Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC): Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision | HHS 2020 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0388

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2020 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0388

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC): Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision grant opportunity is a discretionary federal research and development award offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). It sits within the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program and is aimed at strengthening services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by building practical evidence through structured research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination. In plain terms, the federal government is looking to fund a single center that can generate credible, usable knowledge that improves how employment supports are designed and delivered for people who are blind or have low vision.

The central purpose of this specific RRTC is to study and validate the effectiveness of programs, services, and interventions intended to improve employment outcomes for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The expectation is not just academic research for its own sake, but work that produces actionable findings and tools that can be adopted by vocational rehabilitation systems, service providers, employers, and policymakers. Alongside research, the center is expected to provide training and technical assistance to build capacity in the field, and to disseminate results in ways that reach multiple audiences, including people with disabilities and their families, rehabilitation professionals, and decision-makers responsible for policy and funding.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this opportunity was published under Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2020-ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0388 and is associated with CFDA 93.433. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The competition anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $875,000. The original closing date listed was June 1, 2020, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date, which signals a standard federal grants process with strict cutoff timing for applications submitted through the designated electronic system.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that are capable of running a national-level research and training center. 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 tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education, when specified); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The listing also includes an “Other” category that refers applicants to additional eligibility guidance in the full announcement, which is common when an agency wants to allow certain additional entities or partnerships while still requiring applicants to confirm eligibility against the official notice.

Overall, the opportunity is structured to create a focused, well-supported center that combines rigorous evaluation of employment-related interventions with real-world training and technical assistance, and then actively shares what works. The intended impact is improved employment outcomes for people who are blind or have low vision, achieved by strengthening the evidence base behind rehabilitation and employment services and making that evidence accessible to the stakeholders who can put it into practice.

• 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 "Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC): Employment of People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision" 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 Apr 01, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2020 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 $875,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2020 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0388

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