Memo to Bridget Dooling

To: Bridget Dooling

Education Desk Officer, OMB

From: Ruth Brannon

National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Acting Director

Subject: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection

We are requesting your review of NIDRR’s currently approved collection 1820-0027, which expires on 4/30/2010.

The mission of NIDRR is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community, and also to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. Toward this end, NIDRR conducts comprehensive and coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the full inclusion, social integration, employment and independent living of individuals of all ages with disabilities. NIDRR's focus includes research in areas such as employment; health and function; technology for access and function; independent living and community integration; and other associated disability research areas.

This collection is for our application process. NIDRR is unable to use the Department of Education’s generic application package because of the program-specific selection criteria published in CFR 350.54, CFR 356.30, and CFR 359.31. We are adding an option to use a voluntary Letter of Intent to assist with our peer review process and updating the electronic grant submission information. These are the only differences for NIDRR’s generic application package. Since there are only minor changes in this information collection we trust that you will be able to process it expeditiously.