The Administration for Community Living (ACL) through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) is inviting applications for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment Policy. This funding opportunity, designated as HHS-2025-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0125, aims to support research, training, and dissemination efforts that will improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities by evaluating the impacts of federal, state, and local employment policies. The grant will fund a single award with an estimated total of $925,000 for the fiscal year 2025. The project will run for a 60-month period with five 12-month budget periods.

The RRTC on Employment Policy will conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of existing and emerging policies on employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The center will focus on policies related to telework, artificial intelligence in employment, flexible work arrangements, assistive technologies, and public sector hiring initiatives. The research must include a comprehensive review of relevant literature, formulation of policy recommendations, and collaboration with stakeholders such as policymakers, employers, and disability advocacy groups.

Eligible applicants for this grant include states, public or private agencies, for-profit organizations, public or private institutions of higher education, and Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Foreign entities are not eligible. Cost sharing or matching is not required, but applicants may voluntarily propose non-federal contributions. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov, and applicants must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

The application process requires a Letter of Intent, due by January 24, 2025, and full applications must be submitted by April 25, 2025. An informational conference call will be held on January 15, 2025 for potential applicants. Proposals must include a detailed project narrative, work plan, budget justification, data management plan, and letters of commitment from key partners. Applications that do not meet the deadline or exceed the funding limits will not be considered.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the significance of the problem addressed, the design and rigor of the research, effectiveness of training and dissemination activities, qualifications of the project staff, and accessibility of resources. The maximum score for evaluation is 100 points. The expected announcement and award date is September 1, 2025.

For further information, applicants may contact Dawn Carlson at Dawn.Carlson@acl.hhs.gov or (202) 795-7323. Grants management inquiries can be directed to Carolyn Anderson at (202) 240-3134. 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
reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review.