[Federal Register: February 1, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 20)]
[Notices]
[Page 4935-4938]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01fe99-125]
[[Page 4935]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Funding Priorities for Fiscal Years 1999-
2000 for a Center and Certain Projects.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes funding priorities for one
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) and two Disability
and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs) under the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for fiscal
years 1999-2000. The Secretary takes this action to focus research
attention on areas of national need. These priorities are intended to
improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with
disabilities.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 3, 1999.
ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be
addressed to Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW, room 3418, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645.
Comments may also be sent through the Internet: comments@ed.gov
You must include the term ``NIDRR Center and Projects Proposed
Priorities'' in the subject line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 205-
5880. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202) 205-9136. Internet:
Donna__Nangle@ed.gov
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains proposed priorities
under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers
Program for one RRTC related to health and wellness for persons with
long-term disabilities, and two DRRPs related to: health care services
for persons with disabilities; and medical rehabilitation services for
persons with disabilities. There are references in the proposed
priorities to NIDRR's proposed Long-Range Plan (LRP). The proposed LRP
can be accessed on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ed.gov/
legislation/FedRegister/announcements/1998-4/102698a.html
These proposed priorities support the National Education Goal that
calls for every adult American to possess the skills necessary to
compete in a global economy.
The authority for the Secretary to establish research priorities by
reserving funds to support particular research activities is contained
in sections 202(g) and 204 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended (29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764).
The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the
Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses
to this notice, available funds, and other considerations of the
Department. Funding of a particular project depends on the final
priority, the availability of funds, and the quality of the
applications received. The publication of these proposed priorities
does not preclude the Secretary from proposing additional priorities,
nor does it limit the Secretary to funding only these priorities,
subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
will be published in the Federal Register concurrent with or
following the publication of the notice of final priorities.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
Authority for the RRTC program of NIDRR is contained in section
204(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C.
764(b)(2)). Under this program the Secretary makes awards to public and
private organizations, including institutions of higher education and
Indian tribes or tribal organizations for coordinated research and
training activities. These entities must be of sufficient size, scope,
and quality to effectively carry out the activities of the Center in an
efficient manner consistent with appropriate State and Federal laws.
They must demonstrate the ability to carry out the training activities
either directly or through another entity that can provide that
training.
The Secretary may make awards for up to 60 months through grants or
cooperative agreements. The purpose of the awards is for planning and
conducting research, training, demonstrations, and related activities
leading to the development of methods, procedures, and devices that
will benefit individuals with disabilities, especially those with the
most severe disabilities.
Description of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
RRTCs are operated in collaboration with institutions of higher
education or providers of rehabilitation services or other appropriate
services. RRTCs serve as centers of national excellence and national or
regional resources for providers and individuals with disabilities and
the parents, family members, guardians, advocates or authorized
representatives of the individuals.
RRTCs conduct coordinated, integrated, and advanced programs of
research in rehabilitation targeted toward the production of new
knowledge to improve rehabilitation methodology and service delivery
systems, to alleviate or stabilize disabling conditions, and to promote
maximum social and economic independence of individuals with
disabilities.
RRTCs provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to assist individuals to more effectively provide
rehabilitation services. They also provide training including graduate,
pre-service, and in-service training, for rehabilitation research
personnel and other rehabilitation personnel.
RRTCs serve as informational and technical assistance resources to
providers, individuals with disabilities, and the parents, family
members, guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives of these
individuals through conferences, workshops, public education programs,
in-service training programs and similar activities.
RRTCs disseminate materials in alternate formats to ensure that
they are accessible to individuals with a range of disabling
conditions.
NIDRR encourages all Centers to involve individuals with
disabilities and individuals from minority backgrounds as recipients of
research training, as well as clinical training.
The Department is particularly interested in ensuring that the
expenditure of public funds is justified by the execution of intended
activities and the advancement of knowledge and, thus, has built this
accountability into the selection criteria. Not later than three years
after the establishment of any RRTC, NIDRR will conduct one or more
reviews of the activities and achievements of the Center. In accordance
with the provisions of 34 CFR 75.253(a), continued funding depends at
all times on satisfactory performance and accomplishment.
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Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to applications that meet the following priority.
The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only applications
that meet this priority.
Proposed Priority 1: Health and Wellness for Persons With Long-term
Disabilities
Introduction
Chapter Four of NIDRR's proposed LRP (63 FR 57190-57219) focuses on
maximizing health and function for persons with disabilities. Health
maintenance for persons with disabilities includes not only access to
care for routine health problems and appropriate specialty care
including medical rehabilitation, but also participation in health
promotion and wellness activities.
The National Center for Health Statistics defined long-term
disabilities as ``long-term reduction in activity resulting from
chronic disease or impairment.'' For the purpose of this priority,
long-term disabilities include cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis,
post-polio, amputation, and spinal cord injury. This center will assess
the health maintenance and promotion practices of persons with long-
term disabilities. NIDRR expects this research to clarify whether
specialized assessment and health promotion activities are required for
persons with long-term disabilities, and how health promotion
activities affect the incidence of secondary conditions.
For the purpose of this priority, health promotion strategies
include alternative therapies (e.g., therapeutic massage, acupuncture),
stress management practices, physical exercise, nutrition, and other
activities designed to promote healthy lifestyle and social well-being.
These strategies are vitally important in maintaining health and
wellness. NIDRR expects the RRTC, through its training and
dissemination activities, to encourage self-directed health promotion
activities.
Proposed Priority
The Secretary proposes to establish an RRTC for the purpose of
developing strategies for health maintenance and reducing secondary
conditions for persons with long-term disabilities. The RRTC must:
(1) Evaluate health assessment definitions, policies and practices,
and measurement methodologies and instruments, and describe their
impact on health promotion activities for persons with long-term
disabilities;
(2) Evaluate the impact of selected health maintenance strategies
on the incidence and severity of secondary conditions and other
outcomes such as function, independence, general health status, and
quality of life;
(3) Identify and evaluate best practices in health promotion
activities for persons with long-term disabilities;
(4) Provide training on: (i) research methodology and applied
research experience; and (ii) knowledge gained from the Center's
research activities to persons with disabilities and their families,
service providers, and other parties, as appropriate;
(5) Develop informational materials based on knowledge gained from
the Center's research activities, and disseminate the materials to
persons with disabilities, their representatives, service providers,
and other interested parties;
(6) Involve individuals with disabilities and, if appropriate,
their representatives, in planning and implementing its research,
training, and dissemination activities, and in evaluating the Center;
(7) Conduct a conference on the findings of the RRTC and publish a
comprehensive report on the final outcomes of the conference. The
report must be published in the fourth year of the grant; and
(8) Coordinate with other entities carrying out related research or
training activities.
In carrying out these purposes, the RRTC must coordinate with
health and wellness research and demonstration activities sponsored by
the National Center on Medical Rehabilitation Research, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
Authority for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects
(DRRPs) is contained in section 204(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 764(a)). DRRPs carry out one or more of the
following types of activities, as specified in 34 CFR 350.13-350.19:
research, development, demonstration, training, dissemination,
utilization, and technical assistance. Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation
technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into
society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic
and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities,
especially individuals with the most severe disabilities. In addition,
DRRPs improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Proposed Research Priorities in Health Care and Medical
Rehabilitation Services for Persons With Disabilities
Introduction
Chapter 4 of NIDRR's proposed LRP (63 FR 57202) discusses the
health care service and medical rehabilitation service needs of persons
with disabilities. The demand for these services is expected to
continue to grow in the coming decades because of increased potential
for survival after trauma and disease, prevalence of disability related
to the general aging of the population, and the incidence of persons
with disabilities acquiring secondary disabilities or chronic
conditions. NIDRR proposes to establish a research agenda that examines
access to the continuum of health care services, and changes in medical
rehabilitation service systems, including demands that new populations
of persons with disabilities are placing on medical rehabilitation
service systems.
There has been insufficient research on the access of persons with
disabilities to the continuum of health care services. Access to this
continuum, including primary, acute, and long-term health care services
over the course of a lifetime, bears directly on quality of life
issues. By developing new knowledge about access to the continuum of
health care services for persons with disability, NIDRR expects the
DRRP on health care services to contribute to persons with disabilities
maintaining their health and decreasing the occurrence of secondary
conditions.
Medical rehabilitation service systems are changing in response to
a number of factors. One major factor is the rise of managed care as
the dominant form of organization and payment for health care services,
including medical rehabilitation services. In addition, as discussed in
the proposed LRP, new populations of persons with disabilities are
emerging and placing new demands on medical rehabilitation service
systems. NIDRR expects the DRRP on medical rehabilitation services to
generate new knowledge about these changes in order to assist service
providers and consumers to achieve desired rehabilitation outcomes. For
the purpose of the proposed priority, emergent disabilities include,
but are not limited to, AIDS, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,
violence-induced neurological damage, repetitive motion syndromes,
childhood asthma,
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drug addiction, and environmental illnesses.
Proposed Priority 2: Health Care Services for Persons With
Disabilities
The Secretary proposes to fund a DRRP to improve the continuum of
health care services for persons with disabilities over their lifetime.
The DRRP must:
(1) Analyze the access of persons with disabilities to the
continuum of health care services and identify successful service
delivery strategies and barriers to access to the continuum; and
(2) Based on paragraph (1), develop strategies to improve access to
the continuum of health care services.
In carrying out the purposes of the priority, the project must:
* Address the health care needs of persons with disabilities
of all ages; and
* Coordinate with the RRTC on Managed Care for Persons with
Disabilities.
Proposed Priority 3: Medical Rehabilitation Services for Persons With
Disabilities
The Secretary proposes to establish a DRRP to improve medical
rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, especially those
with emergent disabilities. The DRRP must:
(1) Describe the changes taking place in the delivery of medical
rehabilitation services including, but not limited to, those related to
the setting where services are provided, length of stay, qualifications
of personnel, and payment systems; and
(2) Develop a methodology to analyze the impact of these changes on
outcomes;
(3) Identify the nature and extent of the need for medical
rehabilitation services by persons with emergent disabilities;
(4) Analyze persons with emergent disabilities' access to medical
rehabilitation services; and
(5) Identify strategies to improve access by persons with emergent
disabilities to medical rehabilitation services.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.html
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the preceding sites. If
you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Invitation to Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit comments and
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities. All comments
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public
inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 3424, Switzer
Building, 330 C Street S.W., Washington, D.C., between the hours of
9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except
Federal holidays.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 350.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 760-762.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133A, Disability
and Rehabilitation Research Projects, and 84.133B, Rehabilitation
Research and Training Centers)
Dated: January 26, 1999.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 99-2248 Filed 1-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P