[Federal Register: September 1, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 169)]
[Notices]
[Page 52084-52088]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01se05-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With
Disabilities--Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With
Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327A.
Note: This notice includes one priority with two phases, and
funding information for each phase of the competition.
Dates: Applications Available: September 1, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See the chart in section
II. Award Information section in this notice (Chart).
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (LEAs); public charter schools that are LEAs under
State law; institutions of higher education (IHEs); other public
agencies; private nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely
associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-
profit organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$31,992,000 for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an
estimated $3,000,000 for the Steppingstones of Technology Innovation
for Children with Disabilities 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.
Funding information regarding each phase of the priority is listed
in the Chart.
Maximum Award: Phase 1: $200,000 and Phase 2: $300,000. We will
reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum
award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary
for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may
change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal
Register.
Estimated Range of Awards: See Chart.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: See Chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: See Chart.
Project Period: See Chart.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the program is to: (1) Improve
results for children with disabilities by promoting the development,
demonstration, and use of technology, (2) support educational media
services activities designed to be of educational value in the
classroom setting to children with disabilities, and (3) provide
support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for
use in the classroom setting.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), this
priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or
otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities
Applicants must--
(a) Describe a technology-based approach for improving the results
of early intervention, response-to-intervention assessment techniques,
or preschool, elementary, middle school, or high school education for
children with disabilities. The technology-based approach must be an
innovative combination of new technology and additional materials and
methodologies that enable the technology to improve educational,
assessment, or early intervention results for children with
disabilities;
(b) Present a justification, based on scientifically rigorous
research or theory, that supports the potential effectiveness of the
technology-based approach for improving the results of education,
assessment, or early intervention for children with disabilities.
Results studied under this priority must focus on child outcomes,
rather than on parent or professional outcomes. Child outcomes can
include improved academic or pre-academic skills, improved behavioral
or social functioning, improved functional performance, etc., provided
that valid and reliable measurement instruments are employed to assess
the outcomes. Technology-based approaches intended for use by
professionals or parents are not appropriate for funding under this
priority unless child-level benefits are clearly demonstrated.
Technology-based approaches for professional development will not be
funded under this priority;
(c) Provide a detailed plan for conducting work in one of the
following two phases:
(1) Phase 1--Development: Projects funded under Phase 1 must
develop and refine a technology-based approach, and test its
feasibility for use with children with disabilities. Activities under
Phase I of the priority may include development, adaptation, and
refinement of technology, materials, or methodologies. Activities under
Phase 1 of the priority must include formative evaluation of usability
and feasibility. The primary product of a project funded under Phase 1
should be a promising technology-based approach that is suitable for
field-based evaluation of effectiveness in improving results for
children with disabilities.
(2) Phase 2--Research on Effectiveness: Projects funded under Phase
2 must select a promising technology-based approach that has been
developed and tested in a manner consistent with the criteria for
activities funded under Phase 1, and subject the approach to rigorous
field-based research to determine effectiveness in educational or early
intervention settings. Approaches studied through projects funded under
Phase 2 may have been developed with previous funding under Phase 1 of
this priority or with funding from other sources. Phase 2 of this
priority is primarily intended to produce sound research-based evidence
that demonstrates the approach can improve educational or early
intervention results for children with disabilities in a defined range
of real world contexts.
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct
research that poses a causal question and must employ randomized
assignment to treatment and comparison conditions, unless a strong
justification is made for why a randomized trial is not possible. If a
randomized trial is not possible, the applicant must employ
alternatives that substantially minimize selection bias or
[[Page 52085]]
allow it to be modeled. These alternatives include appropriately
structured regression-discontinuity designs and natural experiments in
which naturally occurring circumstances or institutions (perhaps
unintentionally) divide people into treatment and comparison groups in
a manner akin to purposeful random assignment. In their applications,
applicants proposing to use an alternative system must (1) make a
compelling case that randomization is not possible, and (2) describe in
detail how the procedures will result in substantially minimizing the
effects of selection bias on estimates of effect size. Choice of
randomizing unit or units (e.g., students, classrooms, schools) must be
grounded in a theoretical framework. Observational, survey, or
qualitative methodologies may complement experimental methodologies to
assist in the identification of factors that may explain the
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the approach. Applications must
provide research designs that permit the identification and assessment
of factors impacting the fidelity of implementation. Mediating and
moderating variables that are both measured in the practice or model
condition and are likely to affect outcomes in the comparison condition
must be measured in the comparison condition (e.g., student time-on-
task, teacher experience, and time in position).
Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct
research that is of sufficient power to provide convincing evidence of
the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach
under study, at least within a defined range of settings. Applicants
must provide documentation that available sample sizes, methodologies,
and treatment effects are likely to result in conclusive findings
regarding the effectiveness of the technology-based approach;
(d) Provide a plan for forming collaborative relationships with
vendors and/or other dissemination or marketing resources to ensure
that the technology-based approach is widely available if sufficient
evidence of effectiveness has been obtained. Applicants should document
the availability and/or participation of dissemination or marketing
resources. Applicants are encouraged to plan these collaborative
relationships early in their projects, even in Phase 1 (if applicable),
but should refrain from widespread dissemination to practitioners until
evidence of effectiveness has been obtained;
(e) Budget for the project director to attend an annual two-day
Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC, and another annual two-
day trip to Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project
officer and the other projects funded under this priority to share
information, and discuss findings and methods of dissemination; and
(f) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a format that meets a government or
industry-recognized standard for accessibility. If the project produces
instructional materials for dissemination, it must produce them in
accessible formats, including complying with the National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) for textual materials.
Within this absolute priority, we intend to fund at least two
projects led by a project director or principal investigator in the
initial phase of his or her career. For purposes of this priority, the
initial phase of an individual's career is considered to be the first
three years after the individual completes and graduates from a
doctoral program (i.e., for FY 2006 awards, projects may support
individuals who completed and graduated from a doctoral program no
earlier than the 2003-2004 academic year). To qualify for this
consideration, the applicant must explicitly state and document that
the project director or principal investigator is in the initial phase
of his or her career. At least 50 percent of the initial career
researcher's time must be devoted to the project.
Within this absolute priority, we also intend to fund at least two
projects focusing on technology-based approaches for children with
disabilities, ages birth to age 3, and to fund at least two projects
focusing on technology-based approaches to response-to-intervention
assessment techniques.
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. However,
section 681(d) of the IDEA 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: 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 IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$31,992,000 for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an
estimated $3,000,000 for the Steppingstones of Technology Innovation
for Children with Disabilities 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.
Maximum Award: Phase 1: $200,000 and Phase 2: $300,000. We will
reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum
award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary
for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may
change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal
Register.
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline for Deadline for Estimated Estimated Estimated Estimated
CFDA number and name transmittal of intergovernmental available range of average size number of
applications review funds awards of awards awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.327A--Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for
Children with Disabilities:
Phase 1--Development................................. 10/18/2005 12/17/2005 $1,200,000 $100,000-$200, $200,000 6
000
[[Page 52086]]
Phase 2--Research on Effectiveness................... 10/18/2005 12/17/2005 1,800,000 200,000-300,00 300,000 6
0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Period: Projects funded under Phase 1 will be funded for up
to 24 months. Projects funded under Phase 2 will be funded for up to 24
months unless a compelling rationale is provided for funding up to 36
months.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates
in this notice.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs; public charter schools that are
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 involve 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
the 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 the 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), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.327A.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts
Services Team listed under For Further Information Contact in section
VII 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
the equivalent of no more than 50 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; the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: September 1, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See Chart.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. 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.
We have been accepting applications electronically through the
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. Steppingstones of Technology
Innovation for Children with Disabilities-CFDA Number 84.327A is one of
the competitions included in this project. We request your
participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://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 e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for the
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities-
CFDA Number 84.327A competition at: http://www.grants.gov. You must
search for the downloadable application package
[[Page 52087]]
for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's
alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
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.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
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 application process through Grants.gov.
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 at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted
) and provide on your application the same D-
U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the
registration process may take five or more business days to complete.
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 may submit all documents electronically, including all
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to
submit your application electronically, 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 above 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.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
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 of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 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 as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date,
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). 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 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: Extensions referred to 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 deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
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 applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.327A)
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.327A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, 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, or
(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, or
(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: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.327A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
[[Page 52088]]
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 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 4 of ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if
any--of the competition under which you are submitting your
application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
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 specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures
that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the
Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities
program. These measures will focus on: The extent to which projects are
of high quality and are relevant to the needs of children with
disabilities. Data on these measures will be collected from the
projects funded under this competition.
Grantees also will be required to report information on their
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR
75.590).
We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they are
developed.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Hanley, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4066, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7369.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550.
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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
.
Dated: August 29, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-17448 Filed 8-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P