OSERS: OSEP: Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program: Stepping-up Technology Implementation, Assistance Listing Number 84.327S | ED GRANTS 122022 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 122022 001

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), offered a discretionary grant opportunity under the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program (often referred to as the ETechM2 Program). This specific competition is titled "Stepping-up Technology Implementation" and is listed under Assistance Listing Number 84.327S. The core aim is to improve educational results for children with disabilities by strengthening how technology and accessible instructional resources are developed, implemented, and used in real classroom settings.

At a program level, the opportunity is built around four major goals. First, it promotes the development, demonstration, and use of technology that supports learners with disabilities, which can include tools that improve access, participation, communication, and learning. Second, it supports educational activities that have clear instructional value in classrooms serving children with disabilities, emphasizing practical benefit rather than technology for its own sake. Third, it supports captioning and video description services when those features are needed for classroom use, reflecting the reality that multimedia is now a standard part of instruction and must be accessible to all learners. Fourth, it prioritizes the timely provision of accessible educational materials, recognizing that delays in accessible formats can directly limit a student’s ability to participate and progress alongside peers.

The grant was offered as a cooperative agreement, which typically means the Department of Education expects substantial involvement in the funded project beyond standard grant monitoring. In practice, cooperative agreements often include closer federal engagement such as coordination on technical assistance activities, alignment with federal priorities, participation in cross-project communities of practice, and more frequent reporting or collaboration. The funding opportunity number is ED GRANTS 122022 001, and the funding activity category is Education.

Eligibility was broad and included many types of entities that commonly deliver or support K-12 and higher education services. Eligible applicants included state governments, local governments (counties, cities, townships), special district governments, independent school districts, and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. It also included federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding IHEs in those nonprofit categories), private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and other entities as allowed by the official notice. Because the eligibility list is expansive, applicants typically need to pay close attention to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the Federal Register notice, especially if applying under an "other" category or as part of a partnership.

The competition anticipated making about three awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was posted with applications available on December 20, 2022. The deadline for transmittal of applications was March 6, 2023, and the deadline for intergovernmental review was May 4, 2023. OSEP also indicated that it would provide pre-application technical assistance via pre-recorded informational webinars, with details to be posted no later than December 27, 2022, and links hosted on the OSEP grants webpage.

An important part of the description is its reminder that this grant does not replace legal accessibility responsibilities. Separate federal civil rights and disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, may already require state educational agencies and local educational agencies to provide captioning, video description, and other accessible educational materials when needed to ensure equally integrated and equally effective access to educational programs and activities, or to meet requirements associated with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). In other words, the grant is positioned as a way to improve and expand capacity, implementation, and quality, while reinforcing that accessibility is also a compliance obligation in many situations.

For applicants needing official guidance, submission requirements, performance measures, priorities, or detailed review criteria, the controlling source is the Federal Register application notice and the Department’s Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022). The program contact listed for this competition was Anita Vermeer at the U.S. Department of Education, with phone (202) 987-0155 and email anita.vermeer@ed.gov.

• 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 Program: Stepping-up Technology Implementation, Assistance Listing 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 Dec 20, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 06, 2023 Applications Available December 20, 2022. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications March 6, 2023. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review May 4, 2023. Pre-Application Webinar Information No later than December 27, 2022, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) will post details on pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. Links to the webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Anita Vermeer, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 5076, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5076. Telephone (202) 987-0155. Email anita.vermeer@ed.gov.. (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 3 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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