Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 2015 / Notices 21727 

Award (NOA); or we may send you an 

email containing a link to access an 

electronic version of your NOA. 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 

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 NOA. The 

NOA 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 45 CFR part 75 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 45 CFR part 75. 

(b) At the end of your project period, 

you must submit a final performance 

report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living. 

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 

Administrator of the Administration for 

Community Living under 45 CFR part 

75. All NIDILRR grantees will submit 

their annual and final reports through 

NIDILRR’s online reporting system and 

as designated in the terms and 

conditions of your NOA. The 

Administrator of the Administration for 

Community Living may also require 

more frequent performance reports 

under 45 CFR part 75. For specific 

requirements on reporting, please go to 

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ 

appforms/appforms.html. 

(c) FFATA and FSRS Reporting 

The Federal Financial Accountability 

and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires 

data entry at the FFATA Subaward 

Reporting System (http:// 

www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and 

sub-contracts issued for $25,000 or more 

as well as addressing executive 

compensation for both grantee and subaward organizations. 

For further guidance please see the 

following link: http://www.acl.gov/ 

Funding_Opportunities/Grantee_Info/ 

FFATA.aspx. 

If you receive a multi-year award, you 

must submit an annual performance 

report that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information. Annual and Final 

Performance reports will be submitted 

through NIDILRR’s online Performance 

System and as designated in the terms 

and conditions of your NOA. At the end 

of your project period, you must submit 

a final performance report, including 

financial information. 

Note: NIDILRR will provide 

information by letter to successful 

grantees on how and when to submit the 

report. 

4. Performance Measures: To evaluate 

the overall success of its research 

program, NIDILRR assesses the quality 

of its funded projects through a review 

of grantee performance and 

accomplishments. Each year, NIDILRR 

examines a portion of its grantees to 

determine: 

• The number of products (e.g., new 

or improved tools, methods, discoveries, 

standards, interventions, programs, or 

devices developed or tested with 

NIDILRR funding) that have been judged 

by expert panels to be of high quality 

and to advance the field. 

• The average number of publications 

per award based on NIDILRR-funded 

research and development activities in 

refereed journals. 

• The percentage of new NIDILRR 

grants that assess the effectiveness of 

interventions, programs, and devices 

using rigorous methods. 

NIDILRR uses information submitted 

by grantees as part of their Annual 

Performance Reports for these reviews. 

5. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award, the Administrator 

of the Administration for Community 

Living may consider, under 45 CFR part 

75, the extent to which a grantee has 

made ‘‘substantial progress toward 

meeting the objectives in its approved 

application.’’ This consideration 

includes the review of a grantee’s 

progress in meeting the targets and 

projected outcomes in its approved 

application, and whether the grantee 

has expended funds in a manner that is 

consistent with its approved application 

and budget. In making a continuation 

grant, the Administrator 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. 

Continuation funding is also subject to 

availability of funds. 

VII. Agency Contact 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, 400 

Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, 

PCP, Washington, DC 20202–2700. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6211 or by email: 

patricia.barrett@acl.hhs.gov. 

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

VIII. Other Information 

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: April 15, 2015. 

John Tschida, 

Director, National Institute on Disability, 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation 

Research. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09032 Filed 4–17–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4154–01––P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Community Living 

[CFDA Number: 84.133B–5] 

Final Priority: National Institute on 

Disability, Independent Living, and 

Rehabilitation Research— 

Rehabilitation Research and Training 

Centers 

AGENCY: Administration for Community 

Living, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

ACTION: Final priority. 

SUMMARY: The Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living 

announces a priority for the 

Rehabilitation Research and Training 

Center (RRTC) Program administered by 

the National Institute on Disability, 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

21728 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 2015 / Notices 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDILRR). Specifically, we 

announce a priority for an RRTC on 

Employment for Individuals with 

Blindness or other Visual Impairments. 

The Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living 

may use this priority for competitions in 

fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We 

take this action to focus research 

attention on an area of national need. 

We intend for this priority to contribute 

to improved employment for 

individuals with blindness or other 

visual impairments. 

DATES: Effective Date: This priority is 

effective May 20, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of 

Health And Human Services, 400 

Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, 

Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), 

Washington, DC 20202–2700. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6211 or by email: 

patricia.barrett@acl.hhs.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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). 

Rehabilitation Research and Training 

Centers 

The purpose of the RRTCs, which are 

funded through the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Program, is to achieve the goals 

of, and improve the effectiveness of, 

services authorized under the 

Rehabilitation Act through welldesigned research, training, technical 

assistance, and dissemination activities 

in important topical areas as specified 

by NIDILRR. These activities are 

designed to benefit rehabilitation 

service providers, individuals with 

disabilities, family members, 

policymakers and other research 

stakeholders. Additional information on 

the RRTC program can be found at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/rrtc/

index.html#types. 

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

764(b)(2)(A). 

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 

CFR part 350. 

We published a notice of proposed 

priority (NPP) for this program in the 

Federal Register on February 25, 2015 

(80 FR 10099). That notice contained 

background information and our reasons 

for proposing the particular priority. 

There are no differences between the 

proposed priority and this final priority. 

Public Comment: In response to our 

invitation in the notice of proposed 

priority we did not receive any 

comments on the proposed priority. 

Final Priority: 

The Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living 

establishes a priority for an RRTC to 

conduct research on Employment for 

Individuals with Blindness or other 

Visual Impairments. The purpose of the 

proposed RRTC is to conduct research 

that generates new knowledge about the 

efficacy of rehabilitative services and 

technology used to support improved 

employment outcomes of individuals 

with blindness or other visual 

impairments, including subpopulations 

that are the focus of this priority. 

The RRTC must contribute to 

improving the employment outcomes of 

individuals with blindness or other 

visual impairments by: 

(a) Conducting research on the 

efficacy of rehabilitation services and 

technology used to enhance 

employment outcomes of individuals 

with blindness or other visual 

impairments. Outcomes must include 

but are not limited to obtaining 

employment, retention, promotion, and 

quality of salary and benefits. The RRTC 

must focus its research on the target 

population of individuals with 

blindness or other visual impairments, 

including at least one of the following 

subpopulations of particular concern: 

(1) Individuals who are deaf-blind; (2) 

individuals with blindness or low 

vision related to traumatic brain injury; 

and (3) transition-age young people with 

blindness or other visual impairments; 

(b) Generating new knowledge about 

how the outcomes of the services and 

technologies investigated in paragraph 

(a) vary with relevant variables such as 

service type, consumer characteristics, 

and provider characteristics; 

(c) Focusing its research on one or 

more specific stages of research. If the 

RRTC is to conduct research that can be 

categorized under more than one of the 

research stages, or research that 

progresses from one stage to another, 

those stages should be clearly justified. 

(These stages and their definitions are 

provided at the end of the background 

statement section of the notice of 

proposed priority published in the 

Federal Register on February 25, 2015 

(80 FR 10099)); 

(d) Serving as a national resource 

center related to employment for 

individuals with blindness or other 

visual impairments, their families, and 

other stakeholders by conducting 

knowledge translation, technical 

assistance, and training activities; 

(e) Disseminating research-based 

information and materials related to 

improving the quality of services to 

individuals with blindness or other 

visual impairments; and 

(f) Involving key stakeholder groups 

in the activities conducted under 

paragraphs (a) and (b) of this priority to 

promote the new knowledge generated 

by the RRTC. 

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 

(45 CFR part 75); or (2) selecting an 

application that meets the priority over 

an application of comparable merit that 

does not meet the priority (45 CFR part 

75). 

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 (45 

CFR part 75). 

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. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 75 / Monday, April 20, 2015 / Notices 21729 

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 final 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 final 

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 

upon 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 issuing this final priority 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 

Administration for Community Living 

(ACL), Department of Health and 

Human Services believes that this 

regulatory action is consistent with the 

principles in Executive Order 13563. 

We also have determined that this 

regulatory action does not unduly 

interfere with State, local, and tribal 

governments in the exercise of their 

governmental functions. 

In accordance with both Executive 

orders, ACL assessed the potential costs 

and benefits, both quantitative and 

qualitative, of this regulatory action. 

The potential costs are those resulting 

from statutory requirements and those 

we have determined as necessary for 

administering the ACL’s programs and 

activities. 

The benefits of the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Program have been well 

established over the years, as projects 

similar to the one envisioned by the 

final priority have been completed 

successfully, and the proposed priority 

will generate new knowledge through 

research. The new RRTC will generate, 

disseminate, and promote the use of 

new information that would improve 

outcomes for individuals with 

disabilities in the areas of community 

living and participation, employment, 

and health and function. 

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 ACL 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: April 14, 2015. 

John Tschida, 

Director, National Institute on Disability, 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation 

Research. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09016 Filed 4–17–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4154–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Administration for Community Living 

Final Priority: National Institute on 

Disability, Independent Living, and 

Rehabilitation Research— 

Rehabilitation Research and Training 

Centers 

AGENCY: Administration for Community 

Living, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

ACTION: Final priority. 

[CFDA Number: 84.133B–3] 

SUMMARY: The Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living 

announces a priority for the 

Rehabilitation Research and Training 

Center (RRTC) Program administered by 

the National Institute on Disability, 

Independent Living, and Rehabilitation 

Research (NIDILRR). Specifically, we 

announce a priority for an RRTC on 

Employment Policy and Measurement. 

The Administrator of the 

Administration for Community Living 

may use this priority for competitions in 

fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We 

take this action to focus research 

attention on an area of national need. 

We intend for this priority to contribute 

to improved employment outcomes for 

individuals with disabilities. 

DATES: Effective Date: This priority is 

effective May 20, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patricia Barrett, U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, 400 

Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5142, 

Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), 

Washington, DC 20202–2700. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6211 or by email: 

patricia.barrett@acl.hhs.gov. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES