OSERS: OSEP: Center on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for Young Children with Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 84.327G | ED GRANTS 022223 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 022223 001

This opportunity is a discretionary federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, specifically through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It funds a single national project called the Center on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for Young Children with Disabilities under Assistance Listing Number 84.327G. The award is made as a cooperative agreement, meaning the Department of Education typically expects to have substantial involvement in the project throughout the period of performance, not just provide funds and step back. The central aim is to strengthen outcomes for young children with disabilities by improving access to, and the effective use of, educational technology, media, and accessible instructional materials tied to early STEM learning.

The grant sits within the broader Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program (often referenced as the ETechM2 Program). The program purpose is to improve results for students with disabilities through four main strategies: promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; supporting educational media that has direct instructional value in classroom settings for students with disabilities; supporting captioning and video description appropriate for classroom use; and ensuring students with disabilities receive accessible educational materials in a timely manner. In practice, a center focused on early STEM for children with disabilities would be expected to contribute to these goals by developing, curating, testing, and scaling tools, resources, and implementation supports that help educators and families deliver accessible, high-quality STEM learning experiences in early childhood contexts.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities that can operate at national scale or in partnership networks. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American 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, unless otherwise clarified in the official notice); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as allowed under the official notice. Because the synopsis notes that additional eligibility details may exist, applicants are expected to confirm any nuances (such as consortium requirements, restrictions, or definitions of eligible entity types) in the Federal Register application notice.

Funding is structured as one expected award with an award ceiling of $1,450,000, indicating a single applicant will be funded up to that amount (subject to the final federal award decision and the approved budget). The opportunity number is ED GRANTS 022223 001, and it was created on February 22, 2023. Applications were made available February 22, 2023, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of April 24, 2023. The deadline for intergovernmental review is June 22, 2023, which matters for applicants in jurisdictions that participate in the intergovernmental review process under Executive Order 12372 (when applicable).

For applicant support, OSEP planned to post pre-recorded informational webinars no later than February 27, 2023, intended to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Those materials were to be hosted on the Department of Education OSEP grants page at https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html. For official instructions on how to obtain and submit an application, the synopsis points applicants to the Department of Education Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022), as well as the complete Federal Register notice, which is emphasized as the authoritative source for priorities, required components, performance measures, submission requirements, and program contacts.

The listed federal point of contact for this competition is Tracie Dickson at the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5013, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5108, telephone (202) 245-7844, email Tracie.Dickson@ed.gov. Since the synopsis repeatedly notes it is only a summary, anyone preparing an application would need to rely on the Federal Register notice for the exact scope of work expected of the STEM center for young children with disabilities, the evaluation and reporting requirements, the absolute or competitive priorities (if any), and the selection criteria that will drive how proposals are scored.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OSERS: OSEP: Center on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for Young Children with Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 84.327G" 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 Feb 22, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2023 Application Available February 22, 2023. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications April 24, 2023. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review June 22, 2023. Pre-Application Webinar Information No later than February 27, 2023, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. The webinars may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Tracie Dickson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 5013, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5108. Telephone (202) 245-7844. Email Tracie.Dickson@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 $1,450,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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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