Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Research on Opioid Use Disorder Among People with Disabilities | HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPGE 0302

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPGE 0302

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Research on Opioid Use Disorder Among People with Disabilities is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), specifically the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The purpose of this competition is to expand and strengthen the evidence base on opioid use disorder (OUD) as it affects people with disabilities, with an emphasis on generating practical research findings that can inform clinical practice, service delivery, and public policy in rehabilitation and disability-serving systems.

NIDILRR planned to make two awards under this opportunity. Each award supports a three-year Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project, with funding up to an award ceiling of $500,000 per project. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is classified as science and technology and other research and development under CFDA 93.433. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date listed for the competition (originally July 23, 2018), reflecting standard federal submission rules and deadlines.

The research scope is focused on opioid use disorder among people with disabilities, and the opportunity lays out several topic areas that applicants could address. One major priority is building a clearer picture of what is already known through a systematic review of the existing literature, which can identify evidence gaps, methodological weaknesses, and areas where findings are consistent or conflicting. Another key focus is estimating prevalence and describing patterns of OUD treatment among people with disabilities, including how often OUD occurs in disability populations, what treatment modalities are being used, and how treatment utilization differs across disability types, demographic groups, or service settings. The competition also highlights the need to identify factors associated with increased risk for OUD, such as clinical, social, environmental, or systems-level contributors that may make certain disability groups more vulnerable.

Alongside risk, the opportunity emphasizes research on access: specifically, factors associated with improved access to OUD treatment for people with disabilities. This can include practical barriers and facilitators such as transportation, physical accessibility of clinics, availability of accommodations, provider knowledge, insurance coverage, care coordination, stigma, communication needs, and the intersection of disability supports with behavioral health systems. NIDILRR also calls for studies on interventions that contribute to improved outcomes, which can include evaluating programs, clinical approaches, service models, or rehabilitation-focused supports that improve treatment engagement, retention, recovery outcomes, quality of life, or community participation for people with disabilities who have OUD. Finally, applicants are encouraged to study the effects of government policies and programs on access to treatment, recognizing that federal, state, and local rules and funding structures can shape whether disability populations can obtain timely, effective, and appropriate OUD services.

Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes many types of organizations that can conduct or support applied research. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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 (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and additional eligible entities as clarified in the funding notice. This wide eligibility pool is intended to encourage participation from universities, research centers, health systems, disability service providers, governmental entities, and community-based organizations that have relevant expertise and access to the populations of interest.

Overall, the opportunity is structured to fund a small number of substantial, multi-year research projects that can produce actionable knowledge about OUD in disability communities, spanning evidence synthesis, epidemiology, risk and protective factors, access and service delivery, intervention effectiveness, and the real-world influence of policy on treatment availability and outcomes.

• 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 "Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Research on Opioid Use Disorder Among People with Disabilities" 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 May 24, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 23, 2018 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 $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 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 2018 ACL NIDILRR DPGE 0302

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: