Foa_Content_of_HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-REGE-0120.pdf

Administration for Community Living

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Universal Design Applications

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-REGE-0120

03/06/2025

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 Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Universal Design Applications Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-REGE-0120

Primary CFDA Number:

93.433 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

01/24/2025 Due Date for Applications:

03/06/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/13/2025 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 purpose of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies designed to solve rehabilitation problems or remove environmental barriers for people with disabilities. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, https://www.grants.gov/ stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities. Under this RERC priority, the grantee must conduct research, development, and evaluation activities toward universally designed products or environments that promote positive outcomes among people with disabilities in one or more of the following domains: health and function, employment, or community living and participation.

This grant will have a 60-month project period, with five 12-month budget periods.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background:

As initially defined, “universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaption or specialized design” (Mace, 1985). This definition has evolved over time. However, the primary intent of universal design is the creation of products and built environments that are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities without modification. This priority operationalizes universal design within the seven universal design principles developed and validated under previous NIDILRR funding (Connell, et al., 1997). Universally designed products and built environments:

1. Are useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities;

2. Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities;

3. Are easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level;

4. Communicate necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities

5. Minimize hazards and adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions;

6. Can be used efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of fatigue.

7. Have appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

In the United States, two mechanisms have driven the application of universal design.

Legislation has mandated access for people with disabilities leading to universal design adoption within the built environment. The resulting changes created a large impact, primarily for people with physical and vision disabilities (Dolph, 2021). Meanwhile, free-market forces led to the demand for universally designed products meeting the needs of the growing population of people with age-related changes in function (Maisel and Steinfeld, 2022).

Most research, development, and practice efforts related to universal design have focused on addressing the needs of people with physical disabilities within the built environment. This focus increased physical activity, for example, through improved walkability of communities, greater accessibility of transportation options, and greater accessibility of community-level recreational facilities. Such universally-designed changes have also increased access to health services for all people. The accessibility of the built environment is a strong determinant of health, physical function, and wellness (Olodeoku, et al., 2024; Rollings, et al., 2024) and is associated with positive cognitive function and quality of life among people with disabilities (Chen, et al., 2022;

Delhey, et al., 2024; Forster, et al., 2023).

Additional universal design applications have addressed the needs of people who are blind or who have low vision. Most of this effort has centered on the needs of people with vision disabilities in pedestrian interaction with traffic. We are only beginning to understand how residual vision and assistive technology use shapes universal design needs in these scenarios (Chidiac, et al, 2024). People with vision impairments continue to prioritize their need to navigate independently in all environments because this provides them with beneficial social interactions and experiences. Unfortunately, independent navigation remains challenging in unfamiliar indoor spaces and outdoor environments such as parks and other recreation spaces.

Indoor navigation challenges include detection of and passage through automated sliding doors, orientation in large rooms and spaces that are noisy and populated, and navigation around other people and moveable furnishings within the environment (Jeamwatthanachai, et al., 2019).

Meanwhile, many outdoor environments tend to lack navigational landmarks (Bandukda, et al., 2019). We lack knowledge about how people with vision disabilities can successfully navigate these spaces (Bandukda, et al., 2019; Jeamwatthanachai, et al., 2019). Universal design applications that incorporate awareness of user experiences, and knowledge about the characteristics of optimally navigable environments would improve community living and participation outcomes among people with vision impairments.

Applications of universal design principles for people who are d/Deaf have largely focused on indoor spaces, with little attention paid to pedestrian interaction with traffic and other outdoor scenarios (Chidiac, et al., 2024). People who are d/Deaf rely on proximity, spatial configurations, and lines of sight for communication and participation within a given space (Azalia, et al., 2019).

For example, a hallway within a building that meets regulations for physical access requirements is not generally wide enough for two people to adequately view the sign language communication space while walking together. Further, lack of visual cues may result in collisions around or near hallway corners. Universal design applications may be useful in addressing these environmental barriers faced by people who are d/Deaf.

Studies of the needs of those who are neurodiverse have largely focused on children in learning environments. These studies suggest that universal design strategies can enable greater participation in education and employment, as well as greater social participation among this population. Simple spatial layouts, availability of quieter retreat spaces, diffuse natural or customizable lighting, and sound-absorbent materials can create less overwhelming environments for this population and others (Black, et al., 2022). More research and development is needed to expand these universal design applications beyond learning environments to allow neurodiverse people to comfortably participate in a wider range of social and built environments.

Most of the universal design research related to people with sensory disabilities or those who are neurodiverse has been descriptive and exploratory in nature (Chidiac, et al., 2024; Black, et al., 2022). More advanced research would provide insight into universal design applications that present more enabling environments for all. Advanced research would define design specifications where the needs of differing groups conflict with each other. Finally, there is a dearth of research surrounding universal design applications for people who have multiple functional limitations.

Universally designed products that appeal to broad groups of people have often entered the market as rehabilitation tools aimed at a smaller target population. To assist people with limited hand function or reduced grip strength, for example, occupational therapists provided custom solutions that increased the grip surface of various tools. OXO International engineered this concept at a broader scale for its production of mass market kitchen products (Maisel and Steinfeld, 2022). In doing so, they improved fabrication quality and design aesthetics which led to an expanded target audience and reduced costs. Developers have used similar strategies to take rehabilitation tools to broader markets. These include voice input technologies, tactile flooring, bottle openers, and other products. Unfortunately, some universal design products have lost the features that most improve access during their transition to and adoption in the mass market (Guffey, 2021). In case studies, this loss has been addressed by applying universal design principles with people with disabilities as the primary audience.

New strategies allow city and regional planning professionals to incorporate information communication technology (ICT), large datasets, machine learning, and artificial intelligence into urban planning, development, and implementation, improving the quality of life of citizens (Wang, et al. 2021). These “smart city” initiatives allow planners to focus on improving efficiency and sustainability. However, technology applied within the smart city paradigms necessarily rely on the statistical analysis of existing datasets to guide development and service delivery. Historically, people with disabilities represent statistical outliers in large datasets.

Analyses and applications based on this data may exclude or even harm those whose experiences fall outside of the norm (Deitz, 2023). Planners can use universal design principles and concepts to evaluate smart city initiatives for inclusion of people with disabilities.

References:

Azalia, N., Arvanda, E., Isnaeni, H., & Kusuma, N. R. (2020). Proxemic as spatial strategy on social space for deaf community. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2230 (1).

Bandukda, M., Singh, A., Berthouze, N., & Holloway, C. (2019). Understanding experiences of blind individuals in outdoor nature. Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-6.

Black, M.H., McGarry, S., Churchill, L., D’Arcy, E., Dalgleish, J., Nash, I., Jones, A., Yan Tse, T., Gibson, J., Bolte, S., Girdler, S. (2022). Considerations of the built environment for autistic individuals: A review of the literature. Autism, 26(8), 1904-1915.

Chen, X., Lee, C., Huang, H., (2022). Neighborhood build environment associated with cognition and dementia risk among older adults: A systematic literature review. Social Science & Medicine, 292: 114560.

Chidiac, S.E., Reda, M.A., Marjaba, G.E. (2024). Accessibility of the Built Environment for People with Sensory Disabilities -- Review Quality and Representation Evidence. Buildings, 14:

707 - 726.

Connell, B. R., Jones, M., Mace, R., Mueller, J., Mullick, A., Ostroff, E., Sanford, J., Steinfeld, E., Story, M., Vanderheiden, G. (1996) DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN. In A. Langton (Ed.), Proceedings of the RESNA

1996 Annual Conference: Exploring New Horizons (pp. 435-437). RESNA Press: Arlington, VA.

Deitz, S. (2023). Outlier bias: AI classification of curb ramps, outliers, and context. Big Data & Society, 10(2), DOI: 10.1177/20539517231203669.

Delhey, L. M., Shi, X., Morgenstern, L. B., Brown, D. L., Smith, M. A., Case, E. C., Springer, M.V. & Lisabeth, L. D. (2024). Neighborhood Resources and Health Outcomes Among Stroke Survivors in a Population‐Based Cohort. Journal of the American Heart Association, 13(14), e034308.

Dolph, Eric (2021). The Developing Definition of Universal Design. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 11(2): 178-194.

Forster, Grace Katharine; Aaro, Leif Edvard; Nordheim Alme, Maria, Hansen, Thomas;

Sevenius Nilson, Thomas, & Vedaa, Oystein (2023) Built Environment Accessibility and Disability as Predictors of Well-being among Older Adults: A Norwegian Cross Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20: 5898.

Guffey, Elizabeth (2021). In the wake of Universal Design: Mapping the Terrain. DesignIssues.

37(1): 76-82.

Jeamwatthanachai, W., Wald, M., & Wills, G. (2019). Indoor navigation by blind people:

Behaviors and challenges in unfamiliar spaces and buildings. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 37(2), 140-153.

Mace, R., (1985). Universal Design: Barrier Free Environments for Everyone. Designers West.

33(1): 147-152.

Maisel, J. & Steinfeld, E., (2022). Universal Design and the Built Environment, in Milhailidis, A., Smith, R. (Eds.) Rehabilitation Engineering: Principles and Practice. (pp. 295-317) CRC Press. DOI: 10.1201/b21964-16

Olodeoku, M., Alokun, A., Alagbe, O., Egwabor, J., & Buseri, J. (2024). Exploring Universal Design Principles in the Built Environment: An Empirical Review. African Journal of Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy, 16(1), 84-98.

Rollings, Kimberly A.; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Frumkin, Howard; and Jackson, Richard. J.

(2024) Built Environment and Public Health: More than 20 Years of Progress." American Journal of Public Health. 114(1): 27-33.

Wang, Chihaungji (Herbert), Steinfeld, Edward; Maisel, Jordana; Kang, Bumjoon (2021) "Is your smart city inclusive? Evaluating proposals of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Smart City Challenge." Sustainable Cities and Society. 24: 103148.

Priority:

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) establishes a priority for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design Applications. Under this priority, the RERC must use scientific and engineering approaches to research, develop, and evaluate innovative technologies that will result in new or improved products, devices, built environments, or technological advances that are designed to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaption or specialized design. Following the principles of universal design (as described in the background to this priority), the RERC must conduct research and development activities toward the production and promotion of universally designed products and built environments. These advances must promote improved outcomes among people with a variety of disabilities in one or more of the following outcome domains:

health and function, employment, or community living and participation.

The RERC must conduct advanced research activities that contribute to the applied science of universal design. The RERC must conduct at least one research project at the intervention development, intervention efficacy, or scale-up evaluation stage of research. The RERC must also conduct advanced development activities that further the existence and availability of universally designed products and built environments. The RERC must conduct at least one development project at the proof of product or proof of adoption stage. NIDILRR’s stages of research are described on ACL’s website.

Activities under this priority must be designed to lead to state-of-the-science knowledge translation and technology transfer. The RERC must enhance the usability and effectiveness of currently available, new, and emerging devices and technologies to align with users’ goals, needs, and abilities.

Applicants must demonstrate that people with disabilities from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds will be included in study samples in sufficient numbers to generate knowledge and products that are relevant to the racial and ethnic diversity of the disability populations being addressed by the RERC.

Applicants under the priority in this notice are required to specify in their proposal the following:

1. The NIDILRR outcome domain or domains to be addressed.

2. The target population or populations of people with disabilities.

3. The technological devices, products, or built environments to be produced.

4. The benefits of those devices, products, or built environments to people with disabilities.

5. The means of testing and evaluating the devices, products, or built environments to be produced.

6. The way that people with disabilities will be included as part of proposed research and development teams, and the way that their input will be incorporated into research and development activities.

Requirements applicable to RERC priorities:

As a national center, the RERC must conduct high-quality research, development, technical assistance, capacity building, knowledge translation, and dissemination activities that address significant needs, promote independence, and improve quality of life and community living outcomes of people with disabilities. To optimize benefits to people with disabilities, the RERC must ascertain the efficacy and safety of proposed strategies, technologies, or interventions, and collaborate with appropriate entities to facilitate the transfer and adoption of development https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/nidilrr-frameworks products. The RERC must follow and understand emerging technologies and communicate to NIDILRR, ACL, and other appropriate stakeholders about the potential opportunities and drawbacks associated with these technologies.

An RERC established under the proposed priority in this notice must be designed to contribute to the following outcomes:

1. Increased technical and scientific knowledge relevant to its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by conducting high-quality, rigorous research projects. The RERC must use appropriate engineering knowledge and techniques to collect, analyze, and synthesize research data.

2. Increased innovation in technologies, products, environments, performance guidelines, or monitoring and assessment tools applicable to its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome through the development and testing of these innovations. The RERC must apply appropriate engineering knowledge and techniques to achieve development objectives.

3. Improved research capacity in its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by collaborating with relevant industry groups, professional associations, institutions of higher education, health care providers, or educators, as appropriate, to train research and development professionals in its designated priority research area.

4. Improved awareness and understanding of cutting-edge developments in technologies within its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by communicating with NIDILRR, people with disabilities and their representatives, disability organizations, service providers, developers, manufacturers, architects, designers, city and regional planners, professional journals, State Assistive Technology Act Programs, and other interested parties about trends and evolving product concepts related to its designated priority research area.

5. Increased impact of research and development in the designated priority research area.

The RERC must contribute to this outcome by providing technical assistance to relevant public and private organizations, people with disabilities, employers, and schools on policies, guidelines, and standards related to its designated priority research area.

6. Increased transfer of RERC-developed technologies to the marketplace. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by developing and implementing a plan for ensuring that all technologies developed by the RERC are made available to the public. The technology transfer plan must be developed in the first year of the project period in consultation with the NIDILRR-funded Initiative to Mobilize Partnerships for Successful Assistive Technology Transfer (IMPACT) Center.

7. Improved usability and accessibility of products and environments in the RERC’s designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by emphasizing the principles and goals of universal design in its product research, development, and evaluation.

In addition, under each priority, the RERC must--

• Have the capability to design, build, and test prototype devices and assist in the technology transfer and knowledge translation of successful solutions to relevant production and service delivery settings;

• Evaluate the efficacy and safety of its new products, instrumentation, or assistive devices;

• Provide as part of its proposal, and then implement, a plan that describes how it will include, as appropriate, people with disabilities or their representatives in all phases of its activities, including research, development, training, dissemination, and evaluation;

• Provide as part of its proposal, and then implement, in consultation with the NIDILRR-funded Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, a plan to disseminate its research results to people with disabilities and their representatives, disability organizations, service providers, professional journals, manufacturers, and other interested parties;

• Conduct a state-of-the-science conference on its designated priority research area in the fourth year of the project period, and publish a comprehensive report on the final outcomes of the conference at the beginning of the fifth year of the project period;

• Coordinate research projects of mutual interest with relevant NIDILRR-funded projects, as identified through consultation with the NIDILRR project officer;

• Specify the stage or stages of research projects that they are proposing. If the applicant proposes 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. These stages (exploration and discovery, intervention development, intervention efficacy, and scale-up evaluation) are defined on ACL’s website; and

• Specify the stage or stages of development of the development projects that they are proposing. If the applicant proposes to conduct development that can be categorized under more than one stage, those stages must be clearly specified. These stages (proof of concept, proof of product, and proof of adoption) are defined on ACL’s website.

Statutory Authority 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(3)(A)

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$975,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$975,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$970,000 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' 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 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 RERC grant that is responsive to each of the requirements in the priority section of this funding opportunity announcement.

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 $975,000 in any single budget year;

• Propose a project period that exceeds 60 months.

NOTE: NIDILRR is strengthening its double-spacing requirements. These new requirements will enhance the readability and accessibility of applications for reviewers. The requirements will also promote fairness by restricting the occasional applicant practice of placing narrative text in single-spaced tables for potential competitive advantage.

You must Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) the project narrative. You are not required to double-space titles, headings, or footnotes in tables or figures. However, if text within any single row of a table or figure extends beyond a single line, the text in that row must be double-spaced.

NIDILRR will screen all applications for compliance with these double-spacing requirements.

For every line of single-spaced text within your project narrative, including text in tables and figures that does not comply with this requirement, NIDILRR will count that line against the page limit of 80 pages. For example, if your project narrative is 80 pages long but contains one page of single-spaced text, we will consider the narrative to be 81 pages long. We will then instruct reviewers not to review and score the last page of your project narrative.

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 https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.sam.gov/ 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. 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:

https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934 https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov

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

Maureen Linden Maureen.Linden@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 address each of the review criteria 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;

• You must Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) the project narrative.

You are not required to double-space titles, headings, or footnotes in tables or figures.

However, if text within any single row of a table or figure extends beyond a single line, the text in that row must be double-spaced;

o NIDILRR will screen all applications for compliance with these double-spacing requirements. For every line of single-spaced text within your project narrative, including text in tables and figures that does not comply with this requirement, NIDILRR will count that line against the page limit of 80 pages. For example, if your project narrative is 80 pages long but contains one page of single-spaced mailto:Maureen.Linden@acl.hhs.gov text, we will consider the narrative to be 81 pages long. We will then instruct reviewers not to review and score the last page of your project narrative;

• 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, or the letters of commitment from key participating organizations and agencies, the summary of involved individuals and organizations, data management plan, and 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 must 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.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

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;

mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934

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 03/06/2025

03/06/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/13/2025 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.

https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=a05adbae1b59f8982fe5ed7ae54bcbba https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/

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…