International Exploration of Rehabilitation Length of Stay Following Spinal Cord Injury | HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0000

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0000

This funding opportunity, titled International Exploration of Rehabilitation Length of Stay Following Spinal Cord Injury (HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0000), is a discretionary research grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), through NIDILRR. It falls under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs) program (CFDA 93.433), which supports research and development meant to strengthen the effectiveness of services authorized by the Rehabilitation Act. The central aim is to generate practical, usable knowledge, including new methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technologies, that improve health and function, community living, and employment outcomes for people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on individuals who have the greatest support needs.

Under this specific DRRP priority, the required focus is spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation and, more narrowly, how rehabilitation intensity and rehabilitation length of stay vary across countries and what those differences mean for outcomes. The project is expected to examine international variation in how long people remain in rehabilitation after SCI, how intense their rehabilitation services are during that time, and how those system-level differences relate to measurable rehabilitation outcomes. The opportunity is not just asking for a U.S.-only study; it explicitly requires international collaboration and comparative work that includes the experiences and outcomes of people with SCI in the United States and in other countries. In practice, that means the U.S.-based applicant must partner with collaborators abroad and design the research so that it can credibly compare patterns of care delivery (like intensity and length of stay) and link them to outcomes that matter in real life, such as functional gains, health and secondary conditions, participation in community life, and pathways back to work or education.

NIDILRR indicated it planned to make a single award under this competition in fiscal year 2023, making it a one-project national investment rather than a multi-award program. The maximum funding level listed is an award ceiling of $840,000, and the project period is five years (60 months), structured into five consecutive 12-month budget periods. That structure typically signals expectations for a multi-year research plan that includes start-up and coordination with international partners, data collection and analysis over time, and dissemination activities toward the end, with annual budgeting and progress reporting across each budget period.

Eligibility is broad and includes a wide range of public and private entities that can carry out research, such as state, county, and municipal governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits); and other applicants as allowed under the opportunitys additional eligibility language. The application timeline in the source notice shows the opportunity was created May 4, 2023, with an original closing date of July 3, 2023, and electronically submitted applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Overall, the grant is designed to answer a practical, policy-relevant question: different countries use different rehabilitation models after SCI, including how much therapy is delivered and how long inpatient or formal rehabilitation lasts. This project is intended to clarify how those differences connect to outcomes, potentially identifying which approaches are associated with better recovery, participation, and long-term functioning. By requiring international collaboration and comparison, NIDILRR is signaling that the research should look beyond any single health system and produce findings that can inform improvements in U.S. rehabilitation services and broader disability outcomes.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "International Exploration of Rehabilitation Length of Stay Following Spinal Cord Injury" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.433.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 04, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 03, 2023 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $840,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2023 ACL NIDILRR DPHF 0000

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