Foa_Content_of_HHS-2026-ACL-NIDILRR-IFST-0206.pdf

Administration for Community Living

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

Field Initiated Projects Program: Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) - Development

HHS-2026-ACL-NIDILRR-IFST-0206

04/13/2026

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:

Field Initiated Projects Program: Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) - Development Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2026-ACL-NIDILRR-IFST-0206

Primary CFDA Number:

93.433 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

03/17/2026 Due Date for Applications:

04/13/2026 Date for Informational Conference Call:

02/24/2026 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 With this Notice of Funding Opportunity, we are inviting development applications for our Field Initiated (FI) Projects – Minority Serving Institutions (FIP-MSI) program. We will make awards in one of two distinct categories: (1) research, and (2) development, for a period of up to three years (36 months).

This is the Funding Opportunity Announcement that applicants should use in order to submit https://www.grants.gov/

FIP-MSI development proposals. NIDILRR/ACL is publishing the Funding Opportunity Announcement for MSI FI research proposals separately.

I. Funding Opportunity Description The purpose of the Field Initiated (FI) Projects program is to develop knowledge, methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially those with the highest support needs.

Another purpose of this particular opportunity is to improve the capacity of minority entities to conduct high quality disability and rehabilitation research. Minority entities may apply, consistent with section 21(b)(2)(A) of the Act. Section 21 of the Act authorizes NIDILRR to make awards to minority entities and Indian tribes to carry out authorized activities under Title II of the Act.

In carrying out a development activity under a FI Projects development grant, a grantee must use knowledge and understanding gained from research to create materials, devices, systems, methods, measures, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols that are beneficial to the target population.

NIDILRR plans to make four FIP-MSI awards. NIDILRR's FIP-MSI awards may be research projects, development projects, or a combination of both, depending on the ranking of applications provided by the peer review panel.

Note: An applicant should consult NIDILRR’s Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028 (the Plan) when preparing its application. The Plan is organized around the following outcome domains: (1) community living and participation; (2) health and function; and (3) employment.

Applicants for FI projects must specify in their abstract and project narrative which major outcome domain their proposed project will focus on. Although applicants may propose projects that address more than one domain, they should select the primary domain addressed in their proposed project.

Applicants must ensure that all materials, websites and information technology tools and products that they plan to develop or maintain are accessible, and that electronic materials are produced in full compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d). For websites this compliance currently requires meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0/2.1 AA success criteria. Applications must demonstrate an ability to meet these requirements.

Invitational Priority: In FY 2026, there are eight invitational priorities of interest to the agency (see below). NIDILRR does not give applications that address these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

• Development projects that address chronic conditions, and promote healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and physical activity among people with disabilities. This invitational priority corresponds with Executive Order 14212, on Establishing the President’s Make https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/about-acl/2024-01/ACL_Final%20Transmitted_NIDILRR%20LRP%202024-2028.pdf?j=2268505&sfmc_sub=6954352&l=6707_HTML&u=52314754&mid=515008575&jb=0 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/establishing-the-presidents-make-america-healthy-again-commission/

America Healthy Again Commission.

• Development projects that address family caregiving as a factor that shapes the experiences and outcomes of people with disabilities.

• Development projects that address the experiences and outcomes of people who are aging with disability, or aging into disability.

• Development projects that focus on making airline travel accessible for people with disabilities.

• Development projects that focus on improving the extent to which emergency and disaster preparedness plans and systems are accessible to, and responsive to the needs of, people with disabilities.

• Development projects that focus on social and built environments that facilitate full inclusion and community participation among people with disabilities.

• Development projects that focus on school experiences among children with disabilities.

• Development projects that focus on workplace experiences, including skills development and job training, among adults with disabilities.

FI Projects development applicants must define the stage or stages of development that they propose to conduct. Any rigorous development activities can be appropriate, depending on the development aims being addressed by the applicant. NIDILRR does not have an absolute preference for any one development stage over others. If the FI Projects grant is to conduct development that can be categorized under more than one stage, those stages must be clearly specified. These stages are: proof of concept, proof of product, and proof of adoption.

Statutory Authority 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(a); 29 U.S.C. 718

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$250,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$250,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/establishing-the-presidents-make-america-healthy-again-commission/ https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/nidilrr-frameworks

$245,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other'

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Parties eligible to apply for FIP-MSI Projects grants are limited to minority entities and Indian tribes as authorized by section 21(b)(2)(A) of the Act. A minority entity is defined as a historically black college or university (a part B institution, as defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended), a Hispanic-serving institution of higher education, an American Indian tribal college or university, or another IHE whose minority student enrollment is at least 50 percent. NIDILRR is especially interested in applications from individual minority entities that have historically been underrepresented in the federal research arena.

In addition, NIDILRR is particularly interested in receiving applications from Indian tribes, or American Indian tribal colleges or universities.

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 conduct a development project that is responsive to all of the requirements described in Section I 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 $250,000 in any single budget year;

• Propose a project period that exceeds 36 months;

• Are submitted by applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria described in Section

III.1.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

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

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

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

Eastern Time.

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

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

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

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

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

• 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:

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

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:

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

Shelley Reeves Shelley.Reeves@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Number of Days from Publication 35

03/17/2026 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 https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

Megan.Alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

In your email include:

• The funding opportunity number and title.

• The name and contact information for the project principal investigator.

• A brief description of the proposed activities.

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

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

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

Project Narrative The Project Narrative portion of your application is where you describe your proposed project and address each of the review criteria. Applicants should directly address each of the review criteria (see Section V), in the project narrative. Each applicant must limit the Project Narrative to the equivalent of no more than 40 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 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 40 double-spaced pages, NIDILRR will instruct reviewers to disregard all of the content on the pages beyond the 40th 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 three 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 three 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.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm 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 format “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 mailto:support@grants.gov application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration.

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

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the https://sam.gov https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=gsafsd_kb_articles&sys_id=a05adbae1b59f8982fe5ed7ae54bcbba

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 Number Of Days from Publication 60

04/13/2026 Date for Informational Conference Call:

02/24/2026 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, https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

ACL will only accept your last validated electronic submission, under the correct funding opportunity number, prior to the Grants.gov application due date as the final and only acceptable application

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

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

Informational Conference Call:

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

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

6. Funding Restrictions Note: 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 (EO 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (EO 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., Headstart);

o When an organization customarily provides meals to employees working beyond the normal workday, as a part of a formal compensation arrangement; or 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.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:megan.alvarado@acl.hhs.gov

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

• Develop a compliance plan to implement 2 CFR 200.216 regulation.

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

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

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

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria Your application 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: 20 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 Development Activities Maximum Points: 60 In determining the extent to which the design is likely to be effective in accomplishing the objectives of the project, the Director considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the proposed project methodology is meritorious, including consideration of the extent to which:

(A) The proposed project shows awareness of the state-of-the-art for current, related products.

(B) The proposed project employs appropriate concepts, components, or systems to develop the new or improved product.

(C) The proposed project employs appropriate samples in tests, trials, and other development activities.

(D) The proposed project conducts development activities in appropriate environment(s).

(E) Input from individuals with disabilities and other key stakeholders is obtained to establish and guide proposed development activities.

(F) The applicant identifies and justifies the stage(s) of development for the proposed project;

and activities associated with each stage.

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

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

Project Staff Maximum Points: 15 In determining the quality of the applicant’s project staff, the Director considers the following factors:

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

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

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

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

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

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

200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants (https://www.ecfr.gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8).

An independent review panel of at least three individuals will evaluate applications that pass the screening and meet the responsiveness criteria if applicable. These reviewers are experts in their field, and are drawn from academic institutions, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, and federal government agencies. Based on the Application Review Criteria as outlined under section V.1, the reviewers will comment on and score the applications, focusing their comments and scoring decisions on the identified criteria.

Final award decisions will be made by the Administrator, ACL. In making these decisions, the Administrator will take into consideration: recommendations of the review panel; reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance; the reasonableness of the estimated cost to the government considering the available funding and anticipated results; and the likelihood that the proposed project will result in the benefits expected.

https://www.ecfr.gov/%20cgi-bin/%20text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/%20cgi-bin/%20text-idx?node=se2.1.200_1205&rgn=div8

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date Award notices to successful applicants will be sent out prior to the project start date.

The anticipated project period start date for this announcement is: 09/01/2026

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices Successful applicants will receive an electronic Notice of Award. The Notice of Award is the authorizing document from the U.S. Administration for Community Living authorizing official, Office of Grants Management. Acceptance of this award is signified by the drawdown of funds from the Payment Management System. Unsuccessful applicants are generally notified within 30 days of the final funding decision and will receive a disapproval letter via e-mail. Unless indicated otherwise in this announcement, unsuccessful applications will not be retained by the agency and will be destroyed.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements The award is subject to HHS Administrative Requirements, which can be found in 45 CFR Part 75 and the Standard Terms and Conditions, included in the Notice of Award as well as implemented through the HHS Grants Policy Statement.

If you receive an award, you must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. You agree to this when you register in SAM.gov. You must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS- 690). To learn more, see the HHS Office for Civil Rights website.

A standard term and condition of award will be included in the final notice of award; all applicants will be subject to a term and condition that applies the terms of 48 CFR section 3.908 to the award and requires the grantees inform their employee in writing of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712 in the predominant native language of the workforce.

Applicants may follow their own procurement policies and procedures when contracting with Project Funds, but You must comply with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.326.

Additionally, when using Project Funds to procure supplies and/or equipment, applicants are encouraged to purchase American-manufactured goods to the maximum extent practicable.

American-manufactured goods are those products for which the cost of their component parts that were mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States exceeds 50 percent of the total cost of all their components. For further guidance regarding what constitutes an American manufactured good (also known as a domestic end product), see 48 C.F.R. Part 25.

As of October 1, 2024, 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards updated to a new version. The eCFR is currently updating its site with the newly adopted content. Until that time, the links below to 2 CFR 200 will not include the changes. If you need to see specific changes while they complete that work, see 78 FR 78608.

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/form-hhs690.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/form-hhs690.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/index.html https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/12/26/2013-30465/uniform-administrative-requirements-cost-principles-and-audit-requirements-for-federal-awards

Also as of October 1, 2024, HHS adopted several provisions in the new 2 CFR 200 that affect your application. These new provisions supersede those previously used in 45 CFR 75. The changes include:

Indirect costs

De minimis rate

If you use the de minimis rate to calculate indirect costs:

• When you calculate this rate, you will now use 15% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) rather than 10%. See 2 CFR 200.414(f).

• Additionally, when you calculate MTDC, you can now use up to $50,000 of subawards and subcontracts rather than $25,000. See 2 CFR 200.1.

Training awards

If your application is for a training award, your indirect cost rate remains capped at 8% of MTDC. However, when calculating MTDC , you can now use up to $50,000 of subawards and subcontracts rather than $25,000. See 2 CFR 200.1.

Budget

When planning your budget, HHS now uses the definitions for equipment and supplies in 2 CFR

200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.

All changes

HHS adopted all the following superseding provisions on October 1, 2024:

• 2 CFR 200.1, Definitions, Modified Total Direct Cost.

• 2 CFR 200.1, Definitions, Equipment.

• 2 CFR 200.1, Definitions, Supplies.

• 2 CFR 200.313(e), Equipment, Disposition.

• 2 CFR 200.314(a), Supplies.

• 2 CFR 200.320, Methods of procurement to be followed.

• 2 CFR 200.333, Fixed amount subawards.

• 2 CFR 200.344, Closeout.

• 2 CFR 200.414(f), Indirect (F&A) costs.

• 2 CFR 200.501, Audit requirements.

3. Reporting Reporting

If you are successful, you will have to submit financial and performance reports. To learn more about reporting, see Managing a Grant, funding requirements on our website.

Financial and performance reports https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supplies) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost%20(MTDC)) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Equipment) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.1(Supplies) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.313(e) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.314(a) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.320 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.333 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR682eb6fbfabcde2/section-200.344 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#p-200.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F/subject-group-ECFRfd0932e473d10ba/section-200.501 https://acl.gov/grants/managing-grant#FederalFundingRequirements

The terms and conditions in the Notice of Award will have information on performance and financial reports including:

• How often you will report

• Any required form or formatting

• How to submit them

Complying with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) Public Access Plan

If you receive a grant under this opportunity, you must comply with ACL's Public Access Plan requirements for making your data and your publications accessible to the public.

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting The Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires data entry at the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (http://www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and sub-contracts issued for $30,000 or more as well as addressing executive compensation for both grantee and sub-award organizations.

For further guidance please follow this link to access ACL’s Terms and Conditions:

https://www.acl.gov/grants/managing-grant#

VII. Agency Contacts

Project Officer First Name:

Shelley Last Name:

Reeves Phone:

(202) 795-7427 Office:

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Grants Management Specialist First Name:

Rasheed Last Name:

Williams Phone:

(xxx)-xxx-xxxx Office:

Office of Grants Management: Rasheed.Williams@acl.hhs.gov

VIII. Other Information Application Elements https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/about-acl/2024-12/ACL-Public-Acccess-Policy-2024-Section-508-Compliant.pdf https://sam.gov/fsrs https://www.acl.gov/grants/managing-grant

• SF 424, required – Application for Federal Assistance (See “Instructions for Completing Required Forms” for assistance).

• SF 424A, required – Budget Information. (See Appendix for instructions).

• Separate Budget Narrative/Justification, required (See “Budget Narrative/Justification -

Sample Format” for examples and “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Template.”) NOTE: Applicants requesting funding…