Foa_Content_of_HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0124.pdf

Administration for Community Living

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) On Employment Among People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0124

03/31/2025

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 Among People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0124

Primary CFDA Number:

93.433 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

02/06/2025 Due Date for Applications:

03/31/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/27/2025 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 Among People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision. 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 https://www.grants.gov/

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:

There are more than 8 million working-age people with blindness or low vision in the United States. Between 2012 and 2022, the employment rate among people who are blind or have low vision increased from 37% to 51% (Erickson, Lee, C. & Von Schrader, 2022). Yet even with these employment gains, people who are blind or have low vision are significantly less likely than those without disabilities to be employed (Erickson, Lee, C. & Von Schrader, 2022). People who are blind or have low vision are diverse in terms of their onset age, cause of blindness, and many sociodemographic characteristics. This variation is related to employment experiences and outcomes and has implications for habilitation and rehabilitation efforts aimed at achieving competitive, integrated employment.

Three important, understudied subpopulations of people who are blind or have low vision include people with vision loss due to traumatic brain injury (TBI), people with deaf blindness, and people with vision loss due to Long COVID. More research is needed to increase knowledge that can be used to improve employment services and outcomes among these important subpopulations.

Visual impairments occur for 20 to 40% of TBI patients in neurological rehabilitation centers, and include difficulties with binocular vision, mobility, reading, and visual memory, all of which may impact re-entry into the workforce (Kerkoff, 2000; Sen, 2017). Visual impairments among people with TBI decrease the likelihood of achieving employment outcomes through vocational rehabilitation. Optic technologies or environmental accommodations may offer promising rehabilitative strategies (Fox, Koons, & Dang, 2019; Winkler, et al, 2022; Simpson & Hunt, 2018).

Another understudied subpopulation is people with deaf blindness. While rare, deaf blindness may result from hereditary syndromes, prenatal complications, postnatal complications, or other causes (National Center on Deafblindness, 2024). People with deaf blindness often have one or more additional disabilities and complex healthcare needs. The most recent data for young adults with deaf blindness showed that while most received services after high school, over half reported needing additional services, particularly occupational/life skills training, and vocational rehabilitation (McDonnell & Cmar, 2017). For example, most young adults with deaf blindness and co-occurring cognitive disabilities received no vocational rehabilitative services despite reported needs (McDonnell & Cmar, in press).

A third understudied subpopulation is people with sensory loss due to Long COVID. Olfactory, hearing and vision losses may occur though are most often transient (Landis, et al 2022; Sharma et al, 2024; Koumpa, et al, 2020). Permanent vision loss is rare. People with diabetes, high blood pressure and other blood disorders are at a higher risk of developing visual impairments after COVID infection (Mukamal & Nezgoda, 2023). Retinal artery occlusion, retinal hemorrhage, optic neuritis or uveitis may result in permanent vision loss (Sen, et al, 2021a). Blurry vision, light sensitivity, or vision loss may result depending on the timing and availability of effective treatments (Sen, et al, 2021; Dogahe, et al, 2023).

Beyond these variations in causes and manifestations of vision impairment, web inaccessibility remains a global employment and community participation barrier for many people with blindness or low vision (Thompson et al, 2024). While web accessibility has been improving over time, accessibility errors persist across the world-wide web. More studies of the positive employment impacts of accessible website design are needed to further advance and promote ongoing improvements in web accessibility – particularly for websites and web tools that people use to find and apply for jobs.

Technology aside, attitudinal barriers among employers and human resources staff remain an ongoing barrier to employment. NIDILRR-funded research has determined that an hour-long meeting between a blind vocational rehabilitation (VR) professional and hiring managers can significantly decrease negative attitudes that employers have about the competence of potential employees who are blind or have low vision (McDonnell and Antonelli, 2022).

More research is needed at the intervention efficacy and scale up evaluation stages to build knowledge about effective employment services and supports for people who are blind or have low vision. This research must build upon emerging knowledge of services and interventions that are showing promise in early-stage research studies. This research must also take into account emerging knowledge about the variation in employment experiences and outcomes among the wide diversity of people who are blind or have low vision.

References:

Dogahe, J.S., Pakravan, P. & Pakravan, M. (2023). Acute optic neuritis: An update on approach and management. Journal of Opthalmic and Vision Research, 18(4):433-440. doi:

10.18502/jovr.v18i4.14556.

Erickson, W., Lee, C., von Schrader, S. (2022). Disability statistics from the American Community Survey. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute (YTI).

www.disabilitystatistics.org.

Fox, S. M., Koons, P., & Dang, S. H. (2019). Vision rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 30(1), 171–188.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2018.09.001.

Kerkhoff, G. (2000). Neurovisual rehabilitation: Recent developments and future directions.

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 68, 691–706.

Koumpa, F.S., Forde, C.T. & Manjaly, J.G. (2020). BMJ Case Reports, 13:e238419.

doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-238419.

https://www.disabilitystatistics.org/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2018.09.001

Landis, B.C., Brooks, A.E., Digre, K.B. & Seay, M.D. (2022). Coronavirus disease 2019: Eye pain, headache, and beyond. Journal of Neuro-Opthalmology, 42(1):18-25. doi:

10.1097/WNO.0000000000001526.

McDonnell, M. C. & Antonelli, K. (2022). Changing employers’ implicit attitudes about the competence of people who are blind. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 116(3), 361- 372.

McDonnell, M. C. & Cmar, J. (2017). Characteristics and Experiences of Youth who are Deaf- Blind. National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision.

https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020- 04/characteristicsAndExperiencesOfYouthWhoAreDeafBlind.pdf.

McDonnell, M. & Cmar, J. (in press). Experiences of Young Adults with Deaf-Blindness After High School. National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision.

https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020- 05/Experiences%20of%20Young%20Adults%20with%20Deaf- Blindness%20After%20High%20School%20%282%29.pdf.

National Center on Deafblindness (2024). Overview of deafblindness.

https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/deaf-blindness-overview/.

Mukamal, R. & Nezgoda, J. T. (2023). Four ways COVID leaves its mark on the eye. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/covid-damages-retina-eye-stroke-pinkeye.

Sen, N. (2017). An insight into the vision impairment following traumatic brain injury.

Neurochemistry International. 111, 103-107. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.01.019.

Sen, M., Honavar, S.G., Sharma, N., Sachdev, M.S. COVID-19 and Eye: A Review of Ophthalmic Manifestations of COVID-19. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2021 Mar;69(3):488-509. doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_297_21.

Sen, M., Honavar, S. G., Bansal, R., Sengupta, S., Rao, R., Kim, U., Sharma, M., Sachdev, M., Grover, A. K., Surve, A., Budharapu, A., Ramadhin, A. K., Tripathi, A. K., Gupta, A., Bhargava, A., Sahu, A., Khairnar, A., Kochar, A., Madhavani, A., Shrivastava, A. K., … members of the Collaborative OPAI-IJO Study on Mucormycosis in COVID-19 (COSMIC) Study Group (2021).

Epidemiology, clinical profile, management, and outcome of COVID-19-associated rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis in 2826 patients in India - Collaborative OPAI-IJO Study on Mucormycosis in COVID-19 (COSMIC), Report 1. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 69(7), 1670–1692. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_1565_21.

Simpson-Jones, M. & Hunt, A. W. (2019). Vision rehabilitation interventions following mild traumatic brain injury: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 41, 2206-2222. DOI:

10.1080/09638288.2018.1460407.

https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020-04/characteristicsAndExperiencesOfYouthWhoAreDeafBlind.pdf https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020-04/characteristicsAndExperiencesOfYouthWhoAreDeafBlind.pdf https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020-05/Experiences%20of%20Young%20Adults%20with%20Deaf-Blindness%20After%20High%20School%20%282%29.pdf https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020-05/Experiences%20of%20Young%20Adults%20with%20Deaf-Blindness%20After%20High%20School%20%282%29.pdf https://www.blind.msstate.edu/sites/www.blind.msstate.edu/files/2020-05/Experiences%20of%20Young%20Adults%20with%20Deaf-Blindness%20After%20High%20School%20%282%29.pdf https://www.nationaldb.org/info-center/deaf-blindness-overview/ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/covid-damages-retina-eye-stroke-pinkeye https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/covid-damages-retina-eye-stroke-pinkeye https://doi.org/10.4103/ijo.IJO_1565_21.

Thompson, T., Comden, D., Ferguson, S., Bowker, D., Burgstahler, S., Smith, J. & Moore, E.

(2024). Predictors of postsecondary web accessibility, 2012 to 2022. Journal on Technology and Persons with Disabilities, 12. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/publications/gb19fd48d.

Winkler, S. L., Finch, D., Wang, X., Toyinbo, P., Marszalek, J., Rakoczy, C. M., Rice, C. E., Pollard, K., Rhodes, M. A., Eldred, K., Llanos, I., Peterson, M., Williams, M., Zuniga, E., White, H., Delikat, J., Ballistrea, L., White, K., & Cockerham, G. C. (2022). Veterans with traumatic brain injury-related ocular injury and vision dysfunction: Recommendations for rehabilitation.

Optometry and vision science: Official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, 99(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001828.

Priority:

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living establishes a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Among People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision. The purpose of this RRTC is to contribute to improved employment outcomes of people who are blind or have low vision through high-quality research, training, and related activities.

To contribute to improved employment outcomes of people who are blind or have low vision, you must address in your proposal the following requirements of this RRTC:

(a) Conduct well-designed research activities in one or more of the following priority areas.

You may focus your research either on people with blindness or low vision as a group, or people with blindness or low vision in specific disability or demographic subpopulations:

(i) Technology to improve employment outcomes.

(ii) Individual factors associated with improved employment opportunities or outcomes.

(iii) Employer or work environment factors associated with improved employment opportunities or outcomes.

(iv) Interventions that are designed to contribute to improved employment outcomes.

Interventions can include any strategy, practice, program, policy, service, or tool that is designed to contribute to improvements in employment outcomes.

(v) Effects of government practices, policies, and programs on employment outcomes.

(b) Describe and justify why you are focusing on your proposed population or subpopulations of people with blindness or low vision.

(c) Conduct research activities at one or more stages of research, according to NIDILRR’s definition of stages of research. You must:

(i) Justify the need and rationale for research at the proposed stage or stages.

(ii) Fully describe appropriate methodologies for the proposed research. If you conduct research at more than one stage, including research that progresses from one stage to https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/publications/gb19fd48d https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001828 https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/nidilrr-frameworks https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/nidilrr-frameworks another, you must clearly describe and justify those stages and methodologies in your application.

(iii) Conduct at least one research project at the “intervention efficacy” or “scale-up evaluation” stage.

(d) Demonstrate that people with blindness or low vision from diverse racial and ethnic communities will be included in proposed research samples in sufficient numbers to generate knowledge and products that are relevant to the racial and ethnic diversity of the population being studied.

(e) Serve as a national resource center on employment among people with blindness or low vision. This includes conducting knowledge translation activities to promote the use or implementation of the RRTC’s research findings. You must:

(i) Include people who are blind or have low vision in planning and conducting your research, training, dissemination, and technical assistance activities.

(ii) Collaborate with people who are blind or have low vision, employers, disability service providers, employment service providers, and other relevant stakeholder groups to develop, evaluate, or implement strategies to increase use of the RRTC’s research findings.

(iii) Conduct training and dissemination activities to facilitate the use of research findings by people who are blind or have low vision, employers, disability service providers, employment service providers, and other relevant stakeholder groups.

(iv) Provide technical assistance to people who are blind or have low vision, employers, disability service providers, employment service providers, and other relevant stakeholder groups.

(v) Share information with ACL, NIDILRR, and other agencies across the Federal government. These agencies may include but are not limited to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

(vi) Coordinate 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.

(vii) Conduct a state-of-the-science conference on employment among people who are blind or have low vision. The RRTC must conduct this conference in the fourth year of the grant, and publish 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)

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.

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 mailto:support@grants.gov

• 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.

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

• 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

Courtney Ward-Sutton courtney.ward-sutton@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Number of Days from Publication 35

02/06/2025 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.

https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov mailto:courtney.ward-sutton@acl.hhs.gov

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 03/31/2025

03/31/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/27/2025 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.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ 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.

mailto:Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

7. Other Submission Requirements 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 https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/index.html

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 dissemination are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration.

(2) The extent…