CFR

373.6—What are the priorities and other factors and requirements for competitions?

(a) (1) In making an award, the Secretary may limit competitions to, or otherwise give priority to, one or more of the priority projects listed in paragraph (b) of this section that are identified by the Secretary and published in a notice in the Federal Register.

(2) The Secretary also will identify in the notice the following:

(i) Specific required priority project activities authorized under section 303 of the Act that the applicant must conduct for the priority project to be approved for funding.

(ii) Any of the additional factors listed in paragraph (c) of this section that the Secretary may consider in making an award.

(b) Priority projects are as follows:

(1) Special projects of service delivery.

(2) Model demonstration.

(3) Technical assistance.

(4) Systems change.

(5) Special studies, research, or evaluations.

(6) Dissemination and utilization.

(7) Replication.

(8) Special projects and demonstration of service delivery for adults who are low-functioning and deaf or low-functioning and hard of hearing.

(9) Supported employment.

(10) Model transitional rehabilitation services for youth and young adults with disabilities.

(11) Expansion of employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, as authorized in paragraph (s) of the definition of “rehabilitation services” as stated in § 373.4.

(12) Projects to promote meaningful access of individuals with disabilities to employment-related services under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and under other Federal laws.

(13) Innovative methods of promoting achievement of high-quality employment outcomes.

(14) The demonstration of the effectiveness of early intervention activities in improving employment outcomes.

(15) Projects to find alternative methods of providing affordable transportation services to individuals with disabilities.

(16) Other projects that will expand and improve the provision, extent, availability, scope, and quality of rehabilitation and other services under the Act or that further the purpose and policy of the Act as stated in section 2(b) and (c) of the Act.

(c) The Secretary may identify and publish in the Federal Register for specific projects listed in paragraph (b) of this section one or more of the following factors, including any specific elements defining any factor (e.g., the Secretary may identify ages 16 through 21 to be the specific age range for a particular competition):

(1) Specific stages of the rehabilitation process.

(2) Unserved and underserved populations.

(3) Unserved and underserved geographical areas.

(4) Individuals with significant disabilities.

(5) Low-incidence disability populations.

(6) Individuals residing in federally designated Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities.

(7) Types of disabilities.

(8) Specific age ranges.

(9) Other specific populations and geographical areas.

(d) The Secretary may require that an applicant certify that the project does not include building upon or expanding activities that have previously been conducted or funded, for that applicant or in that service area.

(e) The Secretary may require that the project widely disseminate the methods of rehabilitation service delivery or model proven to be effective, so that they may be adapted, replicated, or purchased under fee-for-service arrangements by State vocational rehabilitation agencies and other disability organizations in the project's targeted service area or other locations.

Code of Federal Regulations

(Authority: 29 U.S.C. 711(c) and 773(b)(4) and (5))

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