Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Accessible Transportation | Apply Online

Accessible Transportation (DRRP) Grant - FAQs

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Accessible Transportation grant opportunity.

Which federal agency is offering the grant?

The grant is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), through NIDILRR.

What type of grant is this?

It is a discretionary research and development (R&D) grant focused on applied development, prototyping, and demonstration-oriented work.

What is the primary goal of the grant?

The core aim is to advance real-world uses of automation and robotics that make transportation more accessible for travelers with disabilities, while supporting a "seamless travel chain" where a person can plan and complete an on-demand trip any time and from any location.

What does "seamless travel chain" mean in this grant context?

In this context, it refers to enabling an end-to-end trip experience that a traveler can plan and complete reliably, without gaps that disrupt the journey, and that can work on-demand at any time and from any location.

Who is intended to benefit from the funded work?

The opportunity is framed around serving people with a wide range of access needs, including mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive disabilities. It explicitly highlights people with disabilities, veterans with disabilities, and older adults.

Is the grant focused on research, or on building and testing real solutions?

The expected work emphasizes moving beyond general research into applied development and testing. The project is expected to develop procedures and requirements, build prototypes, and conduct demonstrations with target user groups and stakeholders.

What kinds of activities are expected under the award?

Expected activities include developing operational procedures and system requirements, building prototypes, and conducting demonstrations with target user groups and other stakeholders to gather feedback and evidence of feasibility.

What does the grant mean by "operational procedures and system requirements"?

It means translating accessibility goals into concrete functional requirements, such as how a system should behave, what it must support, and how it will operate within transportation settings.

What role do prototypes play in this project?

Prototypes are a central part of the work. The project is expected to create and refine prototype solutions and then validate them through hands-on demonstrations.

What is meant by "demonstrations" in this opportunity?

Demonstrations are practical, hands-on tests or showcases of prototype solutions conducted with target user groups and other stakeholders to produce feedback and evidence that the approach is feasible.

What is a key deliverable for the funded project?

A key deliverable is identifying assistive technology solutions that rely on automation and robotics to expand and improve transportation alternatives, helping close gaps that disrupt trips for riders with disabilities.

Does the opportunity specify a technology focus?

Yes. It specifically focuses on automation and robotics as the enabling technologies for improving transportation accessibility.

Are accessibility and inclusive design requirements mentioned?

Yes. Products, systems, or tools developed are expected to align with universal design and inclusive information and communication technology (ICT) principles.

What does the grant imply by "universal design"?

It points to solutions designed to work for the broadest possible range of users without requiring extensive adaptation.

What does the grant imply by "inclusive ICT principles"?

It indicates that digital components involved in trip planning, wayfinding, communication, and system interaction should be accessible.

Is the program only interested in new concepts, or also in outputs that can be used by transportation providers?

The program intent is not only to create new technology concepts, but to produce practical outputs that can be demonstrated, understood, and potentially adopted or adapted by transportation providers and partners.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many public, private, nonprofit, and educational entities, as well as other applicants as allowed by the opportunity's additional eligibility language.

Are state and local governments eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments.

Are school districts eligible?

Yes. Independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.

Are colleges and universities eligible?

Yes. Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations are included among eligible applicants.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible, with the note that the nonprofit categories referenced exclude higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories.

Are for-profit organizations eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible applicants.

How many awards are expected to be made?

The funding details indicate a single expected award.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $500,000.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.433.

What is the opportunity reference number listed?

The opportunity is identified as HHS 2016 ACL NIDILRR DPGE 0159.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on June 2, 2016.

What was the application closing date?

The application closing date was August 1, 2016.

Does the opportunity describe the kind of partnerships or collaboration expected?

While not a requirement stated as a formal rule, the opportunity notes that successful applied projects often require collaboration among researchers, technologists, transit agencies, disability stakeholders, and deployment partners.

What transportation-related areas are mentioned for accessibility improvements?

The opportunity highlights accessibility across both physical and digital parts of travel, including trip planning, wayfinding, communication, and system interaction, with the broader goal of enabling reliable end-to-end trips.

Is the focus limited to a single disability type?

No. The opportunity explicitly references a wide range of access needs, including mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive disabilities.

What is the overall intent of the grant in practical terms?

It is designed to catalyze a focused, demonstration-oriented project that uses automation and robotics to make transportation more accessible and more reliably end-to-end, while ensuring inclusive design across physical and digital elements.