The Administration for Community Living invites applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) Program: RERC on Recreational, Sport, and Exercise Technologies for People with Disabilities (CFDA 93.433), authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Donor Name: Administration for Community Living
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of the Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/13/2022
Size of the Grant: $925,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
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. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities.
Priorities
The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living establishes a priority for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Recreational, Sport, and Exercise Technologies for People with Disabilities. This RERC must conduct research and development activities toward expanded access to and use of recreational, exercise, and adaptive sports equipment, and toward expanded access to and use of recreational, exercise, and sports facilities, environments, and programs by people with disabilities. To contribute to these outcomes, the RERC must:
- Conduct research on and develop new recreational and exercise equipment, facilities, and environments that are independently accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. In conducting these activities, the RERC must coordinate and collaborate with fitness centers, Veterans Administration (VA) facilities, county or municipal departments of parks and recreation, or other relevant community-based organizations.
- Conduct research and development activities toward the use of proven and emerging technologies and strategies to enhance recreational and exercise opportunities for people with disabilities. These technologies and strategies may include but are not limited to artificial intelligence, information and communication technologies, and virtual or augmented reality.
- Conduct research and development activities toward greater availability of affordable, reliable, and safe adaptive sports and recreation equipment for people with disabilities. Such equipment may include but is not limited to: handcycles, racing wheelchairs, off-road wheelchairs, mono and bi skis, and sports prosthetics. In conducting these activities, the RERC must coordinate and collaborate with adaptive sports clinics, Paralympic training centers, or other community-based organizations with expertise in adaptive sports for people with disabilities.
- Conduct research and development activities toward adapted and non-adapted sports equipment and environments for children and adolescents with disabilities. Environments addressed under this requirement must include physical education and after-school sports settings and programs.
- Include people with disabilities in the design and conduct of all RERC activities.
- Demonstrate in their original application that people with disabilities from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds will be included in study samples in sufficient numbers to generate knowledge and products that are relevant to the racial and ethnic diversity of the people being studied. The RERC must describe and justify, in its original application, the planned racial and ethnic distribution of people with disabilities who will participate in the proposed research and development activities.
- Utilize engineering knowledge and techniques to collect, analyze, or synthesize research data
- Apply engineering knowledge and techniques to achieve its development objectives.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $925,000 Per Budget Period.
- Award Floor: $920,000 Per Budget Period.
Period of Performance
- 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods.
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.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
