31320 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 109 / Monday, June 8, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research; Notice of

Proposed Funding Priorities for Fiscal

Years 1998–1999 for Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes

funding priorities for two Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects

(DRRPs) under the National Institute on

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

(NIDRR) for fiscal years 1998–1999. The

Secretary takes this action to focus

research attention on areas of national

need. These priorities are intended to

improve rehabilitation services and

outcomes for individuals with

disabilities.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before July 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning

these proposed priorities should be

addressed to Donna Nangle, U.S.

Department of Education, 600 Maryland

Avenue, S.W., room 3418, Switzer

Building, Washington, D.C. 20202–2645.

Comments may also be sent through the

Internet:

comment@ed.gov

You must include the term ‘‘Burn and

Traumatic Brain Injury—RRTC’s’’ in the

subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Nangle, Telephone: (202) 205–

5880. Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202)

205–5516.

Internet: DonnalNangle@ed.gov

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alternate

format (e.g., Braille, large print,

audiotape, or computer diskette) on

request to the contact person listed in

the preceding paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice contains proposed priorities

under the Disability and Rehabilitation

Research Projects and Centers Program

for two Disability and Rehabilitation

Research Projects related to:

coordinating burn data and

collaborative Traumatic Brain Injury

(TBI) research.

These proposed priorities support the

National Education Goal that calls for

every adult American to possess the

skills necessary to compete in a global

economy.

The authority for the Secretary to

establish research priorities by reserving

funds to support particular research

activities is contained in sections 202(g)

and 204 of the Rehabilitation Act of

1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 761a(g)

and 762).

The Secretary will announce the final

priorities in a notice in the Federal

Register. The final priorities will be

determined by responses to this notice,

available funds, and other

considerations of the Department.

Funding of a particular project depends

on the final priority, the availability of

funds, and the quality of the

applications received. The publication

of these proposed priorities does not

preclude the Secretary from proposing

additional priorities, nor does it limit

the Secretary to funding only these

priorities, subject to meeting applicable

rulemaking requirements.

Note: This notice of proposed priorities

does not solicit applications. A notice

inviting applications under this competition

will be published in the Federal Register

concurrent with or following the publication

of the notice of final priorities.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Projects

Authority for Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects

(DRRPs) is contained in section 202 of

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as

amended (29 U.S.C. 761a). DRRPs carry

out one or more of the following types

of activities, as specified in 34 CFR

350.13–350.19: research, development,

demonstration, training, dissemination,

utilization, and technical assistance.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Projects develop methods, procedures,

and rehabilitation technology that

maximize the full inclusion and

integration into society, employment,

independent living, family support, and

economic and social self-sufficiency of

individuals with disabilities, especially

individuals with the most severe

disabilities. In addition, DRRPs improve

the effectiveness of services authorized

under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as

amended.

Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the

Secretary proposes to give an absolute

preference to applications that meet the

following priorities. The Secretary

proposes to fund under this competition

only applications that meet one of these

absolute priorities.

Proposed Priority 1: Burn Data

Coordinating Project

Background

In 1994 NIDRR established the Burn

Injury Rehabilitation Model Systems of

Care (Burn Model Systems) by awarding

three 36-month projects. In 1997 NIDRR

reestablished the Burn Model Systems

with the award of four 60-month

projects. These projects develop and

demonstrate a comprehensive,

multidisciplinary model system of

rehabilitative services for individuals

with severe burns, and evaluate the

efficacy of that system through the

collection and analysis of uniform data

on system benefits, costs, and outcomes.

The projects study the course of

recovery and outcomes following the

delivery of a coordinated system of care

including emergency care, acute care

management, comprehensive inpatient

rehabilitation, and long-term

interdisciplinary follow-up services.

The Burn Model Systems projects

serve a substantial number of patients,

allowing the projects to conduct clinical

research and program evaluation. In

addition, the Burn Model Systems

projects utilize a complex data

collection and retrieval program with

the capability to analyze the different

system components and provide

information on project effectiveness and

benefits. The projects are intended to

establish appropriate, uniform

descriptors of rehabilitation care.

Information is collected throughout the

rehabilitation process. Systematic burn

injury care permits long-term follow-up

on the course of injury and the

identification of continuing needs and

results in areas such as functional

outcome, health and rehabilitation

services, procedures for costreimbursement and billing and

community integration. The Burn Model

Systems projects serve as regional and

national models for program

development and as information centers

for consumers, families, and

professionals.

In order to take full advantage of the

data collected by individual Burn Model

System projects, there is a need for a

project to assist the projects in their

research efforts and establish and

maintain a combined database for shortand long-term outcome evaluations

(functional, health, psycho-social and

vocational status measures) and

financial assessments (rehabilitation,

professional and hospital charges) for

various burn care and injury

rehabilitation strategies.

Proposed Priority 1

The Secretary proposes to establish a

Burn Data Coordinating Project for the

purpose of maintaining a common

database of burn care and injury

rehabilitation information compiled by

the Burn Model Systems projects

supported by NIDRR. The project shall:

(1) Establish and maintain a common

database through the data collection,

entry, transfer, editing, quality control,

issues resolution, and integration efforts

of NIDRR’s Burn Injury Rehabilitation

Model Systems’ projects;
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 109 / Monday, June 8, 1998 / Notices 31321

(2) Provide technical assistance to the

Burn Model Systems projects in the

compilation of common data values

from each Burn Injury Model System

into a single quality information

database for both joint and site specific

management reporting, center

evaluations and research analyses;

(3) Develop management reports on

each Burn Injury Model System

project’s database-related activities and

on trends that can be combined with

and compared to other national data

systems for evaluation of burn injury

outcomes;

(4) Provide technical assistance to the

Burn Model System projects in the

preparation of scientific articles by

providing statistical and analytical

support;

(5) Provide technical assistance to the

Burn Model Systems projects in the

design, implementation, and analysis of

specialized clinical studies that assess

new burn injury rehabilitation

methodologies; and

(6) Provide technical assistance to the

Burn Model Systems projects in the

clinical and systems analysis studies by

collecting and analyzing data on patient

characteristics, diagnoses, causes of

injury, interventions, outcomes, and

costs within a uniform standardized

database.

In carrying out these purposes, the

project must:

• As appropriate, collaborate with

other model systems (such as spinal

cord and traumatic brain injury model

systems) data collection activities; and

• Link Burn Injury Model Systems,

NIDRR Staff, and the project as required

to facilitate database interactions and

information dissemination

opportunities.

Proposed Priority 2: Collaborative

Research for Traumatic Brain Injury

Model Systems

Background

In 1987 NIDRR funded four research

and demonstration projects to establish

the Traumatic Brain Injury Model

Systems of Care (TBI Model Systems)

for individuals in need of

comprehensive, multidisciplinary

rehabilitative services. At present

NIDRR supports five TBI Model Systems

projects to study the course of recovery

and outcomes following the delivery of

a coordinated system of care including

emergency care, acute neuro-trauma

management, comprehensive inpatient

rehabilitation, and long-term

interdisciplinary follow-up services.

The TBI Model Systems projects collect

and analyze uniform data from projects

on system benefits, costs, and outcomes.

The TBI Model Systems projects serve

a substantial number of individuals,

allowing the projects to conduct clinical

research and program evaluation, and

maximize the potential for project

replication. In addition, the systems

have a complex data collection and

retrieval program with the capability to

analyze different system components

and provide information on cost

effectiveness and benefits. Information

is collected throughout the

rehabilitation process, permitting longterm follow-up on the course of injury,

outcomes, and changes in employment

status, community integration,

substance abuse and family needs. The

TBI Model Systems projects serve as

regional and national models for

program development and as

information centers for consumers,

families, and professionals.

On January 21, 1998, NIDRR

published a notice in the Federal

Register inviting applications to

establish 10 additional TBI Model

Systems projects (63 FR 3240). In

conjunction with the establishment of

these new TBI Model Systems projects,

NIDRR is proposing to establish

collaborative research projects to

broaden knowledge and encourage

multi-institutional studies of outcomes,

rehabilitation interventions and service

delivery system innovation for

individuals with traumatic brain injury.

The following are examples of

collaborative research topics that the

proposed project could carry out:

evaluation of emerging pharmacologic

interventions; examination of the effects

of specific type and intensity of

rehabilitative treatments; aging with

TBI; secondary conditions of TBI;

assessment and treatment in mild

traumatic brain injury; impact of

environmental factors on long term

outcomes; impact of substance abuse on

memory; and implications of managed

care on availability and type of care for

persons with TBI.

Proposed Priority 2

The Secretary proposes to establish

collaborative research projects for the

purpose of improving the knowledge

about rehabilitation outcomes in order

to improve the lives of persons with

TBI, their families, and caregivers. A

collaborative research project shall:

(1) Investigate rehabilitation

interventions or service delivery issues;

and

(2) Disseminate information based on

that investigation to TBI Model Systems

projects and other appropriate

rehabilitation settings.

In carrying out the purposes of the

priority, the project must:

• Collaborate with one or more of

NIDRR TBI Model Systems projects; and

• Once a year, participate in the TBI

Model Systems project directors’

meeting.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format (pdf) on the World

Wide Web at either of the following

sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe

Acrobat Reader Program with Search,

which is available free at either of the

preceding sites. If you have questions

about using the pdf, call the U.S.

Government Printing Office at (202)

512–1530 or, toll free at 1–888–293–

6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the

Department. Telephone: (202) 219–1511

or, toll free, 1–800–222–4922. The

documents are located under Option

G—Files/Announcements, Bulletins and

Press Releases.

Note: The official version of this document

is the document published in the Federal

Register.

Invitation to Comment

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments and recommendations

regarding these proposed priorities. All

comments submitted in response to this

notice will be available for public

inspection, during and after the

comment period, in Room 3424, Switzer

Building, 330 C Street S.W.,

Washington, D.C., between the hours of

9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday of each week except

Federal holidays.

Applicable Program Regulations

34 CFR Part 350.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 760–762.

Dated: June 3, 1998.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number 84.133A, Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects)

Curtis L. Richards,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Special

Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 98–15165 Filed 6–5–98; 8:45 am]

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