Applications Open for Projects To Improve Strategies to Transition Youth and/or Adults with Disabilities to CIE

April 23, 2024

Applications due Monday, July 8, 2024
View more details and application instructions

ACL is excited to share a new Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) opportunity that was recently announced by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) within the U.S. Department of Education. Each year, RSA announces a notice inviting applications for DIF. This year's DIF will fund innovative model demonstration projects for improving strategies or programs to transition youth and/or adults with disabilities to competitive, integrated employment (CIE).

For the first time, RSA has changed the eligibility requirements, expanding it to include public, private, and nonprofit entities, including tribes and institutions of higher education. This means that ACL's grantees, such as centers for independent living, state independent living councils, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Protection & Advocacy systems, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Partnership programs are eligible to apply directly to RSA for DIF funding.

We are really excited about this opportunity for collaboration and hope you will reach out to your partners in your state or territory to explore applying for this funding.

Here are a few key points about this opportunity:

• Applications are due Monday, July 8, 2024.
  • Letters of intent are due today, April 23, 2024, but not to worry if you didn't submit one - they aren't required, and eligible organizations can still apply for funding.
• RSA estimates making grants awards that range between $8 million and $10 million for a 60-month project period.
• RSA expect to make between 23-29 awards.
• RSA will host a pre-application meeting for this competition on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 1:30 PM ET to respond to questions. You must pre-register to receive connection information.

Read the U.S. Department of Education's blog about this funding opportunity.

Read the full RSA announcement below for more details.

The U.S. Department of Education issued a Notice Inviting Applications for Disability Innovation Fund--Creating a 21st Century Workforce of Youth and Adults with Disabilities Through the Transformation of Education, Career, and Competitive Integrated Employment Model Demonstration Projects

(Assistance Listing Number 84.421F)

Eligible Applicants, including State Educational Agency, State Juvenile Justice agency, State Developmental Disabilities agency, State Department of Health, State Department of Human Services, Designated State unit for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Public, Private, and Nonprofit Entities, including Indian Tribes and Institutions of Higher Education, are invited to compete for grants totaling $236 million.

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education intends to fund multiple innovative model demonstration projects focused on activities aimed at increasing competitive integrated employment (CIE) as defined in section 7 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) (29 U.S.C. 705(5)) for youth and other individuals with disabilities.

The 21st century brings numerous changes that will affect youth and adults with disabilities. As we look to the future, technological innovations can provide new opportunities for individuals with disabilities by improving mobility, communication, learning, daily living activities, education, career training, and CIE. However, it is crucial that these technologies are accessible and affordable, and more importantly, that individuals with disabilities and professionals, including educators, service professionals, and employers, are knowledgeable and use, as appropriate, the options available. In addition, with the advancement of technology across all sectors, education, employment, and communities are constantly changing. Advanced technology can result in knowledge-based jobs and support remote work, providing individuals with disabilities increased CIE opportunities.

Additionally, individuals with disabilities, including justice-involved youth with disabilities, youth and adults with acquired disabilities, disconnected youth with disabilities and disconnected adults with disabilities, may benefit from a range of services, and supports to address their unique needs and challenges to ensure access to CIE. However, there are challenges in ensuring all youth and adults with disabilities receive the support, education, training, and advocacy they may need to succeed in the workplace. There are also opportunities to address these challenges by exploring new ideas, methods, or technologies to improve existing processes, products, or services that have the potential to affect how many of these individuals with disabilities achieve their CIE goals.

The purpose, as outlined in the Notice Inviting Application (NIA), is to fund innovative model demonstration projects designed to develop, implement, refine, evaluate, and disseminate, for easy adoption, new or substantially improved model strategies or programs to transition youth and/or adults with disabilities to CIE in any one of five topic areas, or a sixth topic, for field-initiated topic areas that includes the opportunity to address more than one topic as outlined in the NIA.

Additional Information

The NIA and additional information can be found at the following resources:

• ED.GOV
• NCRTM's RSA Discretionary Grant Information page

Pre-Application Meeting

OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 1:30 PM ET to respond to questions. Information about the pre-application meeting will be available on NCRTM's RSA Discretionary Grant Information page. More details will be forthcoming.

The 84.421F pre-application meeting summary will be available on NCRTM's RSA Discretionary Grant Information page within ten business days after the pre-application conference call.

Application Package

The full application package is available at GRANTS.GOV.

Questions

OSERS invites you to send questions to [email protected] in advance of the pre-application meeting.