Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Research) | HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0328

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0328

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Health and Function (Research) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). It sits within NIDILRRs broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, which supports research and related activities intended to improve the lives of people with disabilities, with special emphasis on individuals with the most severe disabilities. The core goal is to generate practical and scientifically grounded advances that promote full inclusion and integration in society, including employment, independent living, family support, and broader economic and social self-sufficiency, while also strengthening the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).

This specific funding priority focuses on the health and function domain. Applicants are expected to propose a research project aimed at improving health outcomes and functional outcomes for individuals with disabilities. In practice, that means the work should be centered on measurable improvements in how people feel and function in daily life, and it should be designed to produce findings that can inform better rehabilitation practices, interventions, technologies, service delivery approaches, or systems-level changes tied to disability and rehabilitation. The program description also makes clear that the work must be true research in the formal sense: the grantee must identify one or more hypotheses or research questions and then conduct an intensive, systematic study designed to generate new scientific knowledge or deepen understanding of a defined problem. While DRRP awards can involve development components, the priority described here is explicitly framed as a research opportunity within health and function.

A notable feature of this opportunity is that it is field-initiated, meaning applicants propose topics and approaches within the health and function scope rather than responding to a narrowly prescribed research protocol. NIDILRR indicated it intended to make three field-initiated DRRP awards in the health and function domain, and that awards could support research projects, development projects, or a combination, depending on peer review rankings. The grant is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development and is listed under CFDA 93.433, reflecting its placement within federally supported disability and rehabilitation research.

In terms of eligibility, the program is broadly open to a wide range of entities capable of conducting high-quality research and related activities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). The listing also includes an "Others" category, with the expectation that applicants consult the opportunity text for any additional eligibility clarifications.

From the administrative details provided, the opportunity number is HHS-2019-ACL-NIDILRR-DPHF-0328. The funding instrument type is a grant, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The posting date was February 14, 2019, and the original application deadline was April 16, 2019, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. The source data also lists "ExpectedAwards: 1," which conflicts with the narrative statement that NIDILRR planned to make three awards in the health and function domain; in a real application planning context, that discrepancy would typically be resolved by checking the full notice and any amendments or FAQs, but the narrative clearly signals an intent to support multiple field-initiated projects in this area.

Overall, this DRRP opportunity is designed to fund rigorous, hypothesis-driven research that advances knowledge and practical solutions to improve health and functioning for people with disabilities, aligning that research with the larger federal rehabilitation mission of improving participation, independence, and service effectiveness under the Rehabilitation Act framework.

• 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 (Research)" 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 14, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 16, 2019 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 $500,000.00 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 2019 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0328

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: