Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (Development) | HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0053

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0053

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (Development) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). It sits within CFDA 93.433 and is part of the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program. The overall mission of this program is to support research and related activities that lead to practical advances in disability and rehabilitation, with a strong emphasis on helping people with disabilities, especially those with the most severe disabilities, achieve fuller inclusion in society. That includes better outcomes in employment, independent living, family support, and long-term economic and social self-sufficiency, as well as improvements in the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended).

This specific competition focuses on the employment domain and requires applicants to propose a development project aimed at improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. In NIDILRR terms, a "development" project is not just a general study or a planning effort; it is meant to translate existing research knowledge into something usable and beneficial for the target population. The expectation is that grantees will take what is already known from research and turn it into tangible, applied products or approaches. Examples of the kinds of outputs emphasized in the notice include materials, devices, systems, methods, measures, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols. The common thread is real-world utility: the deliverable should be something that can be tested, refined, and ultimately used by service systems, employers, practitioners, or individuals with disabilities to improve employment-related results.

The opportunity is described as "field-initiated," meaning applicants are not being asked to carry out a tightly scripted federal project; instead, they can propose their own ideas as long as the work clearly fits within the employment-focused development priority and aligns with NIDILRR's broader goals. While this particular posting is framed around development, NIDILRR also signals flexibility in what ultimately gets funded across the employment portfolio, noting that awards in the employment domain may include research projects, development projects, or a combination, depending on how applications score in peer review. In other words, the agency is positioning itself to support the strongest proposals that advance employment outcomes, even if the mix of funded projects ends up varying based on application rankings.

In terms of who can apply, eligibility is broad and spans many sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education where specified); and for-profit organizations that are not small businesses. The listing also includes an "Others" category, with the expectation that applicants consult the additional eligibility language in the full announcement for any clarifications or special conditions. This wide eligibility reflects the reality that employment-related innovation for people with disabilities can originate from universities, nonprofits, vocational rehabilitation partners, technology developers, and community-based organizations alike.

Key administrative details in the posted source include the funding opportunity number HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0053, a creation date of January 26, 2021, and an original closing date of March 29, 2021. The listed award ceiling is $500,000. The posting also references NIDILRR's intention to make two field-initiated DRRP awards in the employment domain, though the source data also lists "ExpectedAwards: 1," which may reflect how the opportunity was encoded in the database rather than the narrative intent. Practically, the takeaway is that the agency anticipated a small number of competitive awards and that proposal quality and peer review ranking would strongly influence which projects, and what mix of project types, would be supported.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as support for applied, employment-focused disability and rehabilitation innovation: taking established research insights and turning them into concrete tools, protocols, or systems that can improve the employment experiences and outcomes of individuals with disabilities, particularly those facing the greatest barriers.

• 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 "Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (Development)" 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 Jan 26, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 29, 2021. (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 $500,000.00 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, Independent school districts, 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2021 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0053

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