Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA): Parent Information and Training Program: Technical Assistance for Parent Training and Information Centers CFDA Number 84.235G | ED GRANTS 042120 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 042120 003

This discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), specifically through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), funds the national technical assistance component of the Parent Information and Training (PTI) Program. The program is authorized under section 303(c) of the Rehabilitation Act and is centered on strengthening the capacity of PTI centers to serve people with disabilities and their families. While RSA funds many State-level PTI centers to deliver direct training and information in their service areas, this particular competition (CFDA 84.235G) focuses on supporting the single national PTI center whose job is to help those State-level centers work better, more consistently, and more collaboratively across the country.

The overall purpose of the PTI Program is to make sure individuals with disabilities and their families have practical, usable information and training that helps them navigate services and supports available under the Rehabilitation Act. State-level PTI centers are expected to reach people in their geographic areas, with an emphasis on communities that have historically been unserved or underserved by Rehabilitation Act programs. The opportunity highlights that the audience includes not only individuals with disabilities, but also parents, family members, guardians, advocates, and other authorized representatives. In other words, the program is built around the idea that empowering families and support networks with clear information and training can directly improve outcomes for people with disabilities.

The national PTI center funded under this competition is designed to play a backbone role. Its core functions are to provide technical assistance to the State-level PTI centers funded under the Rehabilitation Act, coordinate efforts among those centers, and build and maintain partnerships with PTI centers funded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), specifically those established under IDEA sections 671 and 681(d). That coordination element matters because families often interact with multiple systems at once (education, vocational rehabilitation, independent living supports, transition services), and the notice signals a federal interest in aligning knowledge, practices, and collaboration across the Rehabilitation Act and IDEA PTI networks rather than having them operate in isolation.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified as ED GRANTS 042120 003, categorized as a discretionary education grant. Applications were made available April 21, 2020, with a deadline to submit applications by June 22, 2020, and an intergovernmental review deadline of August 19, 2020. OSERS also scheduled applicant support in the form of a pre-application process: it planned to post PowerPoint materials covering general RSA discretionary grant information and competition-specific guidance on the NCRTM website, and it held a competition-specific pre-application teleconference on May 5, 2020, inviting prospective applicants to submit questions ahead of time by email. A written summary of questions and answers from that session was to be posted within about six days after the call, again through the NCRTM web page listed in the notice.

The description repeatedly emphasizes that what is provided in the listing is only a synopsis and that applicants must rely on the official Federal Register application notice for the complete and controlling requirements. That includes details like eligibility rules (not fully spelled out in the summary and referenced as "Others; see additional eligibility information"), how to submit, required application components, performance measures, priorities, and agency contact information. It also points applicants to the Department of Education's Common Instructions for discretionary grant programs (published February 13, 2019) for standardized submission and procedural requirements, including where and how to obtain and submit the application package.

Finally, the opportunity signals that only one award was expected, consistent with the goal of funding a single national center to provide technical assistance and coordination across the network of State-level centers. The listing does not state a specific award ceiling in the summarized data provided (it shows an award ceiling value of 0), which is another reason the Federal Register notice is essential for anyone needing exact funding levels, project periods, and budget parameters.

• 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): Parent Information and Training Program: Technical Assistance for Parent Training and Information Centers CFDA Number 84.235G" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.235.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 22, 2020 Applications Available April 21, 2020.Deadline for Transmittal of Applications June 22, 2020.Deadline for Intergovernmental Review August 19, 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 RSAaposs discretionary grant competitions and a PowerPoint presentation specifically related to this Parent Information and Training Program#8212Technical Assistance for Parent Training and Information Centers at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/#8203RSAGrantInfo.aspx. OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition via conference call in order to respond to questions on May 5, 2020 at 300 p.m. Eastern Time. OSERS invites you to send questions to tara.jordan@ed.gov in advance of the pre-application meeting. The teleconference information, including the 84.235G pre-application meeting summary of the questions and answers, will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/#8203RSAGrantInfo.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.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ED GRANTS 042120 003

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