FIELD INITIATED PROJECTS PROGRAM (DEVELOPMENT) | HHS 2017 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0191

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2017 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0191

The Field Initiated Projects Program (Development) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), through NIDILRR, that focuses on disability-related development work grounded in research. The program is designed to strengthen community inclusion and practical outcomes for people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on individuals with the most severe disabilities. At its core, the opportunity supports projects that either generate new knowledge through research or translate existing research knowledge into concrete, usable products and approaches that improve participation in everyday life, work, and community settings.

The central purpose is to maximize full inclusion and integration into society by improving areas such as employment, independent living, family support, and overall economic and social self-sufficiency. In addition, the program explicitly aims to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. That framing matters because it ties the work not only to innovation, but also to service systems and real-world rehabilitation outcomes, encouraging projects that can meaningfully influence practice, tools, and service delivery.

Because this is the Development track of the Field Initiated (FI) Projects program, funded activities are expected to go beyond basic exploration and move toward creating or refining practical outputs. A successful development project is expected to use knowledge and understanding gained from prior research to build tangible deliverables, such as materials, devices, systems, methods, measures, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols. In other words, applicants are not simply asked to study a problem; they are asked to develop something that can be used, tested, implemented, or adopted to benefit the target population. The deliverables may be technological (for example, rehabilitation technology tools or prototypes), methodological (such as validated measures or structured techniques), or practice-oriented (such as intervention protocols or service processes), as long as they are demonstrably beneficial and informed by research.

The funding opportunity number is HHS-2017-ACL-NIDILRR-IFDV-0191, and it falls under CFDA 93.433, categorized in the area of Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The award ceiling is $200,000 per award, and the agency anticipated making approximately 8 awards under this announcement. The opportunity was created on November 10, 2016, with an original application closing date of February 8, 2017. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of public and private entities, reflecting the program's intent to draw solutions from universities, governments, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). The listing also notes that additional entities may be eligible under an "Others" category depending on clarifying guidance in the full announcement.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a mechanism to push disability and rehabilitation innovations closer to real-world use. It is aimed at supporting development work that takes research-informed ideas and turns them into practical, testable tools or protocols that can improve participation, independence, and service effectiveness for people with disabilities, especially those with the most significant support needs.

• 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 10, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 08, 2017 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 8 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2017 ACL NIDILRR IFDV 0191

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