[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1900-1906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00406]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Educational Technology, Media, and 
Materials for Individuals With Disabilities--Television Access

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

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

    Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with 
Disabilities--Television Access Notice inviting applications for new 
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327C.

DATES: Applications Available: January 14, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 16, 2015.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 14, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Educational Technology, 
Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program \1\ are 
to improve results for children with disabilities by: (1) Promoting the 
development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) supporting 
educational media activities designed to be of educational value in the 
classroom for students with disabilities; (3) providing support for 
captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the 
classroom; and (4) providing accessible educational materials to 
students with disabilities in a timely manner.
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    \1\ This program was formerly called ``Technology and Media 
Services for Individuals with Disabilities.'' The Department has 
changed the name to Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for 
Individuals with Disabilities Program and updated the purposes of 
the program to more clearly convey that the program includes 
accessible educational materials. The program's activities and 
statutory authorization (20 U.S.C. 1474) remain unchanged.
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    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
674(c) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1474(c) and 1481(d))).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year for 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:

Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals With 
Disabilities--Television Access

Background
    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for 
implementing and monitoring compliance with the captioning requirements 
of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Act). Consistent with the Act, 
the FCC requires most television programs to be captioned, but provides 
for certain exemptions to this requirement. The FCC also has limited 
requirements for video description. The FCC's video description 
requirements provide some access to television programs for individuals 
with blindness or low vision, but are not as widely applicable as the 
closed captioning requirements. Therefore, only a small number of 
television programs are actually broadcast with video description. The 
following Web sites provide more information on captioning and video 
description: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/closedcaption.html and 
www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/video-description.
    Pursuant to the authority in IDEA Section 1464(c), the Department 
has made awards for television access since 1995 in order to provide 
video description and captioning under the Educational Technology, 
Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities program. The 
following Web site contains abstracts of previously funded projects: 
http://publicddb.tadnet.org/. (Use the keyword search function with the 
term ``video description.'') Despite the efforts of the Department, not 
all television programs that are appropriate for use in the classroom 
setting for children with disabilities are being video described or 
captioned.
Priority
    The purpose of this absolute priority for Television Access is to 
fund cooperative agreements that will improve the learning 
opportunities for children with disabilities by providing access to 
television programming through high-quality video description and 
captioning. This project will support access--through high-quality 
video description and captioning--to widely available television 
programs that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting and are 
not otherwise required to be captioned or described by the FCC.
Application Requirements
    In addition to these programmatic requirements, to be considered 
for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the application 
and administrative requirements in this priority. The Department's 
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) encourages innovative 
approaches to meet these requirements:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance of the Project,'' how the proposed project will address 
the need for access to educational television programming to support 
equitable opportunities in early learning programs, schools, and 
workplaces. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--
    (1) Present applicable national, State, regional, or local data 
demonstrating the need for accessible educational television programs 
in schools and workplaces for children with disabilities, including 
children with disabilities who may be underserved; and
    (2) Demonstrate knowledge of the benefits, services, or 
opportunities that are available through the use of educational 
television programming in schools and workplaces that are fully 
accessible to children with disabilities, including children with 
disabilities who may be underserved.
    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how the project will--
    (1) Take into account the preferences of educators, students with 
disabilities, and the parents of these students in selecting the 
programming to be video described, or video described and captioned;
    (2) Use criteria to select television programs of high educational 
value that are widely available and are appropriate for use in the 
classroom setting for children with disabilities at the

[[Page 1901]]

preschool, elementary, or secondary level;
    (3) Determine the extent to which the programming selected for 
video description or video description and captioning is widely 
available;
    (4) Ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that 
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, linguistic diversity, gender, age, or disability;
    (5) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet 
this requirement, the applicant must provide--
    (i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and
    (ii) The logic model on how the proposed project will achieve its 
intended outcomes;
    (6) Use a conceptual framework to develop project plans and 
activities describing any underlying concepts, assumptions, 
expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as the presumed 
relationships or linkages among these variables, and any empirical 
support for this framework; and
    (7) Be based on current research and make use of evidence-based 
practices. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) The current research and evidence-based practices related to 
the benefits, services, or opportunities that are available through the 
use of educational television programming in schools and workplaces; 
and
    (ii) The process the proposed project will use to incorporate 
current research and evidence-based practices to guide the development 
and delivery of its products and services.
    (c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of Project Resources,'' how--
    (1) The proposed key personnel, consultants, and contractors have 
the qualifications, experience, and commitment to carry out the 
proposed activities and achieve the project's intended outcomes;
    (2) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment 
from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, linguistic 
diversity, gender, age, or disability, as appropriate;
    (3) The applicant and key partners have adequate resources to carry 
out proposed project activities. To address this requirement, the 
applicant must describe--
    (i) The willingness of the potential television program providers 
or program owners, as appropriate, to permit and facilitate the video 
description or the video description and captioning of their programs;
    (ii) Requirements and assurances that the programming that is made 
accessible under this project will continue to contain those video 
descriptions and captions after the programming is aired; and
    (iii) How programming video described or captioned under this 
project would not otherwise be video described or captioned to meet the 
FCC's requirements, or how this programming is specifically exempt from 
the FCC's requirements;
    (4) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the 
anticipated results and benefits. To address this requirement, the 
applicant must describe--
    (i) The total number of program hours proposed to be made 
accessible through video description, or video description and 
captioning, under this project;
    (ii) The cost per hour for video description and, if the applicant 
is proposing both video description and captioning, the cost per hour 
for video description and for captioning;
    (iii) A plan, if any, to increase the anticipated shelf-life and 
distribution of educational programming described, or captioned and 
described, under this project; and
    (iv) How the project will use emerging technology to lower the cost 
of video description.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the Management Plan,'' how--
    (1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's 
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To 
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel, 
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
    (ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;
    (2) Key personnel, consultants, and contractors will be 
sufficiently allocated to the project and how these allocations are 
appropriate and adequate to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
    (3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and 
services provided are of high quality; and
    (4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of 
perspectives, including, but not limited to, students and families, 
early intervention service providers, educators, researchers, and other 
OSEP-funded projects.
    (e) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of 
the Evaluation Plan,'' include an evaluation plan, as described in the 
following paragraphs. The evaluation plan must describe: measures of 
progress in implementation, including the extent to which the project's 
products and services have reached its target population; and measures 
of intended outcomes or results of the project's activities in order to 
assess the effectiveness of those activities.
    In designing the evaluation plan, the project must--
    (1) Revise, as needed, the logic model submitted in the grant 
application to provide for a more comprehensive measurement of 
implementation and outcomes and to reflect any changes or 
clarifications to the model discussed at the kick-off meeting;
    (2) Revise, as needed, the evaluation plan submitted in the grant 
application so that it clearly--
    (i) Specifies the measures and associated instruments or sources 
for data appropriate to the evaluation questions, suggests analytic 
strategies for those data, provides a timeline for conducting the 
evaluation, and includes staff assignments for completion of the plan; 
and
    (ii) Can be used to assist the project director and the OSEP 
project officer to specify the performance measures to be addressed in 
the project's annual performance report; and
    (3) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the 
costs of carrying out the tasks described in paragraphs (e)(1) and 
(e)(2) of this priority and implementing the evaluation plan.
    (f) In the narrative under ``Required Project Assurances'' or 
appendices as directed, the applicant must--
    (1) Include, in Appendix A, a logic model that depicts, at a 
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes of the 
proposed project. A logic model communicates how a project will achieve 
its intended outcomes and provides a framework for both the formative 
and summative evaluations of the project.

    Note: The following Web sites provide more information on logic 
models: www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and www.tadnet.org/pages/589;

    (2) Include, in Appendix A, a conceptual framework for the project;
    (3) Include, in Appendix A, person-loading charts and timelines to 
illustrate the management plan described in the narrative;
    (4) Include in the budget costs associated with attendance at the 
following:

[[Page 1902]]

    (i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting to be held in 
Washington, DC, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning 
meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP project officer and other 
relevant staff during each subsequent year of the project period.

    Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the award, a post-award 
teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the 
grantee's project director or other authorized representative;

    (ii) A three-day project directors' conference in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project period; and
    (iii) One trip annually to attend Department briefings, Department-
sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by OSEP; and
    (5) Ensure that the project maintains a Web site that meets 
government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and 
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment 
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481.

    Applicable Regulations: This application notice (also referred to 
as a notice inviting applications (NIA)) is being published before the 
Department adopts the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements in 2 CFR part 200. We expect to 
publish interim final regulations that would adopt those requirements 
before December 26, 2014, and make those regulations effective on that 
date. Because grants awarded under this NIA will likely be made after 
the Department adopts the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, we list as 
applicable regulations both those that are currently effective and 
those that will be effective at the time the Department makes grants.
    The current regulations follow: (a) The Education Department 
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 
79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB 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.
    At the time we award grants under this NIA, the following 
regulations will apply: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB 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, and 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.

    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 (IHEs) only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$28,047,000 for the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for 
Individuals with Disabilities program for FY 2015, of which we intend 
to use an estimated $2,000,000 for this competition. The actual level 
of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we 
are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent on 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: $300,000-$400,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $400,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $400,000 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.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs), including public charter schools that are 
considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies; private 
nonprofit organizations; freely associated States and outlying areas; 
Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other General Requirements:
    (a) Recipients of funding under this competition must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Each applicant for, and recipient of, funding under this 
program must involve individuals with disabilities, or parents of 
individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26, in planning, 
implementing, and evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of 
IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). 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#d2b7b6a2a7b0a192bbbcb7a6fcb7b6fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ec89889c998e9fac85828998c28988c28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327C.
    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 Part III to 
no more than 50 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.

[[Page 1903]]

    <bullet> Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
    <bullet> Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
    <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 and double-spacing requirements do 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 abstract (follow the guidance provided in the 
application package for completing the abstract), the table of 
contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the reference 
list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the page 
limit and double-spacing requirement does apply to all of Part III, the 
application narrative, including all text in charts, tables, figures, 
graphs, and screen shots.
    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: January 14, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 16, 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: May 14, 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 program.
    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 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: http://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 Television Access competition, 
CFDA number 84.327C, 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 Television 
Access 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

[[Page 1904]]

search (e.g., search for 84.327, not 84.327C).
    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. Additional, detailed information on how to attach 
files is in the application instructions.
    <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.
    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: Jo Ann McCann, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4076, Potomac 
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. FAX: (202) 245-7617.
    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

[[Page 1905]]

Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.327C), 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 84.327C), 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 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. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past, 
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain 
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as 
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The standing panel 
requirements under section 682(b) of IDEA also have placed additional 
constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department 
has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, 
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and 
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make 
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers by ensuring that 
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers 
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of 
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness 
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review 
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also 
have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to 
select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this 
may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in 
each group.
    4. Special Conditions: Under current 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12 and, 
when grants are made under this NIA, 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 34 CFR 
parts 74 or 80, as applicable or, when grants are awarded, 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 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.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of 
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed 
to yield

[[Page 1906]]

information on various aspects of the effectiveness and quality of the 
Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with 
Disabilities program. These measures are included in the application 
package and focus on the extent to which projects are of high quality, 
are relevant to improving outcomes of children with disabilities, 
contribute to improving outcomes for children with disabilities, and 
generate evidence of validity and availability to appropriate 
populations. Projects funded under this competition are required to 
submit data on these measures as directed by OSEP.
    Grantees will be required to report information on their project's 
performance in annual performance reports and additional performance 
data to the Department (34 CFR 75.590 and 75.591).
    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: Jo Ann McCann, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4076, PCP, Washington, DC 
20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7434.
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (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 compact disc) by contacting 
the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5037, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: January 8, 2015.
Michael K. Yudin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-00406 Filed 1-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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