Deadline: 18 April 2025
You can now submit applications for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers Program.
The purpose of the RERC program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies that are designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or to remove environmental barriers.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 975,000
- Award Ceiling: $975,000
- Award Floor: $970,000
Outcomes
- An RERC established under the proposed priority in this notice must be designed to contribute to the following outcomes:
- Increased technical and scientific knowledge relevant to its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by conducting high-quality, rigorous research projects. The RERC must use appropriate engineering knowledge and techniques to collect, analyze, and/or synthesize research data.
- Increased innovation in technologies, products, environments, performance guidelines, or monitoring and assessment tools applicable to its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome through the development and testing of these innovations. The RERC must apply appropriate engineering knowledge and techniques to achieve development objectives.
- Improved research capacity in its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by collaborating with the relevant industry, professional associations, and institutions of higher education, health care providers, or educators, as appropriate, to train research and development professionals in its designated priority research area.
- Improved awareness and understanding of cutting-edge developments in technologies within its designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by communicating with NIDILRR, people with disabilities and their representatives, disability organizations, service providers, professional journals, manufacturers, State Assistive Technology Act Programs, and other interested parties about trends and evolving product concepts related to its designated priority research area.
- Increased impact of research and development in the designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by providing technical assistance to relevant public and private organizations, people with disabilities, employers, and schools on policies, guidelines, and standards related to its designated priority research area.
- Increased transfer of RERC-developed technologies to the marketplace. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by developing and implementing a plan for ensuring that all technologies developed by the RERC are made available to the public. The technology transfer plan must be developed in the first year of the project period in consultation with the NIDILRR-funded Initiative to Mobilize Partnerships For Successful Assistive Technology Transfer (IMPACT) Center.
- Improved usability and accessibility of products and environments in the RERC’s designated priority research area. The RERC must contribute to this outcome by emphasizing the principles and goals of universal design in its product research and development.
Eligibility Criteria
- States; public or private agencies, including for-profit agencies; public or private organizations, including for-profit organizations; IHEs; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
