Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects Program: Americans with Disabilities Act National Network is administered by the Administration for Community Living through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. This federal funding opportunity supports a coordinated national network of regional centers focused on advancing the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the early 1990s, this network has played a central role in providing training, technical assistance, and research to ensure that individuals and entities understand and uphold ADA rights and responsibilities. The primary purpose of this program is to fund ten regional ADA Centers, each aligned with one of the ten U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions. These centers collectively form the ADA National Network, working in collaboration with a Knowledge Translation Center and other partners. The program emphasizes improving awareness of ADA requirements, identifying barriers to compliance, and developing innovative strategies to address evolving accessibility challenges, particularly those arising from technological advancements and changing societal conditions. Funding supports a broad range of activities including research, technical assistance, training, outreach, and dissemination of information. Each regional center must allocate at least fifteen percent of its budget to research activities and contribute to national collaboration efforts. Allowable activities include conducting ADA-related research, providing accessible training and technical assistance, maintaining compliance with accessibility standards for digital tools, and contributing to national products and reports. Certain costs are restricted, such as construction or major rehabilitation, and there are limitations on specific equipment and policy-related expenditures. Eligible applicants include a wide range of domestic entities such as state governments, public and private organizations, institutions of higher education, tribal organizations, and for-profit entities. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible. There is no cost-sharing requirement for this program, though applicants may voluntarily include cost-sharing funds. Applicants must propose projects that align with program priorities, stay within regional funding ceilings, and adhere to a maximum project period of 36 months. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes several components such as a project abstract, detailed project narrative, budget justification, data management plan, and supporting attachments. Applicants must ensure active registrations with SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission. An optional notice of intent may be submitted ahead of the full application. The application narrative is a critical component and is evaluated based on criteria such as responsiveness to program priorities, design of training and research activities, collaboration, and resource adequacy. Applications are reviewed in a two-stage process consisting of an initial compliance review followed by a merit-based evaluation conducted by a panel. Scoring is based on a 100-point system across multiple criteria, including technical design, alignment with strategic priorities, and project feasibility. Final funding decisions also consider geographic distribution, past performance, and availability of funds. Awards are expected to begin on September 1, 2026, with a three-year project period. The application deadline is July 23, 2026, with an optional notice of intent due July 14, 2026. An informational conference call is scheduled for July 2, 2026. Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award detailing funding amounts, terms, and conditions. The program is expected to make approximately ten awards, each tied to a specific region, with ongoing reporting and compliance requirements throughout the grant period.

Ensure strong alignment with ADA priorities; emphasize collaboration and research design; clearly demonstrate capacity and accessibility compliance