RSA Application Assistance for 2019 Grant Competition: 84.263C


Competition:

Rehabilitation Training: Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program

CFDA:

84.263C

The U.S. Department of Education is committed to attracting as many qualified applicants as possible for its discretionary grant competitions. The Department is also committed to an equitable and transparent application process. OSERS is, therefore, providing to interested applicants technical assistance on the application process and application requirements for this competition.


Informational Webinar:

OSERS has posted a pre-recorded webinar providing application instructions and assistance for this competition.

Webinar


Application Q & A:

This blog provides applicants with an additional opportunity to ask questions about the application process and the application requirements for this competition. Please submit your questions in the comment box below no later than 5:00 pm ET, on July 24, 2019. OSERS intends to post answers here within two business days of receipt. When submitting your questions, please keep the purpose of this blog in mind. OSERS will only post answers to questions related to the application process and the application requirements for this competition. OSERS will not respond to questions on other topics or to any comments.


For More Information Contact:

During and after the Q & A period, applicants may also call or send questions about the application process and application requirements for this competition to the competition manager:

Cassandra Shoffler
Email: Cassandra.Shoffler@ed.gov
Phone: 202-245-7827

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.

If answers to questions received by telephone or email may be useful to other applicants, OSERS will update the blog.


 

20 Comments

  1. The RFP require a 10% cost sharing or matching. Can the matching be in-kind, or it has to be cash matching?

    Thanks

    • Yes. The 10% cost sharing or matching can be in-kind or cash matching. Please refer to 2CFR 200.306 Cost sharing and matching.

  2. Throughout this FOA are frequent references to “project partners.” See example from Match section: ‘‘the relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project,’’

    However in the Eligibility section it states that a subgrant is not allowable: “a grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities…”

    This is confusing.

    Is a project partner different from a subgrant?

    Are project partners allowable?

    Thank you for your guidance and clarification.

    • Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) 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 the procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.317–200.326. A contract is defined in 2 CFR 200.22 as a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award; a contract does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward. Therefore, while you may not subgrant the project activities described in your application, you may issue a contract to a partner for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with procurement standards.

      For clarification purposes, a partner or project partners can be written directly into the grant application, they can be arranged through a memorandum of understanding or memorandum of agreement, or other similar arrangement. They just cannot be subgrants to this grant to carry out the project activities described in the application.

  3. In several sections it references “the applicant and any identified partners in the proposed project” but in the eligibility section it state “under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) 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”. Are we able to bring onboard a core partner? We would need to issue them a sub-contract.

    • Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) 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 the procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.317–200.326. A contract is defined in 2 CFR 200.22 as a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award; a contract does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward. Therefore, while you may not subgrant the project activities described in your application, you may issue a contract to a partner for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with procurement standards.

  4. May the Career Education instruction be not-for-credit (Contract Education)? The cohort would be made up of “trainees” versus “students”, with no “tuition” being paid, only the costs of the training program being covered.

    • We are not sure what you mean by “Career Education instruction” or “Contract Education”. However, the priority requires grantees to develop current and, to the extent possible, evidence-based training modules for inclusion in rehabilitation counseling education programs and for use as stand-alone modules. For each topic area, applicants must develop a new training program, a substantially improved training program, and/or stand-alone modules to be incorporated into an existing academic degree program for educating VR counselors or other VR professionals and paraprofessionals and into short-term training for VR professionals. Therefore, the training may lead to an academic degree, or the training may include stand-alone modules that provide short-term training for the purposes of learning a new skill or information or upgrading skills or knowledge, such as in-service training. In the case of the stand-alone modules that provide short-term training, it is appropriate to have a learning cohort made up of trainees who are VR professionals and paraprofessionals. Please read the requirements for each topic area.

  5. As listed in the announcement, “The proposed project will identify and partner with trainers who are certified and recognized in the topic area to develop and deliver the training.” Do these subject matter experts/trainers have to be identified within the proposal? Or can this occur as part of the project if awarded?

    • The Specific Application Requirements section of the Notice Inviting Applications indicates that all applicants must meet the following specific application requirements including the one you identified. Applicants must demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Quality of Project Design,” how the proposed project will identify and partner with trainers who are certified and recognized in the topic area to develop and deliver the training. It does not ask that you identify the trainers. However, if you can identify some or all of them, it might strengthen the application.

  6. I see sub-grantees are not allowed. Can a consortium of organizations submit as equal co-PIs? If not, and our approach includes multiple agencies/IHEs, can you recommend mechanisms for facilitating this collaboration?

    • It is correct that under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application. A consortium of organizations may submit an application. In this case, either 1) one entity must be identified as the applicant, or 2) a separate legal organization that makes up the consortium, if one exists, may be listed as the applicant.

    • Yes. An organization may submit more than one application. For example, an applicant may submit proposals under more than one topic area. However, applicants must identify the specific topic area (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) under which they are applying as part of the competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line 4).

  7. Can an applicant submit more than one proposal under Topic Area 6? Or must multiple proposals from the same applicant be submitted under unique/separate categories?

    • Yes. An applicant may submit more than one application under Topic Area 6, Field Initiated Topic. For example, an applicant may submit an application under Topic Area 6, Field Initiated Topic related to X and a second application under Topic Area 6, Field Initiated Topic related to Y. Applicants may also submit applications in different categories. For example, an applicant may submit an application that responds one of the topic areas identified in topic areas 1-5 and an application in a field initiated area under topic area 6. Please note that applicants must identify the specific topic area (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6) under which they are applying as part of the competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line 4).

  8. So is it correct that the amount of funding is about 400,000 dollars split over the period of five years, which would be about 80,000 dollars per year?

    • No. As stated in the Notice Inviting Applications, the maximum award amount is $450,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. Therefore, if an applicant requests the full $450,000 for each year of the 5 year period, it is $450,000 times five, or $2,250,000 over five years.

  9. Is there a percentage of the budget required for student support (e.g., – 65% has to be used for student support)?
    Are there payback requirements for this grant?
    If a proposal covers more than one of the six areas for this grant announcement, under which area (1-6) should a proposal be submitted?

    • No. There is no required level of support for student support under the Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program.

      No. There is no payback requirement for grants under the Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program.

      As indicated in the General Application Requirements section of the Notice Inviting Applications, applicants may combine more than one topic area, and these applications must be submitted under Topic Area 6—Field-initiated project.

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