Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Employment Among People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing | HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0223

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0223

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Employment Among People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under CFDA 93.433, focused on science and technology and other research and development. It is issued under funding opportunity number HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0223 and supports applied research designed to improve employment-related outcomes for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The core expectation is that applicants propose a research project that directly targets positive employment outcomes, which can include generating evidence about what works, testing strategies or interventions, identifying barriers and facilitators in workplaces or service systems, or producing practical knowledge that can be used by vocational rehabilitation programs, employers, service providers, and the deaf and hard of hearing community.

The project period is 36 months total, structured as three consecutive 12-month budget periods. This setup typically means awardees will plan a three-year research agenda with annual budgeting and performance reporting tied to each year of work. The opportunity is intended to fund a single award, with an anticipated award ceiling of $700,000. With only one expected award, the competition is likely to be selective, and proposals generally need to show a clear research plan, strong methodological rigor, and a credible pathway to real-world impact on employment outcomes.

Eligibility is broad across public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors within the United States and U.S. territories as allowed by the program rules. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; 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 as specified); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement explicitly notes that faith-based and community organizations may apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for or receive awards under this announcement, so applicants must be domestic organizations.

Key administrative details include an original application closing date of 2026-08-05 and an opportunity creation date of 2026-07-06. The award mechanism is a grant, and the opportunity falls under the DRRP program area, which is commonly associated with generating disability and rehabilitation research that can be translated into practice or policy. Overall, this funding opportunity is aimed at building stronger evidence on how to increase access to quality jobs, improve job retention and advancement, and reduce employment disparities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, with results intended to inform programs and stakeholders working on employment and rehabilitation outcomes.

• The 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: Employment Among People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing" 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 2026-07-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-08-05. (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 $700,000.00 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.

Apply for HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPEM 0223

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