Field Initiated Projects Program (Research) – United States

The purpose of the Field Initiated Projects program is to generate new knowledge through research or to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies — to maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family/caregiver support, and economic and self sufficiency of people with disabilities, especially people with the greatest support needs. In carrying out a research activity under a Field Initiated Projects research grant, a grantee must identify one or more hypotheses or research questions and, based on the hypotheses or research questions identified, perform an intensive, systematic study directed toward producing (1) new scientific knowledge, or (2) better understanding of the subject, problem studied, or body of knowledge.

Invitational Priority

• Research or development projects that address the needs, experiences, or outcomes of people with disabilities from underserved communities. People with disabilities from underserved communities and support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, including: people with disabilities who are racial and ethnic minorities; people with disabilities who are members of religious minorities; people with disabilities who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer; people with disabilities who live in rural areas; or people with disabilities otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
• Research or development projects to explore or address the relationship between climate change and the needs, experiences, and outcomes of people with disabilities.
• Research or development projects related to oral health among people with disabilities.
• Research or development projects that focus on making airline travel accessible for people with disabilities.
• Research or development projects that focus on improving the extent to which emergency and disaster preparedness plans and systems are accessible to, and responsive to the needs of, people with disabilities.
• Research or development projects that focus on improving the experience and outcomes of people with disabilities as they interact with one or more components of the criminal justice system (e.g., police, courts, jails and prisons).
• Research or development projects that focus on services, supports, or interventions for people with disabilities who experience Long COVID.

Research Stages

FI Projects research applicants must define the stage or stages of research that they propose to conduct. Any rigorous quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research can be appropriate, depending on the hypothesis or research question being addressed by the applicant. NIDILRR does not have an absolute preference for one methodological approach or research stage. If the FI Projects grant is to conduct research that can be categorized under more than one stage including research that progresses from one stage to another, those stages must be clearly specified. These stages: exploration and discovery, intervention development, intervention efficacy, and scale-up evaluation, are defined in this funding opportunity announcement.

• Exploration and discovery means the stage of research that generates hypotheses or theories through new and refined analyses of data, producing observational findings and creating other sources of research-based information.
• Intervention development means the stage of research that focuses on generating and testing interventions that have the potential to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Intervention development involves determining the active components of possible interventions, developing measures that would be required to illustrate outcomes, specifying target populations, conducting field tests, and assessing the feasibility of conducting a well-designed intervention study.
• Intervention efficacy means the stage of research during which a project evaluates and tests whether an intervention is feasible, practical, and has the potential to yield positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
• Scale-up evaluation means the stage of research during which a project analyzes whether an intervention is effective in producing improved outcomes for individuals with disabilities when implemented in a real-world setting.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Funding: $1,600,000
• Expected Number of Awards: 8
• Award Ceiling: $200,000 Per Budget Period
• Award Floor: $195,000 Per Budget Period
• Length of Project Period: 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

Eligibility Criteria

• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• County governments
• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• City or township governments
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• State governments
• Small businesses
• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Special district governments
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• States; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies; public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
• Note: Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.