PKG00251449-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202-2800

2019 APPLICATION KIT FOR NEW GRANTS

UNDER

THE REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

BRAILLE TRAINING PROGRAM

CFDA 84.235E

FORM APPROVED

OMB NO. 1820-0018, EXP. DATE: 07/31/2019

ED FORM 424, OMB APPROVED

DATED MATERIAL—OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: JULY 1, 2019

CONTENTS

SUBJECT SECTION

Dear Applicant Letter .................................................................................................................. A

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards ............................................................................... B

Selection Criteria for Applications ............................................................................................... C

Application Transmittal Instructions ............................................................................................ D

Application Abstract Instructions ................................................................................................. E

Application Forms....................................................................................................................... F

Part I: Federal Assistance Face Page (SF-424) Part II: Budget Information (ED 524) Part III: Application Narrative Part IV: Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures Information Part V: Evidence Form Part VI: Assurances, Certifications, Disclosures:

• Assurances - Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B);

• Certification Regarding Lobbying: Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans and Cooperative Agreements;

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Important Notices/Information .................................................................................................... G

• Notice to All Applicants, Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)

• The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

• Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs)

• Electronic Notification Option for Grant Awards

Additional Information ................................................................................................................. H

• Applicant Checklist

• Common Questions and Answers

• Program Application Indirect Cost Instructions

• D-U-N-S Number Instructions

Section A Dear Applicant Letter

Section B Notice Inviting Applications

For New Awards

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Braille Training Program

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative

Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The mission of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the Nation. The

Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the

Braille Training program, Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) number 84.235E. The Braille Training program will partner with States and public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education to provide information, material, equipment, and training in braille instruction. The support provided by the program will increase the knowledge and skills of personnel providing vocational rehabilitation services or educational services to youth and adults who are blind. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820–0018.

DATES:

Applications Available: May 30, 2019.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 1, 2019.

Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than June 4, 2019, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars will be available at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html.

Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than June 4, 2019, OSERS will open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The blog will be available at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html and will remain open until June 18, 2019. After the blog closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Deadline for

Intergovernmental Review: August 28, 2019.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for

Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant

Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-

02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theresa DeVaughn, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room

5062A, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800.

Telephone: (202) 245-7321. Email:

theresa.devaughn@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay

Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Braille Training program offers financial assistance to projects that will provide training in the use of braille for personnel providing vocational rehabilitation services or educational services to youth and adults who are blind, develop braille training materials, develop methods used to teach braille, and develop activities used to promote the knowledge and use of braille and nonvisual access technology for youth and adults who are blind. The absolute and invitational priorities align with the Secretary’s supplemental priorities to encourage applicants to meet the unique needs of students and children with disabilities by ensuring coursework, books, or other materials are accessible to children or students who are blind; promoting science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) education by ensuring braille instructors are able to teach mathematical and scientific braille notations; working with schools, municipal libraries, or other partners to expand access to digital learning resources to a greater number of children or students who are blind; and promoting literacy through the use of braille to meet the employment and independent living needs of adults. Further, the priorities support

States in their work to raise expectations and improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities, in this case individuals who are blind, by demonstrating a commitment to high expectations for each individual with a disability and by engaging with individuals who are blind, their families, and other stakeholders through meaningful and effective collaboration. Projects must be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws.

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 303(d) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 773(d)).

Absolute Priority: For FY 2019, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Braille Training Program.

Under this priority, we provide grants for the establishment or continuation of projects that provide--

(1) Development of braille training materials;

(2) In-service or pre-service training in the use of braille, the importance of braille literacy, and methods of teaching braille to youth and adults who are blind; and

(3) Activities to promote knowledge and use of braille and nonvisual access technology for blind youth and adults through a program of training, demonstration, and evaluation conducted with leadership of experienced blind individuals, including the use of comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology.

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets one or more of these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

These priorities are:

Invitational Priority 1--Braille Instruction to

Transition-age Students and Youth:

Applications that demonstrate that the personnel obtaining braille instruction from the grantee will subsequently provide braille instruction to transition-age students and youth who are blind (typically ages 14 through

24). This priority is designed to meet the unique needs of students and children with disabilities by ensuring coursework, books, or other materials are accessible to children or students who are blind and to ensure that transition-age students and youth who are blind have the braille literacy skills to read the coursework, books, and materials.

Invitational Priority 2--Braille Training in the STEM

Subjects:

Applications that address braille training in the STEM subjects, including mathematical notations. This priority is designed to promote STEM education by ensuring braille instructors are able to teach mathematical and scientific braille notations so that, ultimately, individuals who are blind have the braille literacy skills to read the specialized braille notations in order to enroll in STEM education.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 773(d).

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department

General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, and 99. (b) The Office of

Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on

Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in

2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $345,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $115,000.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding

$115,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Estimated Number of Awards: 3.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

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

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application. Under 34

CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with 2 CFR part

200.

IV. Application and Submission Information

(a) 1. Application Submission Instructions:

Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary

Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on

February 13, 2019, and available at

(b) www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-

02206.pdf, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

(c) 2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in

34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable

Regulations section of this notice.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210, and are as follows:

(a) Need for project and significance (10 points).

(1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project and the significance of the project.

(2) In determining the need for the proposed project and the significance of the project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

(ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in teaching and student achievement.

(iii) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the information or strategies.

(b) Quality of project design (30 points).

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs.

(ii) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and procedures for documenting project activities and results.

(iii) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.

(c) Quality of project services (30 points).

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.

(ii) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services.

(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services.

(d) Quality of project personnel, adequacy of resources, and quality of management plan (30 points).

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project, the adequacy of resources, and the quality of the management plan.

(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel.

(iii) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead applicant organization.

(iv) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and benefits.

(v) The extent to which time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.

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 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 (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions:

Consistent with 2 CFR 200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the

Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in

2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the

Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information

System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award

Management. You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.

Please note that if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to

FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2

CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.

Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.

4. 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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

5. 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 Braille Training program is to provide financial assistance to projects that will provide training in the use of braille for personnel providing vocational rehabilitation services or educational services to youth and adults who are blind. A grantee under this program must submit information to allow measurement of project outcomes and performance consistent with its approved application, including any data needed to comply with GPRA

(34 CFR 373.21). For the Braille Training program, a grantee must collect information on the number of personnel who attend the program, the number of personnel who complete the program, and whether these personnel obtain positions where they provide braille instruction to blind youth and adults following completion of the program.

Grantees are required to report annually to the

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) on these data.

Other information, as requested by RSA, may be required from grantees in order to verify substantial progress and to report to Congress and key stakeholders how well the program meets the stated objectives. Grantees are strongly encouraged to seek technical guidance as needed from RSA staff to ensure that they are meeting the objectives, goals, targets, and projected outcomes specified in their approved application. Program measures include the development of braille training materials, the methods used to teach braille, and the activities used to promote the knowledge and use of braille and nonvisual access technology for blind youth and adults. Annual project progress toward meeting project goals must be posted on the grantee or project website or university website.

6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the performance targets in the grantee’s approved application.

In making a continuation award, 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. 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 compact disc) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal

Register. You may access the official edition of the

Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 Portable Document

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat

Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Dated:

Johnny W. Collett, Assistant Secretary for

Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

Section C Selection Criteria for Applications

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR APPLICATIONS

The Secretary uses the following selection criteria taken from 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. Because no points are assigned to the selected factors, the Secretary evaluates each factor within each criterion equally.

The criteria are--

(A) NEED FOR PROJECT AND SIGNIFICANCE (10 points)

(1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project and the significance of the project.

(2) In determining the need for the proposed project and the significance of the project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

(ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in teaching and student achievement.

(iii) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are to be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the information or strategies.

(B) QUALITY OF THE PROJECT DESIGN (30 points)

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs.

(ii) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and procedures for documenting project activities and results.

(iii) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.

(C) QUALITY OF PROJECT SERVICES (30 points)

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project.

(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.

(ii) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services.

(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services.

(D) QUALITY OF PROJECT PERSONNEL, ADEQUACY OF RESOURCES, AND QUALITY OF

MANAGEMENT PLAN (30 points)

(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project, the adequacy of resources, and the quality of the management plan.

(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.

(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel.

(iii) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead applicant organization.

(iv) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and benefits.

(v) The extent to which time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.

Section D Application Transmittal Instructions

***Updated 02/2019***

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST

U.S. Department of Education

(a) Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues.

1. For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant

FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The

Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using

Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov

Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the

Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Helpful Reminders

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM

(www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov. However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department of

Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes

Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM. If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number

(PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s

Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is

“Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.sam.gov/ http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at

1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and 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. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the

Department.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace

• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Section E Application Abstract Instructions

PROJECT ABSTRACT

Applicants are required to submit a one page project abstract with their application. The abstract must include the following information:

1) Name of Applicant (agency or institution applying for award, not the individual submitting the application)

2) City and State where the agency or institution is located

3) The Congressional District where the agency or institution is located (number)

4) The name of the principle Project Director and the percentage of time the Director will manage the project.

Questions regarding the project abstract or any other components of the application should be directed to the competition manager before the closing date.

Section F Application Forms

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Rehabilitation Services Administration

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN

APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

(Nonconstruction Programs)

The enclosed forms shall be used by all applicants for Federal Assistance under all Rehabilitation Services Administration programs. A separate application must be submitted for each grant sought. No grant may be awarded unless the completed application forms have been received. If an item does not appear to be relevant to the assistance requested, write "NA" for not applicable.

This application consists of four parts. These parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. These parts are as follows:

Part I Federal Assistance Application Face Page (SF-424) Part II Budget Information (ED 524) Part III Program Narrative Part IV Assurances, Certifications and Disclosures

Electronic submission requires that narratives and other files be attached to the following attachment forms as per the instruction in this document such as:

• One-page abstract must be attached to the “Department of Education Abstract Form”

• Program narratives must be attached to the “Program Narrative Attachment Form”

• Budget narratives must be attached to the “Budget Narrative Attachment Form”

• All vitas, table of contents, letters, certifications, supplementary statements, and other requested appendices must be attached to the “Other Attachment Form”

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files or application components to the Standard Form (SF-424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached to the attachment forms listed above.

Each submitted application must include an index or table of contents and a one-page project abstract. Pages should be consecutively numbered.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1820-0018. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 40 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Under terms of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended, and the regulations implementing that Act, the Department of Education invites comment on the public reporting burden in this collection of information. You may send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the:

Information Management and Compliance Division Washington, DC 20202-4651

OMB Number: 4040-0004

Expiration Date: 12/31/2019

APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SF-424

*1. Type of Submission:

Preapplication

Application

Changed/Corrected Application

*2. Type of Application:

New

Continuation

Revision

* If Revision, select appropriate letter(s):

*Other (Specify):

* 3. Date Received: 4. Applicant Identifier:

5a. Federal Entity Identifier:

*5b. Federal Award Identifier:

State Use Only:

6. Date Received by State: 7. State Application Identifier:

8. APPLICANT INFORMATION:

*a. Legal Name:

*b. Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN):

*c. Organizational DUNS:

d. Address:

*Street 1:

Street 2:

*City:

County/Parish:

*State:

Province:

*Country:

*Zip / Postal Code:

e. Organizational Unit:

Department Name:

Division Name:

f. Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application:

Prefix: *First Name:

Middle Name:

*Last Name:

Suffix:

Title:

Organizational Affiliation:

Completed by Grants.gov upon submission

APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SF-424

*Telephone Number: Fax Number:

*Email:

9. Type of Applicant 1: Select Applicant Type:

Type of Applicant 2: Select Applicant Type:

Type of Applicant 3: Select Applicant Type:

*Other (Specify)

*10 Name of Federal Agency:

11. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:

CFDA Title:

*12 Funding Opportunity Number:

*Title:

13. Competition Identification Number:

Title:

14. Areas Affected by Project (Cities, Counties, States, etc.):

*15. Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project:

16. Congressional Districts Of:

*a. Applicant: *b. Program/Project:

Attach an additional list of Program/Project Congressional Districts if needed.

17. Proposed Project:

*a. Start Date: *b. End Date:

18. Estimated Funding ($):

*a. Federal

*b. Applicant

*c. State

*d. Local

*e. Other

*f. Program Income

*g. TOTAL

*19. Is Application Subject to Review By State Under Executive Order 12372 Process?

a. This application was made available to the State under the Executive Order 12372 Process for review on

b. Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the State for review.

c. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.

*20. Is the Applicant Delinquent On Any Federal Debt? (If “Yes,” provide explanation in attachment.)

Yes No

If “Yes”, provide explanation and attach.

21. *By signing this application, I certify (1) to the statements contained in the list of certifications** and (2) that the statements herein are true, complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also provide the required assurances**

Attach supporting documents as specified in agency instructions.

and agree to comply with any resulting terms if I accept an award. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. (U. S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001)

** I AGREE

** The list of certifications and assurances, or an internet site where you may obtain this list, is contained in the announcement or agency specific instructions.

Authorized Representative:

Prefix: *First Name:

Middle Name:

*Last Name:

Suffix:

*Title:

*Telephone Number: Fax Number:

* Email:

*Signature of Authorized Representative: *Date Signed:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SF-424

This is a standard form required for use as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications and applications and related information under discretionary programs.