The University of Hawaii has won a $1.2 million federal grant that will finance six special education scholars.

UH Department of Special Education officials announced Tuesday that its Pacific Region Special Education Leadership Training Project had won the award from the U.S. Department of Education.

The money will provide $30,000 a year to six doctoral candidates for four years to develop competencies in distance education, universal design for learning and research.

The scholars will provide distance learning of teacher education courses to outlying areas in Hawaii and the Pacific region.

They also will supervise students seeking teacher certification in special education and examine the implications of pertinent federal laws and policies.