1. HHS-2025-NIDILLR-RTEM-0125.pdf

Administration for Community Living

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Policy

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0125

04/25/2025

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Table of Contents

Summary/ Abstract

Work Plan

Vitae/Biosketches of Key Project Personnel

References

Data Management Plan

Budget Narrative/Justification

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

Summary of Involved Individuals and Organizations

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

Informational Conference Call:

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Funding Opportunity Title:

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Policy

Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0125

Primary CFDA Number:

93.433

Due Date for Letter of Intent:

01/24/2025

Due Date for Applications:

04/25/2025

Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/15/2025 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living invites applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Policy. NIDILRR's RRTC program is authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The purpose of the RRTCs is to achieve the goals of, and improve the effectiveness of, services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act through well-designed research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities in important topical areas as specified by NIDILRR. These activities are designed to benefit people with disabilities, family members, rehabilitation service providers, policymakers and other research stakeholders.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background:

U.S. disability employment policy has evolved over the past three decades to emphasize the importance of socially integrated, community-based jobs that pay minimum wage or more for people with disabilities (Schneider & Sherlock, 2017; Gardiner, 2018). Despite this continuing evolution and emphasis, people with disabilities are significantly less likely to be employed, relative to people without disabilities. About 7.5 million people with disabilities age 16 and over are employed -- which is 22.5 percent of people with disabilities. In comparison, 60.3 percent of their peers without disabilities are employed. Unemployment is much higher among people with disabilities than among people without disabilities, and people with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to work part-time than people without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).

The public sector plays a key role in increasing disability employment. The federal government is a leader in hiring people with disabilities through the Schedule A hiring authority (Office of Personnel Management, 2024). Historically, numerous presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Joe Biden issued executive orders to promote the hiring of people with disabilities (Congressional Research Service, 2022). As part of this tradition, on January 3, 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a final rule to amend regulations related to Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This rule sets the goal of having a 12% representation rate for people with disabilities (EEOC, 2017). However, despite increased federal hiring of people with disabilities resulting from this policy, retention rates of employees with disabilities are significantly lower than that of employees without disabilities, leaving a limited impact on long-term federal employment of people with disabilities (GAO, 2020). Furthermore, while multiple initiatives and policy recommendations for the employment of people with disabilities at state and local government agencies (Council of State Governments, 2022;

National Conference of State Legislatures, 2023) show promise, their impact on disability employment has yet to be shown with evidence and measurable outcomes. Finally, the rise of telework since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic may enable greater numbers of people with disabilities to find employment (Ameri et al., 2023).

Employment outcomes vary significantly by type and severity of disability, gender, age, race and ethnicity, and educational attainment among people with disabilities. As a result of lower rates of employment, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities (National Council on Disability, 2017).

Employment and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits mitigate the effects of poverty for families including people with disabilities (Messel &Trenkamp, 2022), but policies can create disincentives (Department of Labor, 2019) and shape employment decisions of people with disabilities in unintended ways. SSA disability benefits include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for eligible individuals with low incomes and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for eligible people with prior work histories. While work incentives for these programs encourage employment among beneficiaries with disabilities, the incentives are complex and underutilized (SSA, 2023) and few beneficiaries return to work (Liu & Stapleton, 2010).

There are other barriers to employment for people with a disability – each of which is potentially shaped by federal, state, and local policies. Lack of transportation, accessible housing, medical and behavioral health care, home and community-based long-term services and supports, and the existence of workplace barriers create formidable challenges to achieving employment goals (Ross, 2017; Baker et al., 2018). Research on policies related to these social determinants of employment outcomes may illuminate potential policy innovations that purposefully promote more positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities. The goal of this particular RRTC is to contribute to knowledge regarding the effect of Federal, State, and local public policies and programs on employment of people with disabilities.

References:

Ameri, M., Kruse, D., Park, S., Rodgers, Y., & Schur, L. (2023). Telework during the Pandemic:

Patterns, Challenges, and Opportunities for People with Disabilities. Disability and Health Journal. Volume 16, Issue 2.

Baker, P. M., Linden, M. A., LaForce, S. S., Rutledge, J., & Goughnour, K. P. (2018). Barriers to employment participation of individuals with disabilities: addressing the impact of employer (mis) perception and policy. American Behavioral Scientist, 62(5), 657-675.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024). Persons with a disability: Labor force characteristics-2023.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf.

Congressional Research Service (2022). Federal Hiring of Persons with Disabilities.

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47316.

Council of State Governments, (2022). The State as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities. https://seed.csg.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Accessible- Final_SAME_SEED_Report.pdf.

Department of Labor (2019). Removing Barriers and Disincentives to Meaningful Employment for People with Disabilities Receiving Social Security Benefits.

https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/date/Social_Security_Reform_Recommendations- NFB_NIB_SA_TASH_4-19-16.pdf.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2017). “Affirmative Action for Individuals with Disabilities in Federal Employment,” 82 Federal Register 654, January 3.

https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/questions-answers-eeocs-final-rule-affirmative-action-people-disabilities-federal.

GAO, Disability Employment: Hiring Has Increased but Actions Needed to Assess Retention, Training, and Reasonable Accommodation Efforts, GAO-20-384, June 11, 2020, p. 2.

https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-384.pdf.

Gardiner, F. (2018). Towards a Sociological Understanding of Employment Policy Regarding People with Disabilities. Sociological Inquiry.

Liu, S. & Stapleton, D. (2010). How Many SSDI Beneficiaries Leave the Rolls for Work? More Than You Might Think. Mathematica Policy Research Disability Policy Research Brief 10-01.

Washington, DC.

Messel, M. & Trenkamp, B. (2022). Characteristics of Noninstitutionalized DI and SSI Program Participants, 2013 Update. Social Security Bulletin.

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/rsnotes/rsn2022-01.html.

National Conference of State Legislatures (2023). Trends in Disability Employment Legislation.

https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/trends-in-disability-employment-legislation.

National Council on Disability (2017). National Disability Policy: A Progress Report.

https://www.ncd.gov/report/national-disability-policy-a-progress-report-october-2017/.

Office of Personnel Management, Disability Employment (2024). https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/hiring/.

Ross, M. (2017). People with disabilities are disproportionately among the out-of-work.

Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/people-with-disabilities-are-disproportionately-among-the-out-of-work/.

Shepard, J. (2019). Employment rates for people with and without disabilities. DataNote Series, Data Note 63. University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion.

Schneider, J.A., and Sherlock, C. (2017). Employment Policy for People with Disabilities:

Current and Future Directions. https://www.stage.sourceamerica.org/sites/default/files/2020- 09/social-enterprises-of-the-future-policy-perspective-white-paper.pdf.

Social Security Administration (2023). The Red Book – A Guide to Work Incentives.

https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/.

U.S. Census Bureau (2019). Do people with disabilities earn equal pay?

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/03/do-people-with-disabilities-earn-equal-pay.html.

Priority - RRTC on Employment Policy:

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living establishes a priority for an RRTC on Employment Policy. The purpose of the RRTC on Employment Policy (RRTC-EP) is to contribute to improved employment outcomes of people with disabilities by investigating the impact of Federal, State, or local public policies and programs on those outcomes. The desired outcome of this investment is new knowledge about the effect of new or existing policies on employment outcomes of people with disabilities. The RRTC must identify targeted research questions or hypotheses related to specific policies or policy types and propose rigorous research methodologies to address them. In addition to the policy research requirements described in this paragraph, the RRTC must contribute to improvements in the employment outcomes of people with disabilities by:

(a) Focusing its research and related activities on people with disabilities as a group or on people in specific disability or sociodemographic subpopulations of people with disabilities.

(b) Conducting a comprehensive review of the literature focused on Federal, State, or local public policies or potential policies related to recent factors that may be associated with employment outcomes among people with disabilities. These may include but are not limited to recent or emerging policies focused on telework, provision and use of assistive technology, use of artificial intelligence in suitable employment settings, and flexible work schedules.

(c) Developing a set of research-based recommendations for policymakers to further improve public sector employment for people with disabilities.

(d) Focusing its research on a specific stage or stages of research. If the RRTC is to conduct research that can be categorized under more than one stage, including research that progresses from one stage to another, those stages must be clearly specified and justified.

These stages: exploration and discovery, intervention development, intervention efficacy, and scale-up evaluation, are defined on ACL’s website. Applicants must justify the need and rationale for research at the proposed stage or stages and describe fully an appropriate methodology or methodologies for the proposed research.

(e) Serving as a national resource center on policies and policy topics that impact employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

(f) Increasing incorporation of research findings from the RRTC into practice or policy by:

(1) Including people with disabilities in the planning and conduct of its research, training, dissemination, and technical assistance activities;

(2) Collaborating with employers, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholder groups to develop, evaluate, or implement strategies to increase use of research findings;

(3) Conducting training and dissemination activities to facilitate the utilization of research findings by people with disabilities, policymakers, and employers;

(4) Providing technical assistance to people with disabilities, policymakers, employers, and other stakeholders to facilitate use of information produced by the RRTC’s research;

(5) Collaborating and sharing information with other agencies across the Federal government. These agencies may include but are not limited to the Social Security Administration, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and ACL’s Administration on Disabilities (ACL / AOD); and

(6) Coordinating on research projects of mutual interest with relevant NIDILRR-funded projects as identified by the NIDILRR Project Officer. These may include but are not limited to knowledge translation grantees and other grantees conducting disability employment research.

(7) Conducting a state-of-the-science conference on employment policy in the fourth year of the grant, and publishing a comprehensive report on the outcomes of the conference at the beginning of the fifth year of the grant.

Statutory Authority 29 U.S.C. § 764(b)(2)(A)

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant)

Estimated Total Funding:

$925,000

Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$925,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$920,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers are limited to an indirect cost rate of 15%. The maximum amount of the award includes both direct and indirect costs.

The Administration has requested funding for the NIDILRR program for FY 2025. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2026 from the list of approved but unfunded applicants from this competition.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants For FY 2024 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

States; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies; public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.

Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria To be considered for review under this grant opportunity, applicants must propose to run a RRTC that is responsive to each of the requirements in the priority section of this notice of funding opportunity.

Application Screening Criteria We will screen all applications, and will reject any applications that:

Are submitted after the established deadline;

Propose a budget that exceeds $925,000 in any single budget year;

Propose a project period that exceeds 60 months.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

1.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

2. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

3. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

4. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

If you have any questions about the programmatic or substantive requirements of this funding opportunity, please contact the competition manager:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Dawn Carlson Dawn.Carlson@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter Of Intent 01/24/2025

01/24/2025 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

In your email include:

The funding opportunity number and title.

The name and contact information for the project principal investigator.

A brief description of the proposed activities.

A list of key individuals and their organizations that will have a significant role in your project.

A list of individuals whose selection as a peer reviewer might constitute a conflict of interest due to their involvement in the application development.

For further information regarding the LOI submission process, contact Megan Alvarado.

Project Narrative The Project Narrative portion of your application is where you describe your proposed project and address each of the review criteria. Applicants should directly address each of the review criteria (see Section V), in the project narrative. Each applicant must limit the Project Narrative to the equivalent of no more than 80 pages using the following standards:

A page is 8.5" x 11" on one side only with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides;

Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all narrative text in the project narrative. You are not required to double space titles, headings, footnotes, references, captions, or text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs. Applicants who unnecessarily place narrative text in tables to avoid the double-spacing requirement run the risk of exceeding the page limit;

Use a font that is not less than size 12 and is Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New or Arial;

Include all critical information, including the Work Plan, in the Project Narrative, minimizing the need for additional appendices;

Ensure that you attach PDF files only for any attachments to your application. While you are able to attach files to your application in formats other than PDF, non-PDF files are converted into PDF format before reviewers see and evaluate your application. The conversion to PDF format may not maintain your original formatting. Therefore, to ensure the integrity of your application documents we strongly recommend that you attach only PDF files as you submit your application.

NOTE: The page limit for the Project Narrative does not apply to the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the table of contents, budget narrative/justification, the forms, the summary/abstract, the vitae/ biosketches, references, the letters of commitment from key participating organizations and agencies, the summary of involved individuals and organizations, data management plan, or the data safety and monitoring plan (if applicable).

For project narratives that exceed 80 double-spaced pages, NIDILRR will instruct reviewers to disregard all of the content on the pages beyond the 80th page.

Table of Contents The table of contents should show where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized. While the application will be submitted electronically, the reviewers may use printed copies during the review process. The table of contents will assist reviewers in more efficiently and effectively evaluating your application.

Summary/ Abstract The one-page abstract should be a comprehensive description of the whole project (all years) and not a description of the competency of the institution or Project Director/PI. It is not an executive summary. The abstract can be single-spaced.

Work Plan Applicants must provide a Work Plan (Plan of Operation) in their Project Narrative. The Work Plan should cover all years of the project period. The Work Plan should include a statement of the project's overall goal(s), anticipated outcome(s), and the major tasks that are proposed to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task, the Work Plan should identify timeframes involved and the lead person responsible for the task. A "Project Work Plan - Sample Template" is provided in the Appendix section of this Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Vitae/Biosketches of Key Project Personnel Vitae or biosketches of key project personnel should include information that is specifically pertinent to the applicant’s proposed project. Applicants are encouraged to use NIH’s biosketch format, which provides reviewers with a concise description of training, expertise, and productivity that is relevant to the proposed project.

References Applicants should provide references for works cited in the Project Narrative. Applicants may provide references in any format (i.e., APA, AMA, MLA), though the formatting should be consistent.

Data Management Plan You must provide a data management plan for your project. We will review the data management plan for compliance before making an award.

The data management plan is your plan for making your NIDILRR-funded data available to the public at the end of your grant. The Data Management Plan must include the following:

A description of the types of data you will collect for your project.

A description of how you will organize, store, and preserve your project data.

A description of the metadata to be provided for useful analysis of the data by others.

Metadata include descriptions and labels for variables and values in your dataset.

A description of the data repository that you will use to make your data available to the public at the end of your grant. We recommend that you use the ICPSR as your data repository, but you may select a different data repository.

o If you select a different data repository, you must provide information on how the data repository will provide long-term preservation and free public access to the project data.

If applicable, describe why your data cannot be submitted to a data repository.

A description of the informed consent process that will enable data sharing.

Costs associated with data management can be included in your budget.

If you require technical assistance in preparing your data management plan for this application, contact ICPSR at ICPSR-help@umich.edu or 734-647-2200.

Budget Narrative/Justification The applicant must submit an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs, and any other projected expenditures.

The Budget Narrative/Justification can be provided using the “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format” included in this document. Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this document, which provides an example of the level of detail sought. A combined multi-year Budget Narrative/Justification as well as a detailed Budget Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding is required. This information will be uploaded in the "Budget Narrative/Justification" section under the "Optional" category. If applicable, address cost share in a separate section of the budget narrative labeled "cost share."

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies Include letters of commitment from key participating organizations and agencies after the Budget Narrative/Justification.

Summary of Involved Individuals and Organizations Submit an appendix that lists every collaborating organization, and every individual who is named to a professional role in the proposed project. These individuals should include staff, consultants, contractors, and advisory board members. We will use this information to screen for conflicts of interest with potential peer reviewers.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a UEI number and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration.

This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. They will no longer have to go to a third-party website to obtain their identifier. This transition allows the government to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the federal government. If your entity is registered in SAM.gov today, your Unique Entity ID (SAM) has already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov. This includes inactive registrations. The Unique Entity ID is currently located below the DUNS Number on your entity registration record. Remember, you must be signed in to your SAM.gov account to view entity records. To learn how to view your Unique Entity ID (SAM) go to this help article.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide. Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM.

Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 04/25/2025

04/25/2025

Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/15/2025 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only)

If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, please contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice and provide a written explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. ACL will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note: We will not consider your application for further review if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

If for any reason (including submitting to the wrong funding opportunity number or making corrections/updates) an application is submitted more than once prior to the application due date, ACL will only accept your last validated electronic submission, under the correct funding opportunity number, prior to the Grants.gov application due date as the final and only acceptable application

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an http://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the cut off date.

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) will automatically send applicants a tracking number and date of receipt verification electronically once the application has been successfully received and validated in http://www.grants.gov.

Informational Conference Call:

An informational conference call will be held between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date listed above for the informational conference call. Interested parties are invited to participate in the pre-application meeting to discuss the funding priority and to receive information and technical assistance. You must contact Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov in order to participate in this meeting. NIDILRR staff also will be available to provide information and technical assistance via individual phone consultations from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the date listed above. Requests for individual consultations during this one-hour window must be made in advance to Megan Alvarado.

5. Intergovernmental Review This program is not subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

6. Funding Restrictions A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has raised considerable concerns about grantees and contractors charging the Federal government for additional meals outside of the standard allowance for travel subsistence known as per diem expenses. Executive Orders on Promoting Efficient Spending (E.O. 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (E.O. 13576) have been issued and instruct Federal agencies to promote efficient spending. Therefore, if meals are to be charged in your proposal, applicants should understand such costs must meet the following criteria outlined in the Executive Orders and HHS Grants Policy Statement:

Meals are generally unallowable except for the following:

o For subjects and patients under study (usually a research program);

o Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, e.g., in programs providing children’s services (e.g., Head Start);

o When an organization customarily provides meals to employees working beyond the normal workday, as a part of a formal compensation arrangement; and o As part of a per diem or subsistence allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel.

The following updated sections 2 CFR 200.216 “Prohibition on certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment” became effective on or after August 13, 2020.

Recommended Actions for any recipient that has received a loan, grant, or cooperative agreement on or after August 13, 2020:

Develop a compliance plan to implement 2 CFR 200.216 regulation.

Develop and maintain internal controls to ensure that your organization does not expend federal funds (in whole or in part) on covered equipment, services or systems.

Determine through reasonable inquiry whether your organization currently uses “covered telecommunication” equipment, services, or systems and take necessary actions to comply with the regulation as quickly as is feasibly possible.

7. Other Submission Requirements Protection of Human Subjects

You must comply with all regulations for the protection of the rights, welfare, and well-being of human subjects involved in research conducted or supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The HHS Office for Human Research Protections has information and resources related to these important requirements.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria Applications will be scored by members of a NIDILRR-administered peer review panel, who will assign a maximum of 100 points across the criteria listed below. Each of these review criteria come directly from NIDILRR’s program regulations (45 CFR 1330.24).

Importance of the Problem Maximum Points: 10 In determining the importance of the problem, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the applicant clearly describes the need and target population.

(2) The extent to which the proposed project will have beneficial impact on the target population.

Design of Research Activities Maximum Points: 45 In determining the extent to which the design is likely to be effective in accomplishing the objectives of the project, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the research activities constitute a coherent, sustained approach to research in the field, including a substantial addition to the state-of-the-art.

(2) The extent to which the methodology of each proposed research activity is meritorious, including consideration of the extent to which— (A) The proposed design includes a comprehensive and informed review of the current literature, demonstrating knowledge of the state-of-the-art;

(B) Each research hypothesis or research question, as appropriate, is theoretically sound and based on current knowledge;

(C) Each sample is drawn from an appropriate, specified population and is of sufficient size to address the proposed hypotheses or research questions, as appropriate, and to support the proposed data analysis methods;

(D) The source or sources of the data and the data collection methods are appropriate to address the proposed hypotheses or research questions and to support the proposed data analysis methods;

(E) The data analysis methods are appropriate;

(F) Input of individuals with disabilities and other key stakeholders is used to shape the proposed research activities;

(G) Implementation of the proposed research design is feasible, given the current state of the science and the time and resources available; and

(H) The applicant identifies and justifies the stage of research being proposed and the research methods associated with the stage.

Design of Dissemination Activities Maximum Points: 5 In determining the extent to which the design is likely to be effective in accomplishing the objectives of the project, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the materials to be disseminated are likely to be effective and usable, including consideration of their quality, clarity, variety, and format.

(2) The extent to which the methods for dissemination are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration.

(3) The extent to which the information to be disseminated will be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Design of Training Activities Maximum Points: 10 In determining the extent to which the design is likely to be effective in accomplishing the objectives of the project, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the proposed training materials are likely to be effective, including consideration of their quality, clarity, and variety.

(2) The extent to which the proposed training methods are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration.

(3) The extent to which the proposed training materials and methods are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Design of Technical Assistance Activities Maximum Points: 5 In determining the extent to which the design is likely to be effective in accomplishing the objectives of the project, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the methods for providing technical assistance are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration.

(2) The extent to which the technical assistance is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Project Staff Maximum Points: 10 In determining the quality of the applicant’s project staff, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from people with disabilities, who may include but are not limited to people with disabilities who have the greatest support needs.

(2) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from people who are members of other groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in research professions based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or age.

(3) The extent to which the key personnel and other key staff have appropriate training and experience in disciplines required to conduct all proposed activities.

Plan of Operation Maximum Points: 10 In determining the application's plan of operation, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The adequacy of the plan of operation to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, and timelines for accomplishing project tasks.

(2) The adequacy of the plan of operation to provide for using resources, equipment, and personnel to achieve each objective.

Adequacy and Accessibility of Resources Maximum Points: 5 In determining the adequacy and accessibility of resources, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the applicant is committed to provide adequate facilities, equipment, other resources, including administrative support, and laboratories, if appropriate.

(2) The extent to which the facilities, equipment, and other resources are appropriately accessible to individuals with disabilities who may use the facilities, equipment, and other resources of the project.

2. Review and Selection Process As required by 2 CFR Part 200 of the Uniform Guidance, effective January 1, 2016, ACL is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), https://www.fapiis.gov before making any award in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $150,000) over the period of performance. An applicant may review and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency has previously entered into FAPIIS. ACL will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR Section

200.206 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants (https://www.ecfr.gov/ cgi-bin/…