Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling CFDA Number 84.129B | ED GRANTS 033020 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 033020 003

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), offered a discretionary grant competition under the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program focused on Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counseling (CFDA 84.129B). The core goal of this opportunity is to help address nationwide personnel shortages in vocational rehabilitation by funding projects that provide academic, long-term training. In practical terms, the program is meant to grow the pipeline of well-prepared VR counselors and related professionals who can deliver high-quality VR services to individuals with disabilities, strengthening the workforce capacity of state VR agencies and other VR service systems.

This competition was published by the U.S. Department of Education and carries the funding opportunity number ED GRANTS 033020 003. Applications became available on March 30, 2020, with a deadline to submit applications by May 14, 2020. RSA also provided structured pre-application support. OSERS posted PowerPoint materials with general information about RSA discretionary grants and materials specific to this VR Counseling competition on the NCRTM website (https://ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx). In addition, OSERS held a competition-specific pre-application meeting by conference call on April 21, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, and invited prospective applicants to submit questions ahead of time to 84.129B@ed.gov. After the call, OSERS planned to post the call-in information and a Q-and-A summary within six days on the same NCRTM page, giving applicants a clear place to find clarifications and common guidance.

The funding mechanics described in the synopsis indicate an award ceiling of $200,000 per award and an expectation of 31 total awards. As a discretionary grant program in the Education funding activity category, these funds are typically used by grantees to operate training projects, which can include activities like delivering graduate-level coursework, supporting supervised field experiences, improving training capacity, and expanding recruitment and retention of trainees in shortage areas (the specific allowable uses and required components are detailed in the official Federal Register notice rather than the synopsis). A key emphasis is that funded projects must be run in a way that complies with nondiscrimination requirements rooted in the U.S. Constitution and federal civil rights laws, which is a standard but important condition for Department of Education-funded programs.

Eligibility for this competition was broad and included multiple types of public and private entities. Eligible applicants listed in the synopsis include state, county, 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 and certain tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). The synopsis also notes an "Others" category with additional clarification to be found in the official application notice, meaning some additional applicant types may have been permitted under conditions specified in that formal notice.

The notice repeatedly underscores that the short description provided is only a synopsis, and that the controlling requirements are found in the official Federal Register application notice. That official notice is where applicants would find the exact eligibility rules, required application contents, submission procedures, selection criteria, any competitive priorities, performance measures, and program contact information. The synopsis also points applicants to the Department of Education's "Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs" (published February 13, 2019; 84 FR 3768), which lays out standard rules and steps for preparing and submitting discretionary grant applications. For official source access, it directs readers to the Government Publishing Office resources for the Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations, reinforcing that applicants should rely on the formal published requirements when preparing a proposal.

• 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 Long-Term Training program--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling CFDA Number 84.129B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.129.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 30, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 14, 2020 Applications Available March 30, 2020. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications May 14, 2020. Date of Pre-Application Meeting The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will post a PowerPoint presentation that provides general information related to RSA#8217s discretionary grant competitions and a PowerPoint presentation specifically related to this Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling competition at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx. OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition via conference call in order to respond to questions on April 21, 2020 at 200 p.m. Eastern time. OSERS invites you to send questions to 84.129B@ed.gov in advance of the pre-application meeting. The teleconference information, including the 84.129B pre-application meeting summary of the questions and answers, will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx within 6 days after the pre-application meeting.. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 31 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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