Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC): Equity Center in the Employment Domain | HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0028

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0028

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC): Equity Center in the Employment Domain opportunity is a federal cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). It funds the creation of a single national RRTC focused on understanding and reducing inequities in employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The work is grounded in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and is meant to strengthen the real-world effectiveness of disability and rehabilitation services through a coordinated mix of research, training, technical assistance, and broad dissemination.

At the center of this grant is an explicit equity mission. The funded RRTC is expected to generate new knowledge about where and why employment disparities exist within the disability community, with special attention to people in underserved communities as described in the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. In practice, that means the Center must carefully examine differences in employment outcomes among people with disabilities when looking across subpopulations defined by race, ethnicity, LGBTQ status, and poverty status. The intent is not only to document disparities, but to produce detailed, credible information that helps explain them and points to practical solutions.

A key expectation is that the Center will translate research into action. Findings are meant to support the development and implementation of evidence-based policies, practices, or interventions that can measurably improve equity in employment outcomes across the diverse and heterogeneous population of people with disabilities. In addition to producing research outputs, the RRTC must function as a national resource center in this topic area, meaning it should be positioned to share knowledge broadly, support stakeholders, and help the field use the evidence effectively. The opportunity also emphasizes capacity-building for culturally competent research, requiring the Center to be a resource not just for employment-focused rehabilitation research, but specifically for research approaches that are culturally responsive and appropriate for diverse disability communities.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity with a cooperative agreement structure, which generally implies substantial federal involvement and collaboration during the project. The opportunity number is HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0028, listed under CFDA 93.433, and categorized within Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The project period is 60 months, divided into five 12-month budget periods, supporting a longer-term, multi-year research and knowledge-translation agenda. The award ceiling is $933,333, and the program anticipated making one award, meaning a single applicant organization (or consortium led by an eligible applicant) would be selected to operate the national Center.

Eligibility is broad and includes many entity types that could credibly lead a national research center. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; special district governments; federally recognized tribes and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other applicants as clarified in the full funding notice. The original posting indicates the opportunity was created on April 20, 2022, with an original closing date of June 21, 2022, and applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Overall, the grant is designed to establish a national hub that can rigorously study employment inequities affecting people with disabilities, especially those who are also part of other underserved groups, and then push that evidence into the systems that shape employment outcomes. The government is essentially paying for both the research engine and the translation infrastructure: a Center that can document disparities with precision, identify what drives them, test or support effective solutions, and help the broader workforce, disability, and rehabilitation fields adopt culturally competent, evidence-based strategies that lead to more equitable employment results.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC): Equity Center in the Employment Domain" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.433.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 20, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 21, 2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $933,333.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0028

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