Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Minority-Serving Institutions | HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR ARST 0245

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR ARST 0245

The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Minority-Serving Institutions opportunity is a discretionary federal grant funded by 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 the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program and is designed to build a stronger pipeline of highly trained rehabilitation and disability researchers by offering advanced research training and structured research experience.

At its core, the program supports projects that train individuals who already have a doctorate or a comparable advanced degree and who also bring clinical or other directly relevant professional experience. The intent is not entry-level education, but advanced, postdoctoral-style development that strengthens a trainee's ability to design, conduct, and communicate high-quality research. A key emphasis is multidisciplinary training in disability and rehabilitation research, meaning projects are expected to prepare researchers to work across fields and methods in ways that reflect the complex, real-world systems affecting people with disabilities.

The training focus must align with the Rehabilitation Act (as amended) and should directly support the Act's implementation and objectives, particularly by improving the effectiveness of services authorized under it. In practice, this means the training and research experiences should be oriented toward generating evidence that can improve programs, services, and outcomes for individuals with disabilities. NIDILRR highlights three major outcome domains where projects should concentrate their training and research activities: community living and participation, employment, and health and function. Projects are expected to prepare trainees to contribute research that leads to measurable improvements in at least one of these domains.

What makes this specific competition distinct is its Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) emphasis. The purpose of the MSI-ARRT competition is to strengthen the capacity of minority entities to develop, sustain, and expand disability and rehabilitation research training opportunities. Eligibility is limited to minority entities and Indian tribes, consistent with section 21(b)(2)(A) of the Rehabilitation Act, which explicitly authorizes NIDILRR to make awards to these organizations for activities under Title II of the Act. The agency also signals particular interest in applications from minority entities that have historically been underrepresented in federally sponsored research, reflecting an equity and capacity-building goal alongside the technical research training objective.

Administratively, the opportunity is a grant (not a contract) and falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, CFDA 93.433. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, provided they meet the minority entity eligibility requirement for this MSI-limited competition. The funding opportunity number is HHS-2018-ACL-NIDILRR-ARST-0245. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $150,000 and an expectation of a single award, meaning it is a competitive process with limited funding slots. The original application closing date listed is January 16, 2018, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

In summary, this grant opportunity supports one MSI-led advanced research training project that prepares doctorate-level professionals to become stronger disability and rehabilitation researchers. It prioritizes research training that is tightly connected to Rehabilitation Act goals and that can improve real outcomes for people with disabilities in community participation, employment, and health/function, while also intentionally building research training capacity in historically underrepresented minority-serving settings.

• 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 "Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Minority-Serving Institutions" 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 Nov 16, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 16, 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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR ARST 0245

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