Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 122408 002
Apply for ED GRANTS 122408 002
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Center on the Effective Delivery of Rehabilitation Technology by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies to Improve Employment Outcomes CFDA 84.133A 4" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.133 National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 24, 2008 and posted on Dec 24, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 23, 2009 Applications Available 12/24/2008. Date of Pre Application Meeting 01/13/2009. Pre Application Meeting Interested parties are invited to participate in any of the pre application meetings held for the competitions announced in this notice and to receive information and technical assistance through individual consultation with NIDRR staff. The dates for each of the competitions pre application meetings are listed in the chart in the Award Information section in the notice inviting applications. Interested parties may participate in these meetings by conference call with NIDRR staff from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services on the dates listed in the chart between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Washington, DC time. For each meeting, NIDRR staff also will be available from 330 p.m. to 430 p.m. on the same day, by telephone, to provide information and technical assistance through individual consultation. For further information or to make arrangements to participate in any of these meetings via conference call or for an individual consultation, contact Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), room 6029, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Telephone (202) 245 7462 or by e mail Donna.Nangle@ed.gov. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications 02/23/2009. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) State governments City or township governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education.
- Eligible Applicants States public or private agencies, including for profit agencies public or private organizations, including for profit organizations IHEs and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, titled "Center on the Effective Delivery of Rehabilitation Technology by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies to Improve Employment Outcomes" (CFDA 84.133A-4), is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Education through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). It sits under the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) program, which is grounded in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). The central aim is to strengthen how rehabilitation services are delivered by developing and advancing practical methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies that lead to better independent living and, especially, employment outcomes for people with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on individuals with the most severe disabilities.
At its core, this opportunity is about improving real-world results by helping vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies use rehabilitation technology more effectively to support people in getting jobs and keeping them. While the synopsis references the larger DRRP mission, this specific competition is framed as a "Center" focused on effective delivery, meaning applicants are generally expected to produce work that is directly usable by public VR systems and their partners. DRRP projects are allowed to conduct a range of activities defined in federal regulations (34 CFR 350.13 through 350.19), including research, training, demonstration, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical assistance. In practical terms, that typically means the funded Center can build and test tools or approaches, train practitioners, demonstrate promising models in applied settings, publish and distribute guidance, and provide hands-on technical assistance to help agencies implement what works.
A required element of the DRRP program, and therefore a key expectation in this competition, is attention to equity and access. Applicants must show in their application how they will address, in whole or in part, the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds, as required by 34 CFR 350.40(a). The notice points applicants to 34 CFR 350.40(b) for acceptable approaches. In a competitive proposal, this usually translates into concrete plans for inclusive outreach, culturally responsive methods, representation in advisory structures or study samples, and dissemination strategies that reach communities that are often underserved or overlooked.
The competition was expected to result in one award, with an award ceiling of $500,000, and it included a cost sharing or matching requirement (so applicants needed to plan for non-federal resources to cover the required match). The funding activity category is listed as Education, and the instrument type is a grant. The funding opportunity number is ED-GRANTS-122408-002. Key dates included a posted date of December 24, 2008, applications made available on December 24, 2008, a pre-application meeting on January 13, 2009, and an application deadline (deadline for transmittal) of February 23, 2009. The archive date is March 25, 2009, indicating it is an older, closed competition, but the structure is still a useful reference for similar NIDRR/DRRP competitions.
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private entities. The synopsis lists eligible applicants as states, public or private agencies (including for-profit agencies), public or private organizations (including for-profits), institutions of higher education (IHEs), Indian tribes, and tribal organizations. The detailed eligibility list also includes nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), state and local governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, small businesses, and other categories, with the reminder that the official Federal Register notice controls if there is any discrepancy. In other words, a wide range of organizations could apply, but the project itself would need to convincingly demonstrate the capacity to operate a national or multi-site Center-type effort and to influence how state VR agencies deliver rehabilitation technology services.
Applications were submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and the notice is explicit that applicants could not submit an application by emailing an electronic copy. Applicants were instructed to find the application package by searching the base CFDA number "84.133" in Grants.gov (not the suffixes like 84.133A-3 or 84.133A-4). For technical help with Grants.gov, the helpdesk number provided was 1-800-518-4726 and the email was support@grants.gov. The notice also provided Department of Education contacts, including a Grants.gov system administrator contact (Julius Cotton) for access issues, and a program contact (Donna Nangle) for competition and programmatic questions.
The opportunity also offered structured pre-application support. Interested parties could join a pre-application meeting held by conference call with NIDRR staff from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the meeting date, with additional one-on-one technical assistance by phone the same day from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This kind of support is typically meant to clarify program expectations, point applicants to relevant requirements in the Federal Register notice, and help applicants understand how to align their proposed work with the priority and performance measures.
Overall, this grant opportunity funded a single Center intended to strengthen the ability of state vocational rehabilitation agencies to deliver rehabilitation technology in ways that measurably improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The program expects applied, field-relevant work (not just academic research), a clear plan for dissemination and technical assistance so the work is adopted in practice, and a deliberate strategy to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds. For anyone using this notice as a model for current competitions, the most important takeaway is that DRRP/NIDRR Center projects are judged heavily on practical impact, reach into real service systems, and the ability to translate research and development into routine agency practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Center on the Effective Delivery of Rehabilitation Technology by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies to Improve Employment Outcomes" (CFDA 84.133A-4).
Which federal agency runs this grant competition?
This is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Education through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
What larger program is this Center funded under?
It sits under the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) program.
What is the legal authority behind the DRRP program?
The DRRP program is grounded in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).
What is the central goal of this Center competition?
The central aim is to strengthen rehabilitation service delivery by developing and advancing practical methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies that improve independent living and especially employment outcomes for people with disabilities, with emphasis on individuals with the most severe disabilities.
What does "effective delivery of rehabilitation technology" mean in this context?
Based on the notice description, it focuses on helping state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies use rehabilitation technology more effectively in real service settings to support people with disabilities in getting jobs and keeping them.
Is this opportunity more focused on practical implementation or academic research?
The description emphasizes applied, field-relevant work and producing outputs that are directly usable by public VR systems and partners, rather than work that is only academic.
Why is this competition framed as a "Center"?
It is framed as a "Center" because the funded project is expected to operate as a hub for developing and advancing usable approaches and for supporting adoption through activities like dissemination and technical assistance that influence how agencies deliver services.
What types of activities are allowed under DRRP projects?
DRRP projects may conduct activities defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 350.19, including research, training, demonstration, development, dissemination, utilization, and technical assistance.
What are examples of what the funded Center could do (based on the allowed activities)?
In practical terms described in the notice, the Center could build and test tools or approaches, train practitioners, demonstrate promising models in applied settings, publish and distribute guidance, and provide hands-on technical assistance to help agencies implement what works.
Is attention to equity and access required in the application?
Yes. A required DRRP element is attention to equity and access. Applicants must describe how they will address (in whole or in part) the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds, as required by 34 CFR 350.40(a).
Where does the notice point applicants for acceptable approaches to meeting the minority-background requirement?
The notice points applicants to 34 CFR 350.40(b) for acceptable approaches.
What kinds of equity-focused strategies are implied by the notice description?
The description indicates that competitive proposals typically include concrete plans such as inclusive outreach, culturally responsive methods, representation in advisory structures or study samples, and dissemination strategies that reach underserved or overlooked communities.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The competition was expected to result in one award.
What was the maximum (ceiling) federal award amount?
The award ceiling was listed as $500,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The competition included a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants needed to plan non-federal resources to cover the required match.
What is the funding activity category and the award instrument type?
The funding activity category is listed as Education, and the instrument type is a grant.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is ED-GRANTS-122408-002.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posted date was December 24, 2008.
When were applications made available?
Applications were made available on December 24, 2008.
When was the pre-application meeting held?
The pre-application meeting date was January 13, 2009.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline (deadline for transmittal) was February 23, 2009.
What does the archive date indicate?
The archive date is March 25, 2009. In this context, it indicates the competition is an older, closed opportunity, though it can still serve as a reference model for similar NIDRR/DRRP competitions.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included public and private entities. The synopsis lists eligible applicants as states, public or private agencies (including for-profit agencies), public or private organizations (including for-profits), institutions of higher education (IHEs), Indian tribes, and tribal organizations.
Does the notice list additional eligible applicant categories beyond the synopsis?
Yes. The detailed eligibility list also includes nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), state and local governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, small businesses, and other categories.
Which eligibility source controls if there is any discrepancy?
The notice states that the official Federal Register notice controls if there is any discrepancy between listings.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
Could applicants email an electronic copy of the application instead of using Grants.gov?
No. The notice is explicit that applicants could not submit an application by emailing an electronic copy.
How were applicants instructed to find the application package on Grants.gov?
Applicants were instructed to search the base CFDA number "84.133" in Grants.gov, and not to rely on suffixes such as 84.133A-3 or 84.133A-4 when searching.
Where could applicants get technical help with Grants.gov?
The Grants.gov helpdesk number provided was 1-800-518-4726 and the email was support@grants.gov.
Who were the Department of Education contacts mentioned?
The notice referenced Department of Education contacts including a Grants.gov system administrator contact (Julius Cotton) for access issues and a program contact (Donna Nangle) for competition and programmatic questions.
What pre-application support was offered?
The opportunity offered a pre-application meeting by conference call with NIDRR staff from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, along with one-on-one technical assistance by phone the same day.
What were the scheduled times for the pre-application support?
The pre-application conference call was scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, and one-on-one technical assistance by phone was scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Washington, DC time on the same date.
What was the purpose of the pre-application meeting and technical assistance?
As described, this support was meant to clarify program expectations, point applicants to relevant requirements in the Federal Register notice, and help applicants align proposed work with the priority and performance measures.
What is the main practical takeaway about DRRP/NIDRR Center projects based on this notice?
The most important takeaway stated is that Center projects are judged heavily on practical impact, reach into real service systems (like state VR agencies), and the ability to translate research and development into routine agency practice through dissemination and technical assistance.
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Previous opportunity: Research and Technical Assistance Center on Vocational Rehabilitation Program Management CFDA 84.133A 3
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