Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Disability Policy Research | HHS 2025 ACL NIDILRR ARPO 0103

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2025 ACL NIDILRR ARPO 0103

The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Disability Policy Research is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), specifically the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The central aim of this program is to strengthen the national pipeline of rehabilitation and disability policy researchers by funding projects that provide advanced research training and hands-on research experience. Rather than focusing on direct service delivery, the program is designed to build research capacity by preparing highly trained investigators who can produce rigorous, practical policy research that helps improve the real-world experiences and outcomes of people with disabilities.

At its core, the ARRT program targets individuals who already hold doctoral degrees or comparable advanced degrees and who also bring clinical or other relevant professional experience. The training emphasis is “advanced,” meaning it is intended to move participants beyond basic research skills into higher-level competencies such as developing fundable research agendas, conducting sophisticated analyses, translating findings for policy and practice audiences, and designing studies that can influence systems and programs. A specific priority of NIDILRR within ARRT is to train rehabilitation researchers, including researchers with disabilities, and to encourage work that directly supports the implementation and objectives of the Rehabilitation Act. In practical terms, this means projects funded under this opportunity should be organized around policy research topics that can inform how disability-related programs are designed, financed, administered, evaluated, and improved, especially where those programs are connected to or authorized under the Rehabilitation Act.

The required focus for this particular competition is disability policy research. Funded projects must deliver advanced research training that measurably increases participants’ ability to conduct high-quality policy research, with the explicit goal of improving outcomes for people with disabilities. This typically implies a structured training environment that could include mentorship by experienced investigators, guided participation in active policy research studies, exposure to policy-relevant data sources and methods, and professional development that supports publication, dissemination, and future grant competitiveness. The expectation is that trainees emerge better equipped to produce credible evidence that can be used by decision-makers and stakeholders to improve disability policy and the effectiveness of rehabilitation-related services.

In terms of basic grant mechanics, this opportunity is listed as HHS 2025 ACL NIDILRR ARPO 0103 (CFDA/Assistance Listing 93.433) and is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $250,000, and the agency anticipates making one award. The project period is 60 months total, structured as five consecutive 12-month budget periods, which signals a long-term training investment where progress and performance can be assessed annually while supporting a multi-year training cohort model.

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education within the eligible categories: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Foreign entities are explicitly not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement. The original application closing date listed is December 2, 2024, and the opportunity record indicates a creation date of October 2, 2024. Overall, this competition is best understood as a targeted federal investment in building advanced disability policy research expertise, aligned with the Rehabilitation Act and focused on generating evidence that improves systems, services, and outcomes for people with disabilities.

• The Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Disability Policy Research" 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 2024-10-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-12-02. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for HHS 2025 ACL NIDILRR ARPO 0103

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