Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Development) | HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0269

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0269

This grant opportunity comes from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), which sits within the Administration for Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is part of NIDILRRs Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) portfolio under the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program. The overall purpose of the DRRP program is to support work that strengthens how people with disabilities can fully participate in society, including employment, independent living, family and community life, and broader economic and social self-sufficiency. A strong emphasis is placed on benefits for individuals with the most severe disabilities and on improving the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).

This specific competition is focused on the Health and Function domain and, more narrowly, on development work rather than basic research alone. Applicants are expected to propose a development project aimed at improving health and functional outcomes for individuals with disabilities. In this context, development means using existing research knowledge and evidence as a foundation to create something practical and usable for the target population. That can include materials, devices, systems, tools, intervention methods, or other applied solutions. The description explicitly points to activities such as designing and developing prototypes and establishing the processes needed to build, refine, and potentially prepare these solutions for real-world use.

A key feature of the opportunity is that it is field-initiated, meaning applicants can propose topics within the health and function domain rather than responding to a narrowly pre-defined product concept. Even so, the work must clearly align with the stated intent: tangible development outputs that can benefit people with disabilities by improving health and function, and that support broader participation and independence goals. The program also allows for a range of activity types across the DRRP umbrella (research, demonstrations, training, and related efforts, including international activities), but under this priority the application should be framed as a development project with concrete deliverables.

In terms of funding structure, this is a discretionary grant competition (Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2018-ACL-NIDILRR-DPHF-0269; CFDA 93.433) in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. NIDILRR planned to make a single award in this health and function field-initiated DRRP competition, with an award ceiling of $475,000. The notice also highlights an important nuance: although this posting is for a development project priority, the single field-initiated DRRP award in the health and function domain could ultimately be made to either a research project or a development project, depending on how applications rank through peer review. In other words, applicants should compete on quality and responsiveness, and the final selected project type may reflect what the review panel scores highest.

Eligibility is broad and includes many public and private entities: state, county, and municipal governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (with limitations noted for certain categories in the official eligibility text). The opportunity was posted February 21, 2018, with an original closing date of April 23, 2018, and required electronic submission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Taken together, the opportunity is essentially a call for one high-quality, field-driven development effort that turns disability and rehabilitation research knowledge into practical, prototype-ready solutions that measurably improve health and functioning for people with disabilities, while reinforcing the larger Rehabilitation Act goals of inclusion, independence, and effective service delivery.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Development)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.433.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2018 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (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 $475,000.00 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0269

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