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.Apply for ED GRANTS 042117 001
- 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities: Stepping-up Technology Implementation" (CFDA 84.327S).
Which federal office runs this competition?
It is 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).
Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?
This is a discretionary funding competition, meaning applications compete against one another and only a limited number of awards are expected.
What type of award is it (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
It is structured as a cooperative agreement. Awardees should expect an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the U.S. Department of Education during the project period rather than a hands-off grant arrangement.
What is the overall purpose of the program?
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.
What are the main goals of the program?
The program purpose is described through four main goals:
- Improve results for students with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology (including assistive technology and broader educational technology that removes learning barriers).
- Support educational activities with direct classroom value for students with disabilities, emphasizing practical usefulness rather than purely theoretical products.
- Provide support for captioning and video description appropriate for classroom use.
- Ensure accessible educational materials are provided to students with disabilities in a timely manner.
What kinds of projects does this competition appear to support?
Based on the stated goals, the competition supports projects focused on improving how technology implementation, accessible media (including captioning and video description), and accessible instructional materials are developed, demonstrated, and used in schools and classrooms, with an emphasis on real-world implementation and timely delivery of accessible formats.
Does this grant replace a school or district's legal obligations to provide accessibility?
No. The notice explicitly states that this grant program exists alongside, not instead of, civil rights and disability access obligations. The announcement points to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which can require SEAs and 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).
How does ADA/Section 504 relate to captioning and video description in this program?
The opportunity highlights that captioning and video description may be required under ADA and Section 504 when necessary to ensure equally integrated and equally effective access, or to support requirements connected to FAPE. The competition funds work that helps the field meet these access needs at scale and on time, but it does not remove existing responsibilities.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad. 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 (with or without 501(c)(3) status), as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories
- For-profit organizations that are not small businesses
- An "Others" category, with instructions to consult the official notice for clarification
What does the "Others" eligibility category mean?
The listing includes an "Others" category and instructs applicants to consult the official notice for clarification. This signals that additional eligibility conditions, nuances, or special cases may apply depending on the specific competition requirements described in the Federal Register notice.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is listed as $500,000.
How many awards were expected?
The Department anticipated making about five awards.
When were applications available, and what was the deadline?
Applications were available on April 21, 2017, and the application deadline was June 5, 2017.
How do applicants submit an application?
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.
Can an application be submitted by email?
No. The synopsis specifies that submission is through Grants.gov and not by email.
How do I find the application package on Grants.gov?
Applicants must search using the CFDA number without the alpha suffix. The search term should be "84.327" rather than "84.327S" to find the correct application package.
Which document should applicants treat as the official source of requirements?
The synopsis repeatedly stresses that the authoritative requirements, priorities, performance measures, and submission details are in the official Federal Register notice, and applicants should rely on that notice for the full set of rules and expectations.
What should applicants expect given the limited number of 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.
Is the focus limited to assistive technology only?
No. The program emphasizes technology broadly, which typically includes assistive technology as well as broader educational technology that can remove learning barriers for students with disabilities.
What does "timely manner" mean in the context of accessible materials?
The notice frames timeliness as a common implementation problem where accessible formats arrive late and students fall behind. The goal is to support efforts that help provide accessible educational materials to students with disabilities on time.
What is meant by "direct classroom value"?
The opportunity emphasizes educational activities that are practically useful in real classroom settings for students with disabilities, rather than projects that are purely theoretical or disconnected from classroom implementation.
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