33226 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 131 / Friday, July 10, 2009 / Notices 

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. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1– 

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530. 

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. 

Delegation of Authority: The Secretary 

of Education has delegated authority to 

Andrew J. Pepin, Executive 

Administrator for the Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services, 

to perform the functions of the Assistant 

Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

Dated: July 6, 2009. 

Andrew J. Pepin, 

Executive Administrator for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. E9–16380 Filed 7–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services; Overview 

Information; Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination To Improve Services 

and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—Regional Resource 

Centers; Notice Inviting Applications 

for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 

2009 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326R. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: July 10, 2009. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: August 10, 2009. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: August 19, 2009. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

program is to promote academic 

achievement and to improve results for 

children with disabilities by providing 

technical assistance (TA), supporting 

model demonstration projects, 

disseminating useful information, and 

implementing activities that are 

supported by scientifically based 

research. 

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from 

allowable activities specified in the 

statute or otherwise authorized in the 

statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of 

the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400, et 

seq.). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2009 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards based on 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: 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children With Disabilities— 

Regional Resource Centers. 

Background 

Over the last four decades, the Office 

of Special Education Programs (OSEP) 

has supported Regional Resource 

Centers to provide TA that is targeted to 

meet State-specific needs related to 

meeting the program requirements 

under Parts B and C of IDEA. 

Historically, each RRC functioned 

independently, serving primarily as a 

TA provider to State educational 

agencies (SEAs) in the RRC’s region 

helping the SEAs address self-identified 

needs related to providing services to 

children with disabilities. In 1998, 

RRCs’ traditional role as TA providers 

expanded when they also began serving 

as brokers of TA, linking SEAs and local 

educational agencies (LEAs) to relevant 

OSEP-funded TA centers. Over time, 

and as OSEP developed its monitoring 

of Part C programs and issued 

monitoring reports from 1998 through 

2003, RRCs began providing TA in their 

respective regions to the State Part C 

lead agencies (LAs). 

When IDEA was last reauthorized in 

2004, the increased general supervision 

responsibilities of SEAs and LAs under 

Parts B and C, respectively, also 

increased the need for general 

supervision support and collaboration 

among RRCs and other OSEP-funded TA 

Centers (i.e., the National Dropout 

Prevention Center for Students with 

Disabilities and the Data Accountability 

Center) to provide coordinated and 

meaningfully informed TA. Specifically, 

sections 616(b) and 642 of IDEA require 

each State to have in place a State 

Performance Plan (SPP) that evaluates 

the State’s efforts to implement 

requirements under Parts B and C of 

IDEA and that describes how the State 

will improve its implementation of 

these requirements. The SPP must 

include measurable and rigorous targets 

for quantifiable indicators in the priority 

areas described in section 616(a)(3) of 

IDEA. These priority areas for Part B 

are—providing a free appropriate public 

education (FAPE) in the least restrictive 

environment (LRE); reducing 

disproportionate representation of racial 

and ethnic groups in special education 

and related services, to the extent the 

representation is the result of 

inappropriate identification; and 

ensuring effective general supervision, 

including child find, transition, and 

dispute resolution. These priority areas 

for Part C are—providing early 

intervention services in natural 

environments and ensuring effective 

general supervision, including child 

find, transition, and dispute resolution. 

Additionally, sections 616 and 642 of 

IDEA require each SEA and LA to 

conduct many activities annually. Each 

SEA and LA must submit an Annual 

Performance Report (APR) to the 

Secretary on the State’s progress in 

meeting its targets in each of the priority 

areas under Parts B and C of IDEA. 

There are 20 priority indicators under 

Part B (including early childhood 

transition, postsecondary transition, 

graduation, and dropout prevention) 

and 14 priority indicators under Part C 

(including provision of early 

intervention services in the natural 

environment, timely provision of 

services, timely evaluation, and early 

childhood transition). OSEP issues 

annual letters of determination and 

response tables for each State under 

Parts B and C of IDEA based in large 

part on the State’s APR data in each of 

these priority indicator areas. 

In turn, SEAs must monitor and 

evaluate LEAs’ implementation of Part 

B, and State LAs must monitor and 

evaluate the implementation of Part C 

by early intervention service (EIS) 

programs. Each year, the SEA and LA 

must publicly report on the performance 

of each LEA or EIS program in each of 

the priority areas and issue a local 

‘‘determination.’’ Through such 

reporting, SEAs and LAs are responsible 

for ensuring both the continuous 

improvement of results and functional 

outcomes for children with disabilities 

and the timely correction of 

noncompliance with IDEA 

requirements. 

The Department first issued its annual 

determinations under sections 616 and 

642 of IDEA in 2007 and made one of 


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the following determinations for each 

State: (1) The State meets IDEA 

requirements, (2) the State needs 

assistance, or (3) the State needs 

intervention. Under section 616(e)(1) of 

IDEA, when conducting its second 

annual determinations in 2008, the 

Department was required to take 

enforcement actions for those States 

determined to be in ‘‘needs assistance’’ 

for two consecutive years. One of those 

enforcement options was advising a 

State of the availability of TA, including 

the resources of the RRCs and the need 

to utilize such TA. In 2008, the 

Department advised 25 Part B SEAs and 

17 Part C LAs determined to be in 

‘‘needs assistance’’ for two consecutive 

years of the requirement to access TA 

under section 616(e)(1)(A) of IDEA. In 

2009, the Department must take specific 

enforcement actions for those States 

determined to be in ‘‘needs 

intervention’’ for three consecutive 

years, which may include the 

development of an improvement plan or 

corrective action plan. These 

enforcement options will require 

continued and additional TA support of 

SEAs and State LAs. 

In addition, the State Fiscal 

Stabilization Fund (SFSF), authorized 

by the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), 

Public Law No. 111–5, identifies four 

goals that the Secretary considers to be 

central to improving the results for 

children with disabilities. Areas 

addressed by these goals include: (1) 

Rigorous college- and career-ready 

standards and assessments; (2) State 

longitudinal data systems to track 

progress from pre-K to college or work; 

(3) improvements in teacher 

effectiveness; and (4) intensive support 

for the lowest-performing schools. The 

SFSF goals directly align with the SPP 

priority indicators and the SPP targets. 

The following Web site provides more 

information on ARRA: http:// 

www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/ 

factsheet/stabilization-fund.html. 

To ensure that RRCs are available to 

meet these increased TA needs, OSEP 

has determined that new funding is 

needed to support consistent and 

collaborative work between the six 

regional RRCs while addressing the 

increased SEA and LA general 

supervision responsibilities under Parts 

B and C of IDEA. 

Priority 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

cooperative agreements to support the 

operation of six RRCs that will 

collaboratively provide coordinated and 

research-based TA to SEAs and LAs to 

help them: (1) Meet Federal 

accountability requirements under 

IDEA; (2) implement systems of general 

supervision that improve results and 

functional outcomes for children with 

disabilities; (3) work with OSEP-funded 

TA centers, as appropriate, to develop, 

identify, and implement evidencedbased tools and practices to increase the 

likelihood that SEAs and LAs will meet 

their SPP targets in the priority areas 

described in section 616(a)(3), such as 

providing FAPE in the LRE, early 

childhood transition, secondary 

transition, postsecondary outcomes, 

graduation, and dropout prevention; 

and (4) develop and implement 

strategies that address the SFSF goals 

outlined in the ARRA and other critical 

goals that align with the indicators 

established under IDEA. 

The Secretary establishes the 

following geographic regions for the 

RRCs— 

Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New 

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode 

Island, and Vermont; 

Region 2: Delaware, the District of 

Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North 

Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, 

Virginia, and West Virginia; 

Region 3: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, 

Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, 

Oklahoma, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the 

Virgin Islands; 

Region 4: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, 

and Wisconsin; 

Region 5: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, 

Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, 

and the Bureau of Indian Affairs; 

Region 6: Alaska, California, Hawaii, 

Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, 

American Samoa, Guam, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern 

Marianas, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, the Republic of the 

Marshall Islands, and the Republic of 

Palau. 

To be considered for funding under 

this absolute priority, applicants must 

meet the application requirements 

contained in this priority. All projects 

funded under this absolute priority also 

must meet the programmatic and 

administrative requirements specified in 

the priority. 

Application Requirements. An 

applicant must include in its 

application— 

(a) A logic model for the RRC that 

depicts, at a minimum, the goals, 

activities, outputs, and outcomes of the 

proposed RRC. A logic model 

communicates how the RRC will 

achieve its outcomes and provides a 

framework for both the formative and 

summative evaluations of the RRC; 

Note: The following Web site provides 

more information on logic models and lists 

multiple online resources: http:// 

www.cdc.gov/eval/resources.htm. 

(b) A plan to implement the activities 

described in the Project Activities 

section of this priority; 

(c) A plan, linked to the proposed 

project’s logic model, for a formative 

evaluation of the proposed project’s 

activities. The plan must describe how 

the formative evaluation will use clear 

performance objectives to ensure 

continuous improvement in the 

operation of the proposed project, 

including objective measures of progress 

in implementing the project and 

ensuring the quality of products and 

services; 

(d) A budget for a summative 

evaluation to be conducted by an 

independent third party; 

(e) A budget for attendance at the 

following: 

(1) A four day kick-off meeting to be 

held in Washington, DC, within four 

weeks after receipt of the award, and an 

annual two-day planning meeting held 

in Washington, DC, with the OSEP 

Project Officer during each subsequent 

year of the project period. The initial 

kick-off meeting must allow time for the 

RRCs to collectively develop an action 

plan to address how they will share 

resources when appropriate (see, e.g., 

paragraph (f) below). The action plan for 

year one must be finalized within three 

months of the award. The action plans 

for years two and three must be 

developed at the close of years one and 

two respectively. 

(2) A three-day Project Directors’ 

Conference in Washington, DC, during 

each year of the project period. 

(3) A four-day Technical Assistance 

and Dissemination Conference in 

Washington, DC, during each year of the 

project period. 

(4) Four two-day trips annually to 

attend Department briefings, 

Department-sponsored conferences, and 

other meetings, as requested by OSEP; 

(f) A line item in the proposed budget 

that will support the cost, shared among 

all of the RRCs when established, for 

hiring, at a minimum, one full-time 

coordinator (1 FTE) who will manage 

the collaborative work of the RRCs; and 

Note: Over the last two decades the RRCs 

received direct support (e.g., workgroup 

facilitation and technology development 

support, etc.) from the OSEP-funded Federal 

Resource Center. In 2008 the FRC was 

recompeted as the Technical Assistance 

Coordination Center (TACC). TACC is a 

coordination hub where the OSEP-funded 

centers and other Federal agencies find 

resources, collaborate, and problem-solve in 

order to conduct their work without 


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duplicating efforts. RRCs will receive the 

same level of support from TACC as all the 

other centers; however, the direct support 

once provided by the FRC (i.e., the 

coordination of activities with the small 

States consortium, coordination of cross-RRC 

workgroups, the planning and facilitation of 

monthly RRC meetings) will no longer be 

available to the RRCs. 

(g) A line item in the proposed budget 

for an annual set-aside of five percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed RRCs’ shared project 

activities, as those needs are identified 

in consultation with OSEP. 

Note: With approval from the OSEP Project 

Officer, the RRC must reallocate any 

remaining funds from this annual set-aside 

no later than the end of the third quarter of 

each budget period. 

Project Activities. To meet the 

requirements of this priority, each RRC 

must, at a minimum, conduct the 

following activities: 

Knowledge Development Activities 

Each RRC, in collaboration with the 

other five RRCs, must— 

(a) During the first year of the project 

conduct a systematic review of the 

former RRCs and other OSEP-funded TA 

Centers, as appropriate, that— 

(1) Analyzes existing data (e.g., data 

on previously developed scopes of 

work, tools, products, and staffing) 

collected on the nature of the TA 

provided and its evidence base; and 

(2) By the end of year one, produces 

a summary report regarding the most 

effective types of TA and the best 

practices for implementing effective TA 

in SEAs and LAs; and 

(b) Conduct an annual review of— 

(1) Part B and Part C SPPs and APRs 

to evaluate States’ progress in meeting 

their targets in each of the priority areas 

under IDEA; and 

(2) OSEP letters of determination and 

response tables, including letters of 

determination and response tables of 

States determined to be in ‘‘needs 

assistance’’ for two consecutive years 

and States determined to be in ‘‘needs 

intervention’’ for three consecutive 

years, in order to develop an action plan 

for supporting SEAs and LAs in their 

development of improvement and 

corrective action plans. 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination Activities 

Each RRC must— 

(a) Collaborate and communicate on 

an ongoing basis with the other five 

RRCs, the other OSEP-funded TA&D 

Centers, and the other centers funded by 

the Department’s Office of Elementary 

and Secondary Education (e.g., The 

Regional Comprehensive Centers and 

the Equity Assistance Centers) to 

provide coordinated and research-based 

TA to SEAs and LAs; 

(b) In collaboration with the other 

RRCs and OSEP-funded TA Centers, as 

appropriate— 

(1) Develop action plans and activities 

based on OSEP-identified priorities, i.e., 

all indicators found in the Part B and C 

SPPs. Action plans and activities may 

include items mentioned in activities 

(a), (b), and (c) under this section but are 

not limited to these activities; 

(2) Develop TA tools and products 

related to SPP and APR requirements 

and evaluate the effectiveness of the 

implementation of these tools and 

products through annual assessments; 

(3) Provide coordinated and researchbased TA to SEAs and LAs to help them 

establish and implement strategies that 

address the four goals outlined in the 

ARRA and that are aligned with the 

indicators established under IDEA and 

other critical priorities related to 

improving outcomes for children with 

disabilities such as developing 

seamless, high-quality early childhood 

programs; scaling up successful models 

and strategies; and helping more 

students enter and complete college and 

get jobs; and 

(4) Assist SEAs and LAs in refining 

and improving State policies, 

procedures, or both related to the 

Federal accountability requirements 

under IDEA; and 

(c) Provide coordinated and researchbased TA to SEAs and LAs to support 

them in meeting current IDEA 

requirements and OSEP initiatives for— 

(1) Meeting APR reporting 

requirements (e.g., data collection and 

analysis, and development, 

implementation, and evaluation of 

evidence-based improvement activities); 

(2) Identifying improvement activities 

and, through annual assessments, 

determining if the newly identified 

activities are effective; 

(3) Developing and implementing 

corrective action plans for LEAs and 

local providers, including 

implementation of enforcement actions 

for States in ‘‘needs intervention’’ for 

three consecutive years; and 

(4) Improving general supervision at 

the SEA and LA level, including 

improving skills in fiscal management, 

policy development, practices and 

procedures, monitoring systems, and the 

timely correction of noncompliance 

with IDEA requirements. 

Leadership and Coordination Activities 

Each RRC, in collaboration with the 

other five RRCs, must do the following: 

(a) Establish and maintain an advisory 

committee to review the activities and 

outcomes of the RRCs’ collaborative 

work and provide programmatic support 

and advice throughout the project 

period. The committee must include, 

but is not limited to, SEA special 

education directors, Part C coordinators, 

directors of OESE-funded Regional 

Comprehensive Centers, and directors of 

OSEP-funded TA centers. The six RRCs 

must submit the names of proposed 

members of the advisory committee to 

OSEP for approval within eight weeks 

after receipt of the award. At a 

minimum, the advisory committee must 

meet on an annual basis either in 

Washington, DC, or by electronic means. 

(b) Collaborate, on an ongoing basis, 

with OSEP-funded TA projects, 

especially those working on SPP 

indicators and general supervision. This 

collaboration must include the joint 

development of products, the 

coordination of TA services, and the 

planning and carrying out of TA 

meetings and events that are addressed 

in annual work plans. 

(c) Participate in, organize, or 

facilitate, as directed by OSEP, 

communities of practice (http:// 

www.tacommunities.org) that are 

aligned with the RRCs’ objectives as a 

way to support discussions and 

collaboration among key stakeholders. 

(d) Prior to developing any new 

product, whether paper or electronic, 

submit to the OSEP Project Officer and 

the Proposed Product Advisory Board at 

OSEP’s TACC for approval, a proposal 

describing the content and purpose of 

the product. 

(e) Maintain and upgrade the existing 

RRCs’ Web site portal. (This portal can 

be found at http://www.rrfcnetwork.org). 

This Web site must continue to meet 

government or industry-recognized 

standards for accessibility and must link 

to the Web site operated by TACC. 

(f) Contribute, on an ongoing basis, 

updated information on the RRCs’ 

services to OSEP’s TA&D Matrix 

(http://matrix.rrfcnetwork.org). The 

matrix provides current information on 

Department-funded TA services to a 

range of stakeholders. 

(g) Coordinate with the National 

Dissemination Center for Individuals 

with Disabilities to develop an efficient 

and high-quality dissemination strategy 

that reaches broad audiences. The RRCs 

must report to the OSEP Project Officer 

the outcomes of these coordination 

efforts. 

(h) Maintain ongoing communication 

with the OSEP Project Officer through 

monthly phone conversations, e-mail 

communication, and monthly reports. 


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Fourth and Fifth Years of the RRC 

In deciding whether to continue 

funding the RRC for the fourth and fifth 

years, the Secretary will consider the 

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), and 

in addition— 

(a) The recommendation of a review 

team consisting of experts selected by 

the Secretary. This review will be 

conducted during a one-day intensive 

meeting in Washington, DC, that will be 

held during the last half of the second 

year of the project period; 

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness 

with which all requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the RRC; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the RRC’s activities and 

products and the degree to which its 

activities and products have contributed 

to changed practice and improved State 

Parts B and C general supervision 

systems, SPPs, and APRs. 

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. 1463 

and 1481. 

Applicable Regulations: The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 

84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 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 

(IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$7,800,000. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2010 from the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$1,300,000. 

Maximum Awards: We will reject any 

application that proposes a budget 

exceeding $1,300,000 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: 6. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, 

including public charter schools that are 

considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; 

other public agencies; private nonprofit 

organizations; outlying areas; freely 

associated States; Indian tribes or tribal 

organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

3. Other: General Requirements—(a) 

The projects funded under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

(b) Applicants and grant recipients 

funded under this competition must 

involve individuals with disabilities or 

parents of individuals with disabilities 

ages birth through 26 in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of 

IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: Education Publications Center 

(ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 

20794–1398. Telephone, toll free: 1– 

877–433–7827. FAX: (301) 470–1244. 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.ed.gov/pubs/ 

edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: 

edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

If you request an application package 

from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this 

program or competition as follows: 

CFDA number 84.326R. 

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 to the equivalent 

of no more than 70 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). 

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, the 

references, or the letters of support. 

However, the page limit does apply to 

the application narrative in 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: July 10, 2009. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: August 10, 2009. 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 

electronically using the Electronic Grant 

Application System (e-Application) 

accessible through the Department’s eGrants site, or in paper format by mail 

or hand delivery. For information 

(including dates and times) about how 

to submit your application 

electronically, or in paper format by 

mail or hand delivery, please refer to 

section IV. 6. 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 19, 2009. 

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 


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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. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 

electronically or in paper format by mail 

or hand delivery. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications 

If you choose to submit your 

application to us electronically, you 

must use e-Application, accessible 

through the Department’s e-Grants Web 

site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov. 

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: 

• Your participation in e-Application 

is voluntary. 

• You must complete the electronic 

submission of your grant application by 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date. EApplication 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 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the application 

process. 

• The hours of operation of the eGrants 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 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—NonConstruction 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 hardcopy 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 System Unavailability: If you 

are prevented from electronically 

submitting your application on the 

application deadline date because eApplication 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 eApplication 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 eApplication. If e-Application is 

available, and, for any reason, you are 

unable to submit your application 

electronically or you do not receive an 

automatic acknowledgment of your 

submission, you may submit your 

application in paper format by mail or 

hand delivery in accordance with the 

instructions in this notice. 

b. Submission of Paper Applications by 

Mail 

If you submit your application in 

paper format by mail (through the U.S. 

Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 

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 84.326R), 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 submit your application in 

paper format by hand delivery, you (or 

a courier service) 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: 


sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 131 / Friday, July 10, 2009 / Notices 33231 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.326R), 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 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed in the 

application package. 

2. Peer Review: 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 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 the 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. 

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. 

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 

information on various aspects of the 

effectiveness and quality of the 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

to Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities program. 

These measures focus on the extent to 

which projects provide high-quality 

products and services, the relevance of 

project products and services to 

educational and early intervention 

policy and practice, and the use of 

products and services to improve 

educational and early intervention 

policy and practice. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual reports to the 

Department (34 CFR 75.590). 

VII. Agency Contact 

For Further Information Contact: Rex 

Shipp, U.S. Department of Education, 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4178, 

Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), 

Washington, DC 20202–2550. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7523. 

If you use a TDD, 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 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. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1– 

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530. 

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. 

Delegation of Authority: The Secretary 

of Education has delegated authority to 

Andrew J. Pepin, Executive 

Administrator for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services to perform the 

functions of the Assistant Secretary for 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services. 

Dated: July 6, 2009. 

Andrew J. Pepin, 

Executive Administrator for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. E9–16385 Filed 7–9–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Advanced Scientific Computing 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of 

Science. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting. 


sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES