OSERS: OSEP: Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities: Stepping-up Technology Implementation CFDA Number 84.327S | ED GRANTS 042117 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 042117 001

The OSERS/OSEP grant opportunity titled "Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities: Stepping-up Technology Implementation" (CFDA 84.327S) is a discretionary funding competition run by the U.S. Department of Education under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), specifically the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning awardees should expect an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the Department during the project period rather than a hands-off grant. The core intent is to improve outcomes for students with disabilities by expanding and strengthening how technology, accessible media, and instructional materials are developed, demonstrated, and used in real educational settings.

The program purpose is laid out in four main goals. First, it aims to improve results for students with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology, which typically includes assistive technology as well as broader educational technology that can remove learning barriers. Second, it supports educational activities that have direct classroom value for students with disabilities, emphasizing practical usefulness rather than purely theoretical products. Third, it provides support for captioning and video description that are appropriate for classroom use, reflecting the continued need for accessible audiovisual content. Fourth, it focuses on ensuring accessible educational materials are provided to students with disabilities in a timely manner, which addresses a common implementation problem where accessible formats arrive late and students fall behind.

A key note in the announcement highlights that this grant program exists alongside, not instead of, longstanding civil rights and disability access obligations. The notice explicitly points to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which can require State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide captioning, video description, and other accessible materials when needed to ensure equally integrated and equally effective access, or to meet requirements related to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). In practical terms, the competition supports projects that help the field do a better job of meeting these access needs at scale and on time, but it does not replace the legal responsibility that schools already have.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities that could build, test, or scale technology implementation efforts for students with disabilities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (both with and without 501(c)(3) status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); and for-profit organizations that are not small businesses. The listing also includes an "Others" category with the instruction to consult the official notice for clarification, which signals that additional eligibility conditions or nuances may apply depending on the specific competition requirements.

From a funding and timeline standpoint, the opportunity was posted with applications available on April 21, 2017, and an application deadline of June 5, 2017. The award ceiling is listed as $500,000, and the Department anticipated making about five awards. Because it is a competitive discretionary program with a limited number of expected awards, applicants typically need to present a clear problem definition, a strong implementation plan, credible partnerships with schools or districts, and an evaluation approach that shows how the project will produce measurable improvements in access or student outcomes.

The application process is strictly electronic through Grants.gov. Applicants are expected to download the application package, complete it offline, and submit it through Grants.gov rather than by email. One practical detail in the notice is that applicants must search using the CFDA number without the alpha suffix, meaning the search term should be "84.327" rather than "84.327S" to find the correct application package. The synopsis repeatedly stresses that the authoritative requirements, priorities, performance measures, and submission details are in the official Federal Register notice, and that applicants should rely on that notice for the full set of rules and expectations.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OSERS: OSEP: Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities: Stepping-up Technology Implementation CFDA Number 84.327S" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.327.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2017 Applications Available April 21, 2017. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications June 5, 2017.. (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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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