Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Training: Innovative Rehabilitative Training Program CFDA Number 84.263C | ED GRANTS 070519 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 070519 001

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), offered this discretionary grant competition under the Rehabilitation Training program area called the Innovative Rehabilitative Training Program (CFDA 84.263C). The core focus of the opportunity is to strengthen the vocational rehabilitation (VR) workforce by supporting the creation, improvement, and testing of innovative training approaches for rehabilitation personnel who serve individuals with disabilities. In practical terms, the Department of Education is looking for projects that do more than deliver routine training; they are looking for new kinds of training models and methods that can be shown to work and that lead to better, more effective rehabilitation services.

The stated purpose is threefold. First, the program is meant to develop entirely new types of training programs for rehabilitation personnel and to demonstrate the effectiveness of those new programs in improving rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities. Second, it aims to produce new and improved methods of training (for example, updated instructional strategies, delivery formats, or competency-based models) so that designated State VR agencies, designated State rehabilitation units, and other public or nonprofit rehabilitation service organizations can deliver services more effectively. Third, it emphasizes innovation specifically tied to a modern, "21st-century" understanding of the labor market and the evolving needs of individuals with disabilities, so VR professionals and paraprofessionals are better prepared to help people with disabilities succeed in a changing economy.

Eligibility for this competition is broad and includes many types of public and nonprofit entities that might reasonably be involved in training and workforce development. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those not federally recognized as tribal governments); nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status; and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both nonprofit cases, other than institutions of higher education). The notice also references an "Others" category with clarification to be found in the official application notice, which is typical language indicating that additional nuance or conditions may apply depending on how the Department defines eligible entities in the Federal Register posting.

In terms of funding scale and competition expectations, the award ceiling listed is $450,000, with an anticipated six awards. This suggests projects were expected to be substantial enough to design and implement a meaningful training innovation, and also to generate evidence about whether the training approach works, but still within a moderate grant size relative to large multi-state implementation efforts. Because the purpose includes demonstrating effectiveness, applicants would generally be expected to incorporate evaluation, measurable outcomes, and clear plans for documenting results, even though the detailed performance measures and priority language are contained in the official Federal Register notice rather than this synopsis.

Key dates and applicant support resources were also provided. Applications were made available on July 5, 2019, and the deadline for transmittal of applications was August 14, 2019. To help applicants prepare, OSERS planned to post pre-recorded informational webinars by July 10, 2019, intended to provide technical assistance to interested applicants, hosted at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html. OSERS also planned a pre-application Q and A blog, opening no later than July 10, 2019 and remaining open until July 24, 2019, where applicants could post questions specifically about application requirements and OSERS would post answers. Questions outside application requirements were not to be addressed through the blog, and once it closed, applicants were directed to contact the program officer.

The notice also included a strong encouragement (but not a requirement) to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply. The Department explained that this helps them review applications more efficiently by giving them a sense of the volume of submissions expected. Interested applicants were asked to email the program contact with the subject line "Intent to Apply" and include the applicant name along with a contact person's name and email. Importantly, not submitting a notice of intent would not prevent an applicant from applying, and submitting one would not obligate the applicant to follow through or lock them into the details provided.

For official guidance on how to apply, applicants were directed to the controlling Federal Register application notice and to the Department of Education's Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published February 13, 2019, 84 FR 3768). Those common instructions cover the mechanics of obtaining and submitting an application, along with standard requirements that apply across discretionary ED grants. The listed point of contact for this competition was Cassandra P. Shoffler at the U.S. Department of Education, with the mailing address at 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 5122, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800, telephone (202) 245-7827, and email cassandra.shoffler@ed.gov.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Training: Innovative Rehabilitative Training Program CFDA Number 84.263C" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.263.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 05, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 14, 2019 Applications Available July 5, 2019.Deadline for Transmittal of Applications August 14, 2019.Pre-Application Webinar Information No later than July 10, 2019, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html.Pre-Application QampA Blog No later than July 10, 2019, OSERS will open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The blog will be available at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/rsa/new-rsa-grants.html and will remain open until July 24, 2019. After the blog closes, applicants should direct questions to Cassandra P. Shoffler, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 5122, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone (202) 245-7827. Email cassandra.shoffler@ed.gov.Notice of Intent to Apply The Department will be able to review grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line #8220Intent to Apply,#8221 and include the applicant#8217s name and a contact person#8217s name and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to apply may still apply for funding applicants that do submit a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information provided. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Cassandra P. Shoffler, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 5122, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone (202) 245-7827. Email cassandra.shoffler@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $450,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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