OSERS: OSEP: Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program–-Stepping-up Technology Implementation, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.327S | ED GRANTS 030124 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 030124 001

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within OSERS, is offering a discretionary grant competition under the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program, specifically the "Stepping-up Technology Implementation" initiative (Assistance Listing Number 84.327S). The overall intent is to improve educational results for children with disabilities by helping the field move from promising tools and ideas to real, effective, day-to-day use of technology and accessible materials in classrooms and other learning settings. The opportunity emphasizes practical implementation and support that can strengthen how schools select, deploy, and sustain technology that meaningfully improves access and learning.

The program purpose is framed around four connected goals. First, it promotes the development, demonstration, and use of technology for children with disabilities, which can include creating or refining tools as well as showing how they work in authentic educational environments. Second, it supports educational activities that have clear classroom value for students with disabilities, meaning projects should be grounded in instructional relevance rather than technology for its own sake. Third, it supports captioning and video description suitable for classroom use, reinforcing that accessible media is not optional when it is required for equal access. Fourth, it aims to ensure accessible educational materials are provided to children with disabilities in a timely manner, addressing a common barrier where materials arrive late or are not usable in the formats students need.

A key practical point in the notice is that this grant program sits alongside existing civil rights and disability access requirements. The description highlights that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act may already 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 to educational programs, or to meet obligations tied to a free appropriate public education. In other words, applicants should view accessibility not just as a program feature but as part of broader compliance responsibilities that the proposed project can help schools fulfill more effectively and consistently.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can influence or support technology and accessibility in education. Eligible applicants include SEAs; LEAs (including public charter schools that operate as LEAs under State law); institutions of higher education (IHEs), both public and private; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations (including those with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses as listed in the source data); Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations; and entities in freely associated States and outlying areas. This wide eligibility signals that OSEP is open to projects led by school systems, universities, nonprofits, Tribal entities, or vendors and intermediaries, as long as the proposed work clearly advances outcomes for children with disabilities and aligns with the program goals.

From a funding and logistics standpoint, the opportunity is listed as ED GRANTS 030124 001, categorized as a discretionary grant in the education activity area (CFDA/ALN 84.327). The original application closing date is April 30, 2024. The award ceiling is $375,000, and the Department expects to make about 4 awards, suggesting a competitive process with a limited number of funded projects. Applicants are directed to rely on the official Federal Register notice for the controlling details, including the specific priorities, required application components, performance measures, and submission instructions. The notice also points applicants to the Department of Education Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022) for standard submission and procedural requirements, which typically govern how proposals must be formatted, what assurances and certifications are needed, and how applications should be filed.

Taken together, this competition is aimed at helping education systems and their partners improve how assistive and instructional technologies, accessible media (including captioning and video description), and accessible instructional materials are delivered and used so that students with disabilities can participate fully and effectively. Strong proposals will generally be those that demonstrate a clear plan for implementation (not just exploration), a direct connection to classroom use and student outcomes, and an approach that supports timely, reliable access to accessible materials in ways schools can maintain beyond the grant period. For final requirements and the exact selection criteria, applicants need to consult the Federal Register application notice, since the synopsis is not the authoritative source.

• 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 (ALN) 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 2024-03-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-30. (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 $375,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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.

Apply for ED GRANTS 030124 001

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