Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
February 9, 2006, Vol. 06-14

NIDRR Solicits Comments on Proposed Priorities

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research-- Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program; Funding Priorities

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes certain funding priorities for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes priorities for Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs), including Disability Business and Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs); Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs); and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs). The Assistant Secretary may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY)
2006 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 9, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities to Donna Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 6030, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20204-2700. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use one of the following addresses: donna.nangle@ed.gov.

You must include the term ``Proposed Priorities for DRRPs, RRTCs, and RERCs'' in the subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle or Lynn Medley.
Telephone: (202) 245-7462 (Donna Nangle) or (202) 245-7338 (Lynn Medley). If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
More Information

Steven J. Tingus, director of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education, is pleased to share with you an important message about the newly published NIDRR Combined Notice of Priorities for FY 2006, which includes proposed priorities for the RRTCs, RERCs, DBTACs, and DRRPs, as published in the Federal Register: February 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 25), Page 6317-6331, and the President's FY 2007 Budget Request for NIDRR.

PROPOSED PRIORITY ANNOUNCEMENTS - NIDRR's Notice of Proposed Priority for Combined Priorities (84.133A, DRRPs, including DBTACs; 84.133B, RRTC & 84.133E, RERC) published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, February 7, 2006.

In this notice, NIDRR is proposing 11 priorities for DRRPs (including 2 priorities for DBTACs), 1 priority for an RRTC, and 3 priorities for RERCs.

For DRRPs, the proposed priorities are:
· Priority 1--General DRRP Requirements.
· Priority 2--National Data and Statistical Center for the Spinal Cord Injury
(SCI) Model Systems.
· Priority 3--National Data and Statistical Center for the Traumatic Brain

Injury (TBI) Model Systems.
· Priority 4--Rehabilitation of Children with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
· Priority 5--Reducing Obesity and Obesity-Related Secondary Conditions in

Adolescents and Adults with Disabilities.
· Priority 6--Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC).
· Priority 7--Assistive Technology (AT) Outcomes Research Project.
· Priority 8--Mobility Aids and Wayfinding Technologies for Individuals With

Blindness and Low Vision.
· Priority 9--Improving Employment Outcomes for the Low Functioning Deaf
(LFD) Population.
· Priority 10--Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs).
· Priority 11-- Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC)
Coordination, Outreach, and Research Center.

For the RRTC, the proposed priority is:
· Priority 12--Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Effective
Independent and Community Living Solutions and Measures.

For RERCs, the proposed priorities are:
· Priority 13--RERC for Technologies for Successful Aging.
· Priority 14--RERC for Wheelchair Transportation Safety.
· Priority 15--RERC for Wireless Technologies.

You can access the proposed priority notice on the Department's website at: <http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html> This will get you directly to the site. You'll need to click on proposed. The notices are posted the next day from the date of the register

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/nidrr/priority-matrix.html

On the Federal Register website: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-1075.htm

The comments are due no later than March 9, 2006 to Donna.Nangle@ed.gov. Please note that when you send comments - clearly identify which priority or priorities the comments are addressing
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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.