Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Community Living and Participation (Research)

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects Program Community Living and Participation Research opportunity is offered by the Administration for Community Living within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. This program is authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and is designed to support research that advances outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The agency’s broader mission focuses on enabling individuals with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in their communities, and this funding opportunity aligns with strategic priorities such as caregiving, economic security, and whole person health. The purpose of this grant is to fund research projects that generate new knowledge aimed at improving community living and participation outcomes among people with disabilities. Applicants must propose rigorous research that investigates defined hypotheses or research questions and contributes to scientific understanding. Priority areas include topics such as assistive technology, artificial intelligence applications, caregiver supports, economic tools like ABLE accounts, interventions for youth involved in the justice system, and strategies to prevent abuse or improve outcomes for individuals with complex needs. Projects must also include dissemination and knowledge translation components to ensure findings are usable by stakeholders. Funding is structured as a federal grant with an expected total program funding of one million dollars and two anticipated awards. Each award is funded for a three year project period consisting of three twelve month budget periods. Applicants may request up to five hundred thousand dollars per year, with a maximum project duration of thirty six months. Funds must be used for research activities consistent with federal regulations and cannot be used for construction, major renovation, or activities that conflict with federal policy restrictions. There is no cost sharing requirement, although voluntary cost sharing commitments must be honored if included. Eligibility is broad and includes state governments, public and private agencies, institutions of higher education, tribal entities, and for profit organizations. Individuals and foreign entities are not eligible to apply. Applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to submission and must comply with all federal administrative and reporting requirements. Applications must include a comprehensive project narrative, budget justification, data management plan, and supporting documentation such as biosketches and commitment letters. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov by the deadline of August 5 2026 at 11 59 PM Eastern Time. An optional notice of intent is requested by July 22 2026, and an informational call is scheduled for July 17 2026. Applications are evaluated through a two stage review process that includes an initial compliance review followed by a merit review scored on criteria such as research design, alignment with agency priorities, and capacity of project staff. Awards are expected to be announced by September 30 2026 with the project period beginning on the same date. Funded projects must comply with post award requirements including performance and financial reporting, adherence to federal regulations, and accessibility standards. Recipients must also ensure that all outputs are accessible and that data is shared according to the program’s public access policy. This opportunity does not explicitly state recurrence, indicating it is a discrete funding cycle dependent on federal appropriations.

Focus on strong research design alignment with ACL priorities and stakeholder inclusion ensure accessibility compliance and detailed methodology