administrative and performance reporting requirements associated 
with the RSA scholar payback program reports and will retain all the 
documentation, including the scholarship agreement, exit forms, and any 
other documentation, necessary to ensure students understand their 
financial responsibilities and liabilities under this program (34 CFR 
part 386).

    Note:  While applicants may not hire staff or select trainees 
based on race or national origin/ethnicity, they may conduct 
outreach activities to increase the pool of eligible minority 
candidates. We may disqualify and not consider for funding any 
applicant that indicates that it will hire or train a certain number 
or percentage of minority candidates.


    Program Authority:  29 U.S.C. 772.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies 
on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 
part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 
CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations for 
this program in 34 CFR parts 385 and 386. (e) The notice of final 
priority published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2014 (79 FR 
42680).

    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply only to 
institutions of higher education (IHEs).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,450,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
    Maximum Award: See chart.
    Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.
    Project Period: See chart.

                                               Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program--Rehabilitation Specialty Areas
                                                                             Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2015
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                                                                                                                   Maximum
                                                    Deadline for                                    Estimated       award
                                      Applications   transmittal                                     average       (budget     Estimated
          CFDA No. and name             available        of          Estimated range of awards       size of      period of    number of          Project period              Contact person
                                                    applications                                      awards     12 months)      awards
                                                                                                                     \1\
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Rehabilitation of Individuals Who          3/25/15       5/26/15  $140,000-$150,000..............     $145,000      $150,000            3  Up to 60 months.............  Don Bunuan, 202-245-
 are Deaf or Hard of Hearing                                                                                                                                              6616,
 (84.129Q).                                                                                                                                                               <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a6e656424687f647f6b644a6f6e246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="563239387834233823373816333278313920">[email protected]</span></a>,
                                                                                                                                                                          PCP, Room 5046.
Comprehensive System of Personnel     ............  ............  $190,000-$200,000..............      195,000       200,000           15  Up to 60 months.............  Karen Holliday, 202-245-
 Development (84.129W).                                                                                                                                                   7318,
                                                                                                                                                                          <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e58e8497808bcb8d8a89898c81849ca58081cb828a93"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="751e1407101b5b1d1a19191c11140c3510115b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>,
                                                                                                                                                                          PCP, Room 5090.
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\1\ We will reject any application under 84.129Q that proposes a budget exceeding $150,000 for a single budget period of 12 months, and we will reject any application under 84.129W that
  proposes a budget exceeding $200,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through
  a notice published in the Federal Register.


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

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and 
organizations, including Indian tribes and IHEs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing of at least 10 percent of 
the total cost of the project is required of grantees under the 
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program. The Secretary may

[[Page 15763]]

waive part of the non-Federal share of the cost of the project after 
negotiations if the applicant demonstrates that it does not have 
sufficient resources to contribute the entire match (34 CFR 386.30).

    Note:  Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on 
a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect 
costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, 
or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever 
amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the limit may not be 
charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-sharing 
requirements, or charged to another Federal award.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 
ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If 
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7c2c3d7d2c5d4e7cec9c2d389c2c389c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b0d5d4c0c5d2c3f0d9ded5c49ed5d49ed7dfc6">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.129Q or 84.129W.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the 
application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 45 pages, using 
the following standards:
    <bullet> A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    <bullet> Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    <bullet> Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    <bullet> Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    The page limit of 45 pages applies to all of the application 
narrative section, Part III. We will reject your application if you 
exceed the page limit for Part III, or if you apply other standards and 
exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
    However, the page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; 
Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page double-spaced abstract.
    If you submit optional materials such as resumes, a bibliography, 
or letters of support, please limit these materials to a total of no 
more than 30 pages.
    Please note that, if you receive funding under the competition, the 
abstract will be made available to the public.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 25, 
2015. Date of Pre-Application Webinar: Interested parties are invited 
to participate in a pre-application webinar. The pre-application 
webinar with staff from the Department will be held on April 8, 2015 at 
2:00 p.m., Washington, DC time. The webinar will be recorded. For 
further information about the pre-application webinar, contact the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 
this notice. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 26, 2015.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: July 23, 2015.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 
Government's primary registrant database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one to two business days.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for

[[Page 15764]]

Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the 
Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your 
DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make 
any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with 
your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update 
your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Rehabilitation Training: 
Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--Rehabilitation Specialty Areas 
competition, CFDA numbers 84.129Q and W, must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at 
www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy 
of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and 
submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a 
grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the 
Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program--
Rehabilitation Specialty Areas competition at www.Grants.gov. You must 
search for the downloadable application package for this competition by 
the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.129, not 84.129Q or W).
    Please note the following:
    <bullet> When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
    <bullet> Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
    <bullet> The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
    <bullet> You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.gov.
    <bullet> You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
    <bullet> You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: The 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.
    <bullet> You must upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) 
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or 
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 
non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not 
review that material.
    <bullet> Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
    <bullet> After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by email. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
    <bullet> We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

[[Page 15765]]

    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this 
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether 
your application will be accepted.

    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
    <bullet> You do not have access to the Internet; or
    <bullet> You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system;

and

    <bullet> No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Karen Holliday, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5090, PCP, 
Washington, DC 20202-2800. FAX: (202) 245-7318.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.129Q or W), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. You must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.129Q or W), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center 
accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and 34 CFR 386.20 and are listed in the 
application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 
conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially 
stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or 
other management system that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or 
is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package

[[Page 15766]]

and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    In addition, all Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--Rehabilitation 
Specialty Areas grantees must submit the following quantitative and 
qualitative data in an annual performance report:
    (a) Program activities that occurred during each fiscal year from 
October 1 to March 31 and projected program activities to occur from 
April 1 to September 30. For subsequent reporting years, grantees 
confirm projections made from the prior year;
    (b) Summary of academic support and counseling provided to scholars 
to ensure successful completion;
    (c) Summary of career counseling provided to scholars upon program 
completion to ensure that they have support during their search for 
qualifying employment, as well as during the initial months of their 
employment. This may include, but is not limited to, informing scholars 
of professional contacts, network opportunities, and job leads, 
matching scholars with mentors in the field, and connecting scholars to 
other necessary resources and information;
    (d) Summary of partnership and coordination activities with State 
VR agencies and community-based rehabilitation providers. This may 
include but is not limited to obtaining input and feedback regarding 
curricula from State VR agencies and community-based rehabilitation 
providers; organizing internships, practicum agreements, job shadowing, 
and mentoring opportunities; and assessing scholars at the work site;
    (e) Assistance provided to scholars who may not be meeting academic 
standards or who are performing poorly in a practicum or internship 
setting;
    (f) Results of the program evaluation, as well as information 
describing how these results will be used to make necessary adjustments 
and improvements to the program;
    (g) Results from scholar internship, practicum, job shadowing, or 
mentoring assessments, as well as information describing how those 
results will be used to ensure that future scholars receive all 
necessary preparation and training prior to program completion;
    (h) Results from scholar evaluations and information describing how 
these results will be used to ensure that future scholars will be 
proficient in meeting the needs and demands of today's consumers and 
employers;
    (i) Number of scholars who began an internship during the reporting 
period;
    (j) Number of scholars who completed an internship during the 
reporting period;
    (k) Number of scholars who dropped out or were dismissed from the 
program during the reporting period;
    (l) Number of scholars receiving RSA scholarships during the 
reporting period;
    (m) Number of scholars who graduated from the program during the 
reporting period;
    (n) Number of scholars who obtained qualifying employment during 
the reporting period;
    (o) Number of vacancies filled in the State VR agency with 
qualified counselors from the program during the reporting period;
    (p) A budget and narrative detailing expenditures covering the 
period of October 1 through March 31 and projected expenditures from 
April 1 through September 30. The budget narrative must also verify 
progress towards meeting the 10 percent match requirement. For 
subsequent reporting years, grantees will confirm projections made from 
the prior year; and
    (q) Other information, as requested by RSA, in order to verify 
substantial progress and effectively report program impact to Congress 
and key stakeholders.
    4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act 
of 1993 (GPRA) directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the 
effectiveness of programs by engaging in strategic planning, setting 
outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program results 
against those goals.
    The goal of RSA's Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term 
Training--Rehabilitation Specialty Areas program is to increase the 
number of qualified VR personnel, including counselors and other 
professional and paraprofessional staff, working in State VR or related 
agencies. At least 75 percent of total project funds must be used for 
direct payment of student scholarships.
    Grantees are required to maintain a system that safeguards the 
privacy of current and former scholars from the time they are enrolled 
in the program until they successfully meet their service obligation 
through qualified employment or monetary repayment. This system must 
ensure that scholars sign a payback agreement and an exit form when 
they exit the program, regardless of whether they drop out, are 
removed, or successfully complete the program. Specifically, each 
grantee is required to maintain the following scholar information:
    (a) Current contact information for all students receiving 
scholarships, including home address, email, and a phone number (home 
or cell);
    (b) A point of contact for each scholar in the event that the 
grantee is unable to contact the student. This contact must be at least 
21 years of age and may be a parent, relative, spouse, partner, 
sibling, or guardian;
    (c) Cumulative financial support granted to scholars;
    (d) Scholar debt in years;
    (e) Program completion date and reason for exit for each scholar;
    (f) Annual documentation from the scholar's employer(s) until the 
scholar completes the service obligation. This documentation must 
include the following elements in order to verify qualified employment: 
Start date of employment to the present date, confirmation of full-time 
or part-time employment (if the scholar is working part-time the number 
of hours per week must be included in the documentation), type of 
employment, and a description of the roles and responsibilities 
performed on the job. This information is required for each employer if 
the scholar has worked in more than one setting in order to meet the 
service obligation.
    If the scholar is employed in a related agency, the agency must 
also provide documentation to validate that there is a relationship 
with the State VR agency.

[[Page 15767]]

This may be a formal or informal contract, cooperative agreement, 
memorandum of understanding, or related document;
    (g) Annual documentation from the scholar's IHE to verify dates of 
deferral, if applicable. The documentation may be prepared by the 
scholar's advisor or department chair and must include: Confirmation of 
enrollment date, estimated graduation date, confirmation that the 
scholar is enrolled in a full-time course of study, and confirmation of 
the scholar's intent to fulfill the service obligation upon completion 
of the program.
    Grantees are required to report annually to RSA on the data 
elements described above using the RSA Grantee Reporting Form, OMB 
number 1820-0617, an electronic reporting system supported by the RSA 
Management Information System (RSA MIS). In addition, grantees are 
required to utilize all forms required by RSA to prepare and process 
repayment, as well as requests for deferral and exceptions. The RSA 
Grantee Reporting Form collects specific data, including the number of 
scholars entering the rehabilitation workforce, the rehabilitation 
field each scholar enters, and the type of employment setting each 
scholar chooses (e.g., State VR agency, nonprofit service provider, or 
professional practice group). This form allows RSA to measure the 
progress towards achieving the goal of increasing the number of 
qualified VR personnel working in State VR and related agencies.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application. In making a 
continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is 
operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved 
application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws 
that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving 
Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 
106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  See chart in the Award Information 
section in this notice for the name, room number, telephone number, and 
email address of the contact person for each specialty area of this 
competition. You can write to the specialty area contact person at the 
following address: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 
SW., Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600.
    If you use a TDD or TTY, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, 
at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    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 20, 2015.
Sue Swenson,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-06880 Filed 3-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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