Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/13/2019-12471/applications-for-new-awards-american-indian-vocational-rehabilitation-services-aivrs?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
Timestamp: 2019-11-13 01:50:25
Document Index: 492100646

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 75', 'art 180', 'art 3485', 'art 200', 'art 3474', 'art 371', 'art 79', 'art 200', 'art 200']

Federal Register :: Applications for New Awards; American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS)
A Notice by the Education Department on 06/13/2019
Applications Available: June 13, 2019.
84 FR 27623
27623-27626 (4 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-12471 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-12471
The mission of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the Nation. As such, the Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services—Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 84.250M—to partner with Indian Tribes in providing eligible American Indians with disabilities with vocational rehabilitation services. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0018.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2019.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than June 18, 2019, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars will be available at www2.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​rsa/​new-rsa-grants.html.
Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than June 18, 2019, OSERS will open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The blog will be available at www2.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​rsa/​new-rsa-grants.html and will remain open until July 2, 2019. After the blog closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
August Martin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5064A, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7410. Email: August.Martin@ed.gov.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, including culturally appropriate services, to American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near Federal or State reservations, consistent with such eligible individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, so that such individual may prepare for, and engage in, high-quality employment that will increase opportunities for economic self-sufficiency.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 121(b)(4) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 741(b)(4)).
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2019, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.
This priority is: Continuation of Previously Funded Tribal Programs.
In making new awards under this program, we give priority to applications for the continuation of programs that have been funded under the AIVRS program.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 741. Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 81, 82, and 84. (b) The Office of Management and Budget 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. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 371.
Estimated Available Funds: $21,265,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $365,000-$650,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $510,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 42.Start Printed Page 27624
1. Eligible Applicants: Applications may be made only by Indian Tribes (and consortia of those Indian Tribes) located on Federal and State reservations. The definition of “Indian Tribe” in section 7(19)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, is “any Federal or State Indian tribe, band, rancheria, pueblo, colony, or community, including any Alaskan native village or regional village corporation (as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) and a tribal organization (as defined in section 4(1) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b(1)).”
“Reservation” is defined in 34 CFR 371.6 as “a Federal or State Indian reservation, public domain Indian allotment, former Indian reservation in Oklahoma, land held by incorporated Native groups, regional corporations and village corporations under the provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; or a defined area of land recognized by a State or the Federal Government where there is a concentration of tribal members and on which the tribal government is providing structured activities and services.”
The applicant for an AIVRS grant must be—
(1) The governing body of an Indian Tribe, either on behalf of the Indian Tribe or on behalf of a consortium of Indian Tribes; or
(2) A Tribal organization that is a separate legal organization from an Indian Tribe.
In order to receive an AIVRS grant, a Tribal organization that is not a governing body of an Indian Tribe must—
(1) Have as one of its functions the vocational rehabilitation of American Indians with disabilities; and
(2) Have the approval of the Tribe to be served by such organization.
If a grant is made to the governing body of an Indian Tribe, either on its own behalf or on behalf of a consortium, or to a Tribal organization to perform services benefiting more than one Indian Tribe, the approval of each such Indian Tribe shall be a prerequisite to the making of such a grant.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing is required by section 121(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and 34 CFR 371.40 at 10 percent of the total cost of the project.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application. While subgrants are not permitted, under 34 CFR 371.42(a), grantees are permitted to provide the vocational rehabilitation services by contract or otherwise enter into an agreement with a designated State unit (DSU), a community rehabilitation program, or another agency to assist in the implementation of the Tribal vocational rehabilitation program, as long as such arrangement is identified in the application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210, have a maximum score of 100 points, and are as follows:
(a) Need for Project and Significance (10 Points):
The Secretary considers the need for and significance of the proposed project. In determining the need for and significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
(iii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased knowledge or understanding of rehabilitation problems, issues, or effective strategies.
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs of the target population.
(b) Quality of the Project Design (20 Points):
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target population.
(c) Quality of Project Services (20 Points):
The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.Start Printed Page 27625
In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel.
(e) Adequacy of Resources (10 Points):
(iii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and benefits.
(f) Quality of the Management Plan (15 Points): The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
(g) Quality of the Project Evaluation (10 Points): The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:
The services and activities funded by grants under the AIVRS program must be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and Federal civil rights laws.
Special application requirements related to the AIVRS program require each applicant to provide evidence separately for each of the following items in 34 CFR 371.21(a)-(k):
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in appropriate Start Printed Page 27626circumstances, 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established four performance measures for the AIVRS program. The measures are:
(1) The percentage of individuals who leave the program with an employment outcome after receiving services under an individualized plan for employment;
(2) The percentage of individuals the project proposed to serve under an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) during this reporting period who actually received VR services.
(3) The percentage of projects that demonstrate an average annual cost per employment outcome of no more than $35,000; and
(4) The percentage of projects that demonstrate an average annual cost of services per participant of no more than $10,000.
Each grantee must annually report the data needed to measure its performance on the GPRA measures through the Annual Performance Reporting Form (APR Form) for the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services program.
Note: For purposes of this section, the term “employment outcome” means, with respect to an individual, (A) entering or retaining full-time or, if appropriate, part-time competitive employment in the integrated labor market; (B) satisfying the vocational outcome of supported employment; or (C) satisfying any other vocational outcome the Secretary of Education may determine to be appropriate (including satisfying the vocational outcome of customized employment, self-employment, telecommuting, or business ownership). (Section 7(11) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 705(11)).
[FR Doc. 2019-12471 Filed 6-12-19; 8:45 am]