Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Community Living and Participation | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program - Community Living and Participation?

The ARRT Program - Community Living and Participation is a discretionary federal grant opportunity that supports advanced research training in disability and rehabilitation. The focus of this competition is preparing highly qualified researchers to produce stronger evidence, tools, and approaches that improve community living and participation outcomes for people with disabilities.

Which federal agency administers this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

What larger program does this opportunity fall under?

It sits under the broader Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program (CFDA 93.433), which supports research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities intended to strengthen disability and rehabilitation outcomes.

What is the main purpose of this ARRT competition?

The main purpose is advanced research training. Rather than primarily funding a standalone research study, ARRT awards support structured training and mentored research experiences designed to move trainees to higher levels of research independence and impact in disability and rehabilitation research.

What topic area is emphasized in this specific competition?

The thematic domain for this competition is community living and participation. Training projects are expected to support research that improves real-world outcomes tied to living independently, participating in community life, and removing barriers to engagement and inclusion.

Who is the grant designed to help, ultimately?

In practical terms, the program is intended to improve inclusion and participation for people with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities. The broader aim is to strengthen outcomes related to employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency, while improving how disability-related services perform.

Is this funding mainly for research projects or for training?

This funding is mainly for training. The grant supports a structured, university-based advanced training project with mentored research experiences, rather than serving primarily as support for a single standalone research study.

What kind of trainees is the ARRT program intended to support?

The training is intended for individuals who already hold doctorates or comparable advanced degrees and who bring clinical or otherwise relevant professional experience. The training is meant to strengthen their ability to design and carry out rigorous disability and rehabilitation research.

Does the opportunity encourage participation by researchers with disabilities?

Yes. The program explicitly encourages training rehabilitation researchers with disabilities as part of building a stronger and more inclusive research workforce.

What does "advanced, high quality, and multidisciplinary" training mean in this context?

It means the training should reflect the reality that effective disability and rehabilitation research often draws on multiple fields. Examples of relevant fields mentioned include rehabilitation science, medicine, occupational therapy, engineering and assistive technology, psychology, public health, education, policy, and community-based service systems.

How does this opportunity relate to the Rehabilitation Act?

Projects funded through this opportunity are expected to align with the implementation goals of the Rehabilitation Act and strengthen evidence and practice related to services authorized under that Act.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education, including public and state-controlled universities and private universities.

What is the funding instrument and grant category?

The funding instrument is a grant. The opportunity is categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

How many awards were anticipated for this competition?

This competition anticipated a single award.

What was the maximum (ceiling) award amount?

The award ceiling for this competition was $150,000.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2016-ACL-NIDILRR-AR-0151.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on March 17, 2016 (and created the same day). The closing date was May 16, 2016.

What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to improve through better research capacity?

The program aims to generate better knowledge, tools, and approaches (including rehabilitation technologies and service methods) that support fuller inclusion in society. This includes outcomes connected to employment, independent living, family support, and greater economic and social self-sufficiency, along with improved performance of disability-related services.

What is the overall way to think about this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is best understood as an investment in people and capacity: it funds a university-based training project that develops advanced rehabilitation researchers who can produce strong, multidisciplinary evidence and innovation aimed at improving community living and participation outcomes for individuals with disabilities, while advancing the goals of the Rehabilitation Act.