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[Federal Register: May 14, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 93)]
[Notices]
[Page 27318-27322]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14my10-56]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Rehabilitation Capacity Building for Traditionally
Underserved Populations--Technical Assistance for American Indian
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.406.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 14, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 28, 2010.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 27, 2010.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Capacity Building Program for Traditionally
Underserved Populations under section 21(b)(2)(C) of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, as amended (the Act), (29 U.S.C. 718(b)(2)(C)) provides
outreach and technical assistance to minority entities and American
Indian Tribes in order to enhance their capacity to carry out
activities funded under the Act and to promote their participation in
activities funded under the Act.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority for
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of approved but 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:

Capacity Building Programs for Traditionally Underserved Populations:
Technical Assistance for American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation
Services (AIVRS) Projects

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 718(b)(2)(C); American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. 111-5 (ARRA).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, and 99.

    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 to institutions of
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $280,000 per budget year, $1,400,000
over a five-year period from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009, Public Law 111-5 (ARRA).
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $280,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for OSERS may change the maximum amount through a
notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: A State or a public or private nonprofit
agency or organization, such as an institution of higher education or
an Indian Tribe.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the

[[Page 27319]]

Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the
Internet, use the following address: http://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), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.406.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) 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 [Part III] to the equivalent of no more than 45
pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side
only, with 1 margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     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.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     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 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 abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part
III].
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit; or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 14, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 28, 2010.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. 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: August 27, 2010.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3)
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
    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 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, 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 CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
    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 Capacity Building
for Traditionally Underserved Populations, CFDA number 84.406, must be
submitted electronically using e-Application, accessible through the
Department's e-Grants Web site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that

[[Page 27320]]

you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the
application process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m.
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     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.
     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. You must attach any narrative sections of your
application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the
three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
e-Application; and
     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: Tom Finch, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5147, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2800. FAX: (202) 245-7591.
    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 84.406), 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

[[Page 27321]]

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 84.406), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, 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 grant 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

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). 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 GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: 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 http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    The funds awarded through this program were appropriated under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5
(ARRA), and are subject to additional accountability and transparency
reporting requirements, which are described in section 1512(c) of the
ARRA. Grantees receiving funds provided by the ARRA must be able to
distinguish these funds from any other funds they receive through this
program. Recipients of ARRA funds will be required to submit quarterly
reports on the expenditure of these funds no later than 10 days after
the end of each calendar quarter through a centralized reporting Web
site administered by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): http://www.federalreporting.gov. The information reported at this Web site
will be available to the Department, the White House, OMB, and the
public on http://www.Recovery.gov. Further detail on the reporting
requirements under ARRA can be found at http://www.recovery.gov/?q=node/579.
    4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) of 1993 directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning,
setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program
results against those goals. The purpose of the Capacity Building
Program for Traditionally Underserved Populations: Technical Assistance
Center for American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS)
Projects is to establish a training and technical assistance center
(the AIVRS TA Center) to support projects funded under the AIVRS
program authorized under section 121 of the Act in order to improve the
provision of VR services to, and the employment outcomes of, American
Indians with disabilities.
    In order to measure the success of the AIVRS TA Center in helping
AIVRS project grantees to meet this goal, the AIVRS TA Center grantee
is required to evaluate its activities based upon clear, specific
performance and outcome measures and report the results of the
evaluation in its annual performance report. In addition to providing
comprehensive qualitative and quantitative information regarding the
number of AIVRS project grantees served, Tribal affiliation, geographic
distribution and services provided, the annual performance reports must
include data on the following performance measures:
    Objective 1: Reduce the number of AIVRS grantees with excessive
balances remaining in their grant accounts by 20 percent by the end of
the first year of the AIVRS TA Center's grant and by 10 percent each
subsequent year through the provision of targeted technical assistance.
    Measure 1: Of those AIVRS grantees with excessive balances that
received assistance from the AIVRS TA Center, the percent change in the
number of AIVRS grantees with excessive balances in their account.
    Objective 2: Reduce the number of AIVRS grantees that may be
considered high risk, as identified by the Department in 34 CFR
80.12(a), by 20 percent by the end of the first year of the AIVRS TA
Center's grant and by 10 percent each subsequent year through the
provision of targeted technical assistance.
    Measure 2: Of those AIVRS grantees that are considered high risk,
as identified by the Department in 34 CFR 80.12(a), that received
assistance from the AIVRS TA Center, the percent change in the number
of AIVRS grantees that are considered high risk, by the end of the
first year of the grant.
    Objective 3: Measurably increase the employment outcome rate of the
AIVRS projects through the provision of targeted technical assistance.
    Measure 3: The percentage of AIVRS projects receiving targeted
technical assistance from the AIVRS TA Center that demonstrate a
measurable increase in their employment outcome rate.
    These three measures constitute the Department's indicators of
success for this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under
this program are advised to give careful consideration to these three
measures in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation
of their proposed project.
    Applicants will also be required to provide a description on how
they plan to satisfy this requirement. Successful applicants will be
required to collect, and report quantitative data used to calculate the
results submitted in their annual performance reports and must be able
to demonstrate that the data used is valid and verifiable.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Tom Finch, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5147, PCP, Washington, DC
20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7343 or by e-mail: tom.finch@ed.gov.

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    If you use TDD, call the FRS, 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 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: 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) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
this site.

    Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

    Dated: May 11, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-11607 Filed 5-13-10; 8:45 am]
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