The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Communication Technologies is a funding opportunity provided by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) under the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This grant is aimed at advancing engineering research and developing innovative communication technologies that facilitate effective communication for individuals with disabilities who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood. The program seeks to promote improved health, function, employment, and community living outcomes for these individuals.

The RERC program funds research, development, and evaluation activities to enhance understanding and usability of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies. The funded center will work on developing, testing, and transferring technologies to enhance communication access across different settings, including community, home, education, employment, and healthcare. The grantee must conduct at least one research project at the intervention efficacy or scale-up evaluation stage and at least one development project at the proof of product or proof of adoption stage.

The grant provides an estimated total funding of $975,000 per budget period, with an award ceiling of $975,000 and an award floor of $970,000 per 12-month budget period. The project period spans 60 months (five 12-month budget periods). The grant does not require cost-sharing or matching, but voluntary contributions of non-federal resources may be proposed.

Eligible applicants include state and public agencies, private for-profit and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations. Foreign entities are not eligible. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by ensuring that research samples include participants from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. The application process requires submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) by February 11, 2025, with full applications due by April 4, 2025. An informational conference call for potential applicants is scheduled for January 29, 2025.

Evaluation criteria include the importance of the problem, design of research and development activities, training and dissemination methods, project staff qualifications, adequacy of resources, and potential impact of the proposed project. The anticipated project start date is September 1, 2025. For questions regarding the program, applicants can contact Maureen Linden at Maureen.Linden@acl.hhs.gov or call 202-207-9776. Grant management inquiries should be directed to Carolyn Anderson at (202) 240-3134.