2011-9625. Applications for New Awards; Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

Overview Information: Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.129 B, L, P, and Q.

Note:

This notice invites applications for four separate competitions. For funding information regarding each of the four competitions, refer to the chart under Award Information in section II of this notice.

DATES:

Applications Available: April 20, 2011.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 6, 2011. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 3, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program (Training Program) provides financial assistance for—

(1) Projects that provide basic or advanced training leading to an academic degree in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary;

(2) Projects that provide a specified series of courses or program of study leading to the award of a certificate in areas of personnel shortages in rehabilitation as identified by the Secretary; and

(3) Projects that provide support for medical residents enrolled in residency training programs in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Priorities: This notice includes two absolute priorities, one competitive preference priority, and one invitational priority. In order to receive funding under any of the competitions announced in this notice, an applicant must meet Absolute Priority 1. An applicant for funding under CFDA No. 84.129B (Rehabilitation Counseling) also must meet Absolute Priority 2.

Absolute Priority 1: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from 34 CFR 386.1. For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from these competitions, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Rehabilitation Long-Term Training programs designed to provide academic training in areas of personnel shortages.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), for each competition, we consider only applications that propose to provide training in the priority areas of personnel shortages listed in the following chart.

CFDA No.	Priority area
84.129B	Rehabilitation Counseling.
84.129L	Undergraduate Education in the Rehabilitation Services.
84.129P	Specialized Personnel for Rehabilitation of Individuals who are Blind or Have Vision Impairments.
84.129Q	Rehabilitation of Individuals Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Absolute Priority 2 (CFDA No. 84.129B): This priority is from the notice of final priority for this program, published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2003 (68 FR 2166). For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from the competition for CFDA No. 84.129B, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), for this competition, we consider only applications that meet this absolute priority and Absolute Priority 1.

This priority is:

Partnership with the State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (84.129B—Rehabilitation Counseling).

This priority supports projects that will increase the knowledge of students of the role and responsibilities of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselor and of the benefits of counseling in State VR agencies. This priority focuses attention on and intends to strengthen the unique role of rehabilitation educators and State VR agencies in the preparation of qualified VR counselors by increasing or creating ongoing collaboration between institutions of higher education and State VR agencies.

Projects funded under this priority must include within the degree program information about and experience in the State VR system. Projects must include partnering activities for students with the State VR agency including experiential activities, such as formal internships or practicum agreements. In addition, experiential activities for students with community-based rehabilitation service providers are encouraged.

Projects must include an evaluation of the impact of project activities.

Competitive Preference Priority: This competitive preference priority is from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this priority.

This priority is:

Building Evidence of Effectiveness.

Projects that propose evaluation plans that are likely to produce valid and reliable evidence in the following priority area:

Identifying and improving practices, strategies, and policies that may contribute to improving outcomes.

Under this priority, at a minimum, the outcome of interest is to be measured multiple times before and after the treatment for project participants and, where feasible, for a comparison group of non-participants.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c) (1), we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

Demonstrating Evidence of a High-Quality Plan for a Successful Long-Term Rehabilitation Training Program.

The Department invites applicants to provide detailed plans on how they will ensure the quality of VR training funded by this grant and improve employment outcomes for students. We encourage applicants to include the following in their applications—

(a) A detailed recruitment plan that discusses how the applicant will recruit students into its VR training program and how it will address enrollment shortages;

(b) A comprehensive plan that details how many students the applicant plans to enroll in its training program and fund using these grant funds and how the applicant will ensure that students not only stay enrolled in the program but graduate with a degree in a specific area of study related to VR;

(c) A detailed plan on how the applicant will assist students in finding employment in a State VR Agency or other VR employment that is considered “acceptable” under the provisions of the RSA Scholar Payback Program; and

(d) An explanation of how the applicant plans to track students after graduation or termination from its training program and collect the employment information required for the annual RSA Scholar Payback Program report.

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:

In deciding whether to continue funding any Long-Term Training program 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 the RSA project officer who will monitor the reported annual performance of the grantee's training program and measure it against the projections stated in the grantee's application. This includes the number of students actually enrolled in the grantee's training program and the number of students who successfully enter employment with State VR Agencies.

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of the grant award have been or are being met by the grantee, including the submission of annual performance reports and annual RSA Scholar Payback Program reports, and adherence to fiduciary responsibilities related to the budget submitted in the application; and

(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the grantee's training program and activities and the degree to which the training program and activities and their outcomes have contributed to significantly improving the quality of VR professionals ready for employment with State VR Agencies. This will be measured by the percentage of students entering employment deemed acceptable for fulfilling the payback obligation.

Grantees must also provide assurances that they will abide by all of the administrative and performance reporting requirements associated with the RSA Payback report and will retain all the necessary documentation including the Scholars Agreement and Exit forms and any other documentation necessary to ensure students understand their financial liabilities under this program (34 CFR part 386).

Note:

While applicants may not hire staff or select trainees based on race or national origin/ethnicity, they may conduct outreach activities to increase the pool of eligible minority candidates. RSA may disqualify and not consider for funding any applicant that indicates that it will hire or train a certain number or percentage of minority candidates.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 385 and 386. (c) The notice of final priority for this program, published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2003 (68 FR 2166). (d) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).

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 only.

II. Award Information

Type of Awards: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $33,251,000 for the Training Program for FY 2011, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,150,000 for these competitions. 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 before the end of the current fiscal year if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Note:

Please refer to the “Maximum Award” column of the chart in this section for the estimated dollar amounts for individual competitions.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications for the competitions announced in this notice, we may make additional awards in FY 2011 from the lists of unfunded applicants from individual competitions.

Estimated Range of Awards: $75,000-$150,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.

Maximum Award: See chart.

Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2011

CFDA No.	Priority area	Maximum award (per budget year)	Estimated number of awards
84.129B	Rehabilitation Counseling	150,000	5
84.129L	Undergraduate Education in the Rehabilitation Services	100,000	1
84.129P	Specialized Personnel for Rehabilitation of Individuals who are Blind or Have Vision Impairments	100,000	1
84.129Q	Rehabilitation of Individuals Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing	100,000	2

We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount for each individual competition for a single budget period of 12 months. For projects funded under 84.129B, the maximum amount for a single budget period of 12 months is $150,000. For all other competitions in this notice, the maximum amount is $100,000 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.

Note:

The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. The Secretary may decide to increase or decrease the number of grants awarded in each specific priority area based on factors such as the quality of the applications received.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian tribes and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing of at least 10 percent of the total cost of the project is required of grantees under the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program. The Secretary may waive part of the non-Federal share of the cost of the project after negotiations if the applicant demonstrates that it does not have sufficient resources to contribute the entire match (34 CFR 386.30).

Note:

Under 34 CFR 75.562(c), an indirect cost reimbursement on a training grant is limited to the recipient's actual indirect costs, as determined by its negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever amount is less. Indirect costs in excess of the limit may not be charged directly, used to satisfy matching or cost-sharing requirements, or charged to another Federal award.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. Fax: [phone]. 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.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: [e-mail].

If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the competition as follows: CFDA number 84.129 B, L, P, or Q.

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 these competitions.

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 (Part III) to the equivalent of no more than 45 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).
• 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 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 all of the application narrative section (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: April 20, 2011.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 6, 2011.

Applications for grants under these competitions 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: August 3, 2011.

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 these competitions.

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 Central Contractor Registry: 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 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 CCR 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 business day.

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 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, 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 CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

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 in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under these competitions 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 Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training competitions—CFDA numbers 84.129 B, L, P, and Q must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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.

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 Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training competitions at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for these competitions by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.129, not 84.129B).

Please note the following:

• 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 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.
• 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.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for these competitions 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 http://www.G5.gov.
• 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.
• 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.
• You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF 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 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 e-mail. 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).
• 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--

• You do not have access to the Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and
• 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 prevent 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: RoseAnn Ashby, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5055, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Fax: [phone].

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 Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.129 B, L, P, or Q), 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 84.129 B, L, P, or Q), 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 notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for these competitions are from 34 CFR 75.210 and 34 CFR 386.20 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. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special 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; 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). 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 http://www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the effectiveness of programs by engaging in strategic planning, setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program results against those goals.

The goal of the Rehabilitation Services Administration's (RSA) Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program is to increase the number of qualified VR personnel, including counselors and other professional staff, working in State VR or related agencies. At least 75 percent of all grant funds must be used for direct payment of student scholarships.

Grantees are required to track current and former RSA scholars and maintain accurate information on them from the time they are enrolled in the program until they successfully meet their payback requirements. Specifically, each grantee is required to maintain information on the cumulative support granted to RSA scholars, scholar debt in years, program completion date and reason for exit for each scholar, dates each scholar's work begins and is completed to meet his or her payback agreement, type of employment scholars attain, all current contact information for scholars including home address, and the place of employment of individual scholars.

Grantees are required to report annually to RSA on these data elements using the RSA Grantee Reporting Form, OMB number 1820-0617, an electronic reporting system supported by the RSA Management Information System (RSA MIS). The RSA Grantee Reporting Form collects specific data, including the number of RSA scholars entering the rehabilitation workforce, the rehabilitation field each scholar enters, and the type of employment setting each scholar chooses (e.g., State agency, nonprofit service provider, or practice group). This form allows RSA to measure results against the goal of increasing the number of qualified VR personnel working in State VR and related agencies.

All Rehabilitation Long-Term Training grantees must also submit information in their annual report that details their relationship with State VR agencies including any information demonstrating articulation agreements, internships for RSA scholars, or employment of program graduates in the State VR agency. Grantees must also include evidence that they are recruiting, admitting and graduating students who intend to secure employment with State VR agencies and provide evidence that they understand students must pay back their scholarship through acceptable employment.

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes the review of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. 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:

RoseAnn Ashby, U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5055, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].

If you use a TDD, call the 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 Service Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: [phone]. If you use a TDD, 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: http://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.

Dated: April 15, 2011.

Alexa Posny,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.