National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Under the Knowledge Dissemination and Utilization Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

[CFDA No.: 84.133D]

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research;

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Under the Knowledge

Dissemination and Utilization Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995

Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package.

The notice contains information, application forms, and instructions

needed to apply for a grant under this competition. The final

priorities for the Knowledge Dissemination and Utilization program are

published in this issue of the Federal Register. This consolidated

application package includes the closing date, estimated funding, and

application forms necessary to apply for an award under this program's

competition. Potential applicants should consult the statement of the

final priorities published in this issue to ascertain the substantive

requirements for their applications.

The estimated funding level in this notice does not bind the

Department of Education to make awards or to any specific number of

awards or funding levels.

Note: The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 require that

each applicant for a project under this competition must demonstrate

in its application how it will address the needs of individuals from

minority backgrounds who have disabilities.

Application Notice for Fiscal Year 1995

[Knowledge Dissemination and Utilization Program, CFDA No. 84.133D]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated

Deadline for Estimated size of Project

Funding priority transmittal number of awards period

of awards (per (months)

applications year)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Center for the

Dissemination of

Disability Research..... 1/20/95 1 $500,000 48

Improving access to

disability data......... 1/20/95 1 175,000 36

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applications available: November 18, 1994.

Before your application can be reviewed, it must include this

description. Applications for which this information is not received

will not be reviewed.

Successful applicants that provide services to individuals with

disabilities will be required to advise these individuals, or as

appropriate, the parents, family guardians, advocates, or authorized

representatives of these individuals, of the availability and purposes

of the State Client Assistance Program (CAP), including information on

means of seeking assistance under such programs. A list of State CAPs

will be provided to successful applicants when they are notified of

their award.

This notice supports the National Education Goal that calls for all

Americans to possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a

global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of

citizenship.

If you need further information about these requirements, please

contact David Esquith at (202) 205-8801. Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD number at

(202) 205-5516.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 78, 80,

81, 82, 85, 86; (b) the regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts

350 and 355; and (c) the notice of final priorities as published

elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Purpose of Program: The Knowledge Dissemination and Utilization is

designed to support activities that will ensure that rehabilitation

knowledge generated from projects and centers funded by NIDRR and from

other sources is fully utilized to improve the lives of individuals

with disabilities and their families.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate

applications under this program.

(a) Potential Impact of Outcomes: Importance of Program (Weight

3.0). The Secretary reviews each application to determine to what

degree--

(1) The proposed activity relates to the announced priority;

(2) The research is likely to produce new and useful information

(research activities only);

(3) The need and target population are adequately defined;

(4) The outcomes are likely to benefit the defined target

populations;

(5) The training needs are clearly defined (training activities

only);

(6) The training methods and developed subject matter are likely to

meet the defined need (training activities only); and

(7) The need for information exists (utilization activities only).

(b) Potential Impact of Outcomes: Dissemination/Utilization (Weight

3.0). The Secretary reviews each application to determine to what

degree--

(1) The research results are likely to become available to others

working in the field (research activities only);

(2) The means to disseminate and promote utilization by others are

defined;

(3) The training methods and content are to be packaged for

dissemination and use by others (training activities only); and

(4) The utilization approach is likely to address the defined need

(utilization activities only).

(c) Probability of Achieving Proposed Outcomes: Program/Project

Design (Weight 5.0). The Secretary reviews each application to

determine to what degree--

(1) The objectives of the project(s) are clearly stated;

(2) The hypothesis is sound and based on evidence (research

activities only);

(3) The project design/methodology is likely to achieve the

objectives;

(4) The measurement methodology and analysis is sound (research and

development/demonstration activities only);

(5) The conceptual model (if used) is sound (development/

demonstration activities only);

(6) The sample populations are correct and significant (research

and development/demonstration activities only);

(7) The human subjects are sufficiently protected (research and

development/demonstration activities only);

(8) The device(s) or model system is to be developed in an

appropriate environment;

(9) The training content is comprehensive and at an appropriate

level (training activities only);

(10) The training methods are likely to be effective (training

activities only);

(11) The new materials (if developed) are likely to be of high

quality and uniqueness (training activities only);

(12) The target populations are linked to the project (utilization

activities only); and

(13) The format of the dissemination medium is the best to achieve

the desired result (utilization activities only).

(d) Probability of Achieving Proposed Outcomes: Key Personnel

(Weight 4.0). The Secretary reviews each application to determine to

what degree--

(1) The principal investigator and other key staff have adequate

training and/or experience and demonstrate appropriate potential to

conduct the proposed research, demonstration, training, development, or

dissemination activity;

(2) The principal investigator and other key staff are familiar

with pertinent literature and/or methods;

(3) All required disciplines are effectively covered;

(4) Commitments of staff time are adequate for the project; and

(5) The applicant is likely, as part of its non-discriminatory

employment practices, to encourage applications for employment from

persons who are members of groups that traditionally have been

underrepresented, such as--

(i) Members of racial or ethnic minority groups;

(ii) Women;

(iii) Handicapped persons; and

(iv) The elderly.

(e) Probability of Achieving Proposed Outcomes: Evaluation Plan

(Weight 1.0). The Secretary reviews each application to determine to

what degree--

(1) There is a mechanism to evaluate plans, progress and results;

(2) The evaluation methods and objectives are likely to produce

data that are quantifiable; and

(3) The evaluation results, where relevant, are likely to be

assessed in a service setting.

(f) Program/Project Management: Plan of Operation (Weight 2.0). The

Secretary reviews each application to determine to what degree--

(1) There is an effective plan of operation that insures proper and

efficient administration of the project(s);

(2) The applicant's planned use of its resources and personnel is

likely to achieve each objective;

(3) Collaboration between institutions, if proposed, is likely to

be effective; and

(4) There is a clear description of how the applicant will include

eligible project participants who have been traditionally

underrepresented, such as--

(i) Members of racial or ethnic minority groups;

(ii) Women;

(iii) Handicapped persons; and

(iv) The elderly.

(g) Program/Project Management: Adequacy of Resources (Weight 1.0).

The Secretary reviews each application to determine to what degree--

(1) The facilities planned for use are adequate;

(2) The equipment and supplies planned for use are adequate; and

(3) The commitment of the applicant to provide administrative

support and adequate facilities is evident.

(h) Program/Project Management: Budget and Cost Effectiveness

(Weight 1.0). The Secretary reviews each application to determine to

what degree--

(1) The budget for the project(s) is adequate to support the

activities;

(2) The costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the

projects(s); and

(3) The budget for subcontracts (if required) is detailed and

appropriate.

Eligible Applicants: Parties eligible to apply for grants under

this program are public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies

and organizations, including institutions of higher education and

Indian tribes and tribal organizations.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 761a and 762.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

(a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant

shall--

(1) Mail the original and two copies of the application on or

before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application

Control Center, Attention: (CFDA # [Applicant must insert number and

letter]), Washington, D.C. 20202-4725, or

(2) Hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by

4:30 p.m. [Washington, D.C. time] on the deadline date to: U.S.

Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA #

[Applicant must insert number and letter]), Room #3633, Regional Office

Building #3, 7th and D Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C.

(b) An applicant must show one of the following as proof of

mailing:

(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.

(c) If an application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service,

the Secretary does 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.

Notes: (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a

dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should

check with its local post office.

(2) An applicant wishing to know that its application has been

received by the Department must include with the application a

stamped self-addressed postcard containing the CFDA number and title

of this program.

(3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not

provided by the Department--in Item 10 of the Application for

Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number--and letter,

if any--of the competition under which the application is being

submitted.

Application Forms and Instructions

The appendix to this application is divided into four parts. These

parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted application

should be organized. These parts are as follows:

Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev.

4-88)) and instructions.

Part II: Budget Form--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 524)

and instructions.

Part III: Application Narrative.

Additional Materials

Estimated Public Reporting Burden.

Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).

Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension, and Other

Responsibility Matters: and Drug-Free WorkPlace Requirements (ED Form

80-0013).

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and

Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED Form ED 80-

0014) and instructions. (NOTE: ED Form ED-80-0014 is intended for the

use of primary participants and should not be transmitted to the

Department.)

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL if applicable)

and instructions; and Disclosure Lobbying Activities Continuation Sheet

(Standard Form LLL-A).

An applicant may submit information on a photostatic copy of the

application and budget forms, the assurances, and the certifications.

However, the application form, the assurances, and the certifications

must each have an original signature. No grant may be awarded unless a

completed application form has been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dianne Villines, U.S. Department of

Education, Room 3417 Switzer Building, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20202-2704. Telephone: (202) 205-9141. Individuals who

use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD

number at (202) 205-8887.

Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including

copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can

be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board),

telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server at

GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases).

However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant

competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 760-762.

Dated: November 10, 1994.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Appendix

Application Forms and Instructions

Applicants are advised to reproduce and complete the application

forms in this Section. Applicants are required to submit an original

and two copies of each application as provided in this Section.

Frequent Questions

1. Can I get an extension of the due date?

No! On rare occasions the Department of Education may extend a

closing date for all applicants. If that occurs, a notice of the

revised due date is published in the Federal Register. However, there

are no extensions or exceptions to the due date made for individual

applicants.

2. What should be included in the application?

The application should include a project narrative, vitae of key

personnel, and a budget, as well as the Assurances forms included in

this package. Vitae of staff or consultants should include the

individual's title and role in the proposed project, and other

information that is specifically pertinent to this proposed project.

The budgets for both the first year and subsequent project years should

be included.

If collaboration with another organization is involved in the

proposed activity, the application should include assurances of

participation by the other parties, including written agreements or

assurances of cooperation. It is not useful to include general letters

of support or endorsement in the application.

If the applicant proposes to use unique tests or other measurement

instruments that are not widely known in the field, it would be helpful

to include the instrument in the application.

Many applications contain voluminous appendices that are not

helpful and in many cases cannot even be mailed to the reviewers. It is

generally not helpful to include such things as brochures, general

capability statements of collaborating organizations, maps, copies of

publications, or descriptions of other projects completed by the

applicant.

3. What format should be used for the application?

NIDRR generally advises applicants that they may organize the

application to follow the selection criteria that will be used. The

specific review criteria vary according to the specific program, and

are contained in this Consolidated Application Package.

4. May I submit applications to more than one NIDRR program

competition or more than one application to a program?

Yes, you may submit applications to any program for which they are

responsive to the program requirements. You may submit the same

application to as many competitions as you believe appropriate. You may

also submit more than one application in any given competition.

5. What is the allowable indirect cost rate?

The limits on indirect costs vary according to the program and the

type of application.

Applicants in the FIR, AND Innovation grants programs should limit

indirect charges to the organization's approved rate. If the

organization does not have an approved rate, the application should

include an estimated actual rate.

6. Can profitmaking businesses apply for grants?

Yes. However, for-profit organizations will not be able to collect

a fee or profit on the grant, and in some programs will be required to

share in the costs of the project.

7. Can individuals apply for Grants?

No. Only organizations are eligible to apply for grants under NIDRR

programs.

8. Can NIDRR staff advise me whether my project is of interest to

NIDRR or likely to be funded?

No. NIDRR staff can advise you of the requirements of theprogram in

which you propose to submit your application. However, staff cannot

advise you of whether your subject area or proposed approach is likely

to receive approval.

9. How do I assure that my application will be referred to the most

appropriate panel for review?

Applicants should be sure that their applications are referred to

the correct competition by clearly including the competition title and

CFDA number, including alphabetical code, on the Standard Form 424, and

including the title of the priority to which they are responding.

10. How soon after submitting my application can I find out if it

will be funded?

The time from closing date to grant award date varies fromprogram

to program. Generally speaking, NIDRR endeavors to have awards made

within five to six months of the closing date. Unsuccessful applicants

generally will be notified within that time frame as well. For the

purpose of estimating a project start date, the applicant should

estimate approximately six months from the closing date, but no later

than the following September 30.

11. Can I call NIDRR to find out if my application is being funded?

No! When NIDRR is able to release information on the status of

grant applications, it will notify applicants by letter. The results of

the peer review cannot be released except through this formal

notification.

12. If my application is successful, can I assume I will get the

requested budget amount in subsequent years?

No. Those budget projections are necessary and helpful for planning

purposes. However, a complete budget and budget justification must be

submitted for each year of the project and there will be negotiations

on the budget each year.

13. Will all approved applications be funded?

No. It often happens that the peer review panels approve for

funding more applications than NIDRR can fund within available

resources. Applicants who are approved but not funded are encouraged to

consider submitting similar applications in future competitions.

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Public reporting burden for this collection of information is

estimated to vary from 13 to 22 hours per response, with an average

of 17.5 hours, including the time for reviewing instructions,

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data

needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing

this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, Information

Management and Compliance Division, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and

the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project

1875-0102, Washington, D.C. 20503.

Instructions for ED Form No. 524

General Instructions

This form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of

Education discretionary grant programs. Unless directed otherwise,

provide the same budget information for each year of the multi-year

funding request. Pay attention to applicable program specific

instructions, if attached.

Section A--Budget Summary: U.S. Department of Education Funds

All applicants must complete Section A and provide a breakdown

by the applicable budget categories shown in lines 1-11.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year for which

funding is requested, show the total amount requested for each

applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each

budget category. If funding is requested for only one project year,

leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total budget request for each

project year for which funding is requested.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount requested for all

project years. If funding is requested for only one year, leave this

space blank.

Section B--Budget Summary: Non-Federal Funds

If you are required to provide or volunteer to provide matching

funds or other non-Federal resources to the project, these should be

shown for each applicable budget category on lines 1-11 of Section

B.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year for which

matching funds or other contributions are provided, show the total

contribution for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each

budget category. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only

one year, leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total matching or other

contribution for each project year.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount to be contributed for

all years of the multi-year project. If non-Federal contributions

are provided for only one year, leave this space blank.

Section C--Other Budget Information: Pay Attention to Applicable

Program Specific Instructions, if Attached

1. Provide an itemized budget breakdown, by project year, for

each budget category listed in Sections A and B.

2. If applicable to this program, enter the type of indirect

rate (provisional, predetermined, final or fixed) that will be in

effect during the funding period. In addition, enter the estimated

amount of the base to which the rate is applied, and the total

indirect expense.

3. If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on

which fringe benefits are calculated.

4. Provide other explanations or comments you deem necessary.

Public reporting burden for these collections of information is

estimated to average 30 hours per response, including the time for

reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the

collection of information.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

these collections of information, including suggestions for reducing

this burden, to: the U.S. Department of Education, Information

Management and Compliance Division, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and to

the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project 1820-

0027, Washington, D.C. 20503.

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[FR Doc. 94-28478 Filed 11-17-94; 8:45 am]

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