Field Initiated Projects Program (Development) | HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0007

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0007

The Field Initiated Projects Program (Development) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through NIDILRR (the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). The program is designed to strengthen disability and rehabilitation outcomes by supporting projects that either build new knowledge or, in this specific announcement, focus on development work that turns existing research knowledge into practical products and approaches. The overall aim is to maximize full inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in everyday community life, including employment, independent living, family support, and broader economic and self-sufficiency, with particular emphasis on people who have the highest support needs.

This announcement specifically covers development proposals rather than research proposals. For a development award under this program, applicants are expected to use what is already known from research and translate it into something usable and beneficial for the target population. That can include creating or refining materials, devices, systems, methods, measurement tools, techniques, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols. In other words, the work should move beyond generating findings and instead produce tangible outputs that can be tested, applied, and ultimately adopted in real-world rehabilitation and community settings. NIDILRR indicated that research proposals would be solicited under a separate announcement, so applicants needed to make sure their projects fit the development scope for this funding opportunity.

The funding instrument is a grant within the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 93.433). A wide range of organizations are eligible to apply, including state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. This broad eligibility reflects the program goal of encouraging innovative, field-driven development efforts from many types of entities that can create practical rehabilitation solutions.

For the FY 2022 cycle described in the notice, the project period is 36 months, structured as three separate 12-month budget periods. The posted award ceiling is $200,000. The opportunity was created on November 16, 2021, with an application deadline of January 11, 2022, and electronic submissions were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. The notice also explains that NIDILRR intended to make a total of 15 Field Initiated Projects awards in FY 2022 across both research and development projects, and that final selections would depend on how research and development applications ranked together after peer review. In the source data for this specific development opportunity, the expected number of awards is listed as 7, signaling that a subset of the overall planned awards would likely be made under the development track, depending on review results and available funding.

At its core, this grant opportunity supports development work that is grounded in evidence and built to be used. Competitive projects would be expected to show a clear connection between prior research and the proposed development activities, define the disability population and real-life context the product or method is meant to serve, and describe deliverables that advance participation, independence, and inclusion outcomes in practical, measurable ways.

• 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 "Field Initiated Projects Program (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 Nov 16, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 11, 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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 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.

Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0007

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: