Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Universal Access to Information and Communication Technology | HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR REGE 0097

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR REGE 0097

This funding opportunity is a discretionary federal research grant from 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 supports the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program, specifically an RERC focused on Universal Access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The core aim of the broader RERC program is to strengthen the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by funding advanced engineering research and development that tackles real-world rehabilitation challenges and removes environmental barriers that limit participation for people with disabilities.

The RERC model is not limited to producing research papers or prototypes. It is designed to move technology from concept to practical impact. That includes developing and refining innovative technologies; demonstrating and evaluating how well those technologies work in real settings; helping drive changes in service delivery systems so that new solutions can actually be implemented; encouraging private-sector production and distribution so innovations can scale beyond the grant; and offering training opportunities to build the workforce and knowledge base needed for continued progress in rehabilitation engineering and accessibility.

This particular RERC competition targets universal access to ICT, meaning the technologies people rely on to communicate, work, learn, and access services, such as computers, mobile devices, operating systems, software applications, websites, digital documents, telecommunications tools, and emerging platforms. The funded center is expected to conduct research, development, and related activities across three main objectives. First, it should help ensure that accessibility standards for ICT used by people with disabilities are met or exceeded. In practice, this points to work that improves compliance, testing, measurement, and real-world implementation of accessibility requirements, while also pushing beyond minimum standards to improve usability and inclusive design outcomes.

Second, the center should promote the availability and usability of individualized ICT configurations for people with disabilities across devices and contexts. This emphasizes practical personalization and interoperability: making it easier for users to carry their accessibility preferences and assistive configurations from one device to another, across different operating systems, applications, and environments (home, school, workplace, community settings). It also suggests attention to usability, setup burden, support needs, and the everyday reality that people often use multiple devices and platforms that do not automatically work well together from an accessibility standpoint.

Third, the RERC should identify barriers to and facilitators of sustainable adoption of innovations that provide universal access to ICT. This moves beyond technical performance into long-term uptake and impact. It includes examining why promising accessibility solutions do or do not get adopted at scale, such as cost, procurement practices, institutional policies, training and support gaps, compatibility issues, market incentives, privacy and security constraints, and the practical needs of end users, employers, educators, service providers, and vendors. The emphasis on sustainability signals that NIDILRR is looking for approaches that can persist after the grant period through viable deployment pathways, industry engagement, and systems change.

NIDILRR anticipated making one award under this opportunity in FY 2023, making it a single-center competition. The project period is 60 months (five years), structured as five 12-month budget periods. The award ceiling is $925,000, and applications were due June 2, 2023, with electronic submissions required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities as clarified in the full announcement. The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development, funded as a grant instrument, and is listed under CFDA number 93.433.

• 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 Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Universal Access to Information and Communication Technology" 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 03, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 02, 2023 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 $925,000.00 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, 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, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR REGE 0097

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