Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 072108 005
Apply for ED GRANTS 072108 005
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities CFDA 84.327A" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.327 Special EducationEducational Technology Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 21, 2008 and posted on Jul 21, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 4, 2008 Applications Available July 21, 2008. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications September 4, 2008.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) County governments Small businesses Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Private institutions of higher education State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Special district governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Eligible Applicants State educational agencies (SEAs) local educational agencies (LEAs) public charter schools that are LEAs under State law IHEs other public agencies private nonprofit organizations outlying areas freely associated States Indian tribes or tribal organizations and for profit organizations.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities program, under CFDA 84.327A and titled "Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities," is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education focused on improving educational outcomes for children with disabilities through better technology and accessible media. The overall intent is to move beyond planning and discussion and instead support real development, demonstration, and practical use of tools and media that can make classroom learning more effective and accessible for students with disabilities. Alongside technology innovation, the program also emphasizes educational media services that have clear instructional value in classroom settings, as well as supports accessibility features like captioning and video description when those features are intended for classroom use.
At its core, the opportunity is designed to fund projects that can show measurable improvements in how children with disabilities learn and participate in educational environments. That can include creating or refining technologies, testing them in real educational contexts, and promoting broader adoption when a solution proves useful. The program is not limited to a single type of disability or a single grade level in the description provided; instead, it broadly targets "children with disabilities" and focuses on technology and media that are appropriate and valuable for classroom instruction. The mention of captioning and video description signals a commitment to making video-based educational content usable for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (captioning) and for students who are blind or have low vision (video description), particularly where those media are used as part of regular instruction.
The Department of Education listed the opportunity as Funding Opportunity Number ED-GRANTS-072108-005, posted on July 21, 2008. Applications were made available the same day, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of September 4, 2008, and an archive date of October 4, 2008. The agency anticipated making about 10 awards. The estimated total funding amount was $2,400,000, with an award ceiling of $300,000 per grant. The listing indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which generally means applicants are not required to contribute additional non-federal funds as a condition of receiving the award (though the official Federal Register notice should be checked for any exceptions, conditions, or budget rules that may apply).
Eligibility is broad and spans many types of education and public-serving organizations. The synopsis explicitly includes state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and public charter schools that qualify as LEAs under state law. It also includes institutions of higher education (IHEs), other public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, outlying areas, freely associated states, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations. The detailed eligibility list also references a wide range of government entities (such as city, township, county, and special district governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, and both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than IHEs). In practice, that breadth suggests the Department expected proposals from school systems, universities, nonprofits, and industry partners, provided they can credibly carry out technology development or media accessibility work that benefits children with disabilities in classroom settings.
For submission, the opportunity required electronic applications to be submitted through Grants.gov rather than by email. Applicants were instructed to locate the correct application package by searching for CFDA 84.327 (without the alpha suffix), download the package, complete it offline, and then upload it through Grants.gov. The synopsis also provides the Grants.gov helpdesk contact information (1-800-518-4726 and support@grants.gov) for technical issues, which is important because Grants.gov submissions can involve registration steps and file validation requirements that can affect on-time submission. The notice emphasizes that the synopsis is not a substitute for the official Federal Register notice and directs applicants to review that official notice for the full set of requirements, including any pre-application steps, priorities, performance measures, formatting rules, and program contact details.
Finally, the contact information provided points to both a Grants.gov system administrator contact (Julius Cotton, (202) 245-6140, julius.cotton@ed.gov) for difficulty accessing the announcement and a program manager contact (Tom V. Hanley, (202) 245-7369) at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC. These contacts suggest a separation between technical access issues and programmatic questions, which is common for federal competitions. For anyone trying to understand what kinds of projects were most competitive, how "technology innovation" was defined, or what evidence and evaluation plans were expected, the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications linked in the announcement would be the definitive source.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity called?
The opportunity is part of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities program (CFDA 84.327A) and is titled "Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities."
Which federal agency is offering this funding?
The U.S. Department of Education is the funding agency.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is intended to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities by supporting better technology and accessible educational media. It emphasizes moving beyond planning and discussion and instead funding real development, demonstration, and practical classroom use of tools and media that can make learning more effective and accessible.
What kinds of activities or projects does the program aim to support?
Based on the synopsis, the program supports projects that develop or refine technologies, demonstrate and test them in real educational settings, and encourage broader adoption when solutions prove useful. It also supports educational media services with clear instructional value in classroom settings, including accessibility features such as captioning and video description when intended for classroom use.
Who is the intended population served by projects funded under this opportunity?
The target population is broadly described as "children with disabilities." The information provided does not limit the opportunity to a single disability category or a single grade level.
Does the opportunity specifically address accessibility features like captioning and video description?
Yes. The synopsis highlights accessibility features such as captioning and video description, particularly when those features are intended for classroom use. Captioning supports students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and video description supports students who are blind or have low vision.
Is the goal limited to research and planning, or is implementation expected?
The intent is to move beyond planning and discussion and fund practical development, demonstration, and use of technology and media in classroom environments.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The Department anticipated making about 10 awards.
What is the estimated total funding amount for this competition?
The estimated total funding amount listed was $2,400,000.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) per grant?
The award ceiling was $300,000 per grant.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
The listing indicates there is no cost sharing or matching requirement. Applicants are generally not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award, though the official Federal Register notice should be reviewed for any exceptions or special budget conditions.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is ED-GRANTS-072108-005.
When was the opportunity posted?
It was posted on July 21, 2008.
When were applications available?
Applications were available on July 21, 2008.
What was the deadline to submit an application?
The deadline for transmittal of applications was September 4, 2008.
What is the archive date listed for the opportunity?
The archive date was October 4, 2008.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and public charter schools that qualify as LEAs under state law. It also includes institutions of higher education (IHEs), other public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, outlying areas, freely associated states, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations.
Does eligibility include different types of government entities and nonprofit types?
Yes. The detailed eligibility list referenced includes a wide range of government entities (for example, city, township, county, and special district governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, and both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits (other than IHEs).
Are for-profit organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. The synopsis explicitly includes for-profit organizations among eligible applicants.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (not by email).
How do applicants find the correct application package on Grants.gov?
Applicants were instructed to search Grants.gov for CFDA 84.327 (without the alpha suffix), download the application package, complete it offline, and then upload it through Grants.gov.
What should applicants do if they have technical problems with Grants.gov?
The synopsis provides the Grants.gov helpdesk contact information for technical issues: 1-800-518-4726 and support@grants.gov.
Is the synopsis the official source of all requirements?
No. The notice emphasizes that the synopsis is not a substitute for the official Federal Register notice. Applicants were directed to review the Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications for the complete requirements, including any pre-application steps, priorities, performance measures, formatting rules, and program contact details.
Who should be contacted for difficulty accessing the announcement?
The contact listed for difficulty accessing the announcement is the Grants.gov system administrator: Julius Cotton, (202) 245-6140, julius.cotton@ed.gov.
Who is the program contact for programmatic questions?
The program manager contact listed is Tom V. Hanley, (202) 245-7369, at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC.
Why are there separate contacts for access/technical issues and program questions?
The provided contacts reflect a common federal setup: one contact is focused on technical access to the announcement (system administration), while another contact handles programmatic questions about the competition.
Where can applicants find details like priorities, performance measures, and formatting rules?
Those details are described as being in the official Federal Register Notice Inviting Applications referenced by the announcement, not in the synopsis itself.
What kinds of outcomes is the Department looking for from funded projects?
The synopsis indicates the opportunity is designed to fund projects that can show measurable improvements in how children with disabilities learn and participate in educational environments, including practical classroom use of technology and accessible media.
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| Small Business Innovative Research Program (SBIR) Phase I CFDA 84.133S 1 Apply for ED GRANTS 090908 001 Funding Number: ED GRANTS 090908 001 Agency: Department of Education Category: Education Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Projects CFDA 84.133P 1 Apply for ED GRANTS 091108 001 Funding Number: ED GRANTS 091108 001 Agency: Department of Education Category: Education Funding Amount: $150,000 |
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