Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Community Living and Participation (Research) | HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR DPCP 0330

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is a Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) competition with the specific priority of Community Living and Participation (Research). It is part of the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program.

2) Which federal agency is offering this funding?

The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

3) What is the central purpose of the DRRP program for this competition?

The goal is to support rigorous disability and rehabilitation research that improves real-world outcomes for people with disabilities. The emphasis is on building stronger evidence, tools, and approaches that help people live and participate in their communities, particularly individuals with the most severe disabilities.

4) What does the priority "Community Living and Participation (Research)" mean in practice?

Applicants are expected to propose a research project aimed at improving outcomes related to community living and participation for individuals with disabilities. The work should connect clearly to how people with disabilities live, engage, and take part in everyday community settings.

5) What topic areas are specifically referenced under community living and participation?

The opportunity references community settings and factors such as housing and independent living, transportation, community-based services and supports, civic and social participation, family supports, and related factors that influence inclusion and self-sufficiency.

6) Is this opportunity for research, development, or both?

This specific competition is described as Community Living and Participation (Research), and applicants are expected to propose a research project. The broader DRRP program also supports development and testing methods and technologies, as well as demonstration and related activities, but this particular priority is explicitly research-focused.

7) What does "field-initiated DRRP competition" mean?

Field-initiated means applicants are not restricted to a single prescribed intervention model. Researchers and organizations are encouraged to propose well-justified, evidence-building ideas within the community living and participation domain, as long as they align with DRRP program purposes.

8) Are applicants required to propose a specific intervention model?

No. Because it is field-initiated, the competition does not limit applicants to one prescribed model. The proposed approach should be well-justified and designed to build credible evidence in the community living and participation domain.

9) What does the opportunity say about the kind of proposal expected?

Projects are expected to go beyond general program descriptions. Proposals should be built around clear hypotheses or research questions that drive a systematic, intensive study and generate credible evidence.

10) What kinds of outputs or results are expected from funded projects?

The expected output is new (or fuller) scientific knowledge, or a deeper understanding of the problem being studied. The research should be designed to produce credible evidence that can inform policy, practice, and service delivery.

11) How does this grant connect to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973?

The opportunity emphasizes producing results that strengthen the effectiveness of programs and services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).

12) What are the DRRP program purposes that proposed work must align with?

The opportunity highlights purposes such as developing and testing methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies; conducting research, demonstration, and related activities (including international activities where appropriate); and advancing inclusion, integration, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency.

13) What type of grant is this?

This is a discretionary grant (not a formula award).

14) How is this opportunity categorized?

It is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

15) What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number listed is 93.433.

16) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR DPCP 0330.

17) When was the opportunity posted and what was the application deadline?

It was originally posted on January 23, 2019. The application deadline was March 25, 2019, with electronically submitted applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

18) What is the maximum award amount listed for this opportunity?

The listed award ceiling is $500,000.

19) How many awards are expected to be made?

The listing indicates an expectation of one award for this opportunity. It also notes that NIDILRR planned two field-initiated DRRP awards in the community living and participation domain overall, and the final mix could be two research projects, two development projects, or one of each, depending on peer review rankings and application scores.

20) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and city/township 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 nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (in the nonprofit categories listed, and as long as they are not institutions of higher education).

21) Are tribal entities eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

22) Are nonprofit organizations eligible if they do not have 501(c)(3) status?

Yes. The opportunity lists nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status as eligible (within the nonprofit categories described in the listing and excluding institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories mentioned).

23) Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible applicants.

24) Are local governments eligible to apply?

Yes. State governments, county governments, and city/township governments are all listed as eligible.

25) What does the "Others" eligibility category mean?

The listing includes an "Others" category and indicates that additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement. This suggests some additional entity types may qualify depending on the program's specific clarifications in the official notice.

26) What kinds of disability-related outcomes is this opportunity trying to improve?

The opportunity is focused on improving community living and participation outcomes, with an emphasis on inclusion in community life and strengthening evidence that can improve programs and services for people with disabilities, especially those with the most severe disabilities.

27) How should applicants think about competitiveness based on the description?

Based on the opportunity description, competitive projects would typically be expected to present clear, question-driven research tied to outcomes that matter for inclusion and community life, use sound research methods, and show how findings can improve services, supports, or technologies in meaningful ways for people with disabilities and the systems that serve them.

28) Does the opportunity mention international activities?

Yes. It notes that DRRP activities can include international activities where appropriate.

29) Is the goal mainly to describe existing programs, or to produce evidence?

The goal is to produce evidence. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes moving beyond general program descriptions and instead conducting a systematic, intensive study driven by hypotheses or research questions.

30) What is the overall takeaway for what this grant funds?

It funds strong, hypothesis- or question-driven disability and rehabilitation research that produces usable evidence on how to improve community living and participation for people with disabilities, with a clear path for informing policy, practice, and service delivery.