Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network | HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPAD 0219

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPAD 0219

The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network funding opportunity (HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPAD 0219) is a discretionary grant competition run by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under CFDA 93.433, within the broader category of science, technology, and other research and development. The program is designed to support a coordinated national network that strengthens real-world understanding and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The central goal is practical impact: helping the people and organizations who rely on the ADA (and who must comply with it) better understand their rights and responsibilities, and improving how ADA-related information and assistance is delivered across the country.

This opportunity will fund 10 awards total, with one grant intended for each of the 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regions. In other words, the structure is explicitly regional, aiming for coverage and capacity in every HHS region rather than concentrating resources in only a few locations. Each grantee is expected to function as part of the ADA National Network and to deliver a combined program of training, technical assistance, outreach, and research. The expectation is not just education for its own sake, but activities that measurably lead to better stakeholder understanding of ADA protections and obligations. “Stakeholders” is broadly framed and can include people with disabilities, employers, state and local governments, service providers, businesses open to the public, educators, transportation entities, housing-related actors, and other community partners who interact with ADA requirements in day-to-day operations.

Applicants must propose an integrated set of activities that typically includes (1) training to build knowledge and skills among target audiences, (2) technical assistance to help stakeholders apply ADA requirements to specific situations, (3) outreach to ensure ADA information reaches communities that need it, and (4) research that informs and improves training/TA/outreach approaches and contributes to better understanding of ADA rights and responsibilities. The research component is framed as part of a broader service-and-impact model rather than purely academic inquiry; it should support and refine the network’s ability to deliver effective guidance, identify gaps in understanding, and improve how ADA-related information is communicated and used.

The project period is 36 months, organized into three 12-month budget periods. This structure signals an expectation of sustained operations over three years with annual budgeting and performance planning, rather than a short pilot. The award ceiling is listed as $1,246,000, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the announcement. With 10 expected awards, the program is sized to support robust regional centers that can maintain staff capacity and deliver recurring training and technical assistance while also carrying out outreach and research activities over the full project term.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common public, nonprofit, academic, and private-sector entity types. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding IHEs in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities as allowed. The announcement also explicitly notes that faith-based and community organizations meeting eligibility requirements may apply. Foreign entities, however, are not eligible to compete for or receive awards under this funding opportunity, which keeps the network’s funded activities domestic in scope.

Key administrative details include an original closing date of 2026-07-23 and a creation date of 2026-06-22. The funding instrument is a grant, and the opportunity category is discretionary, meaning it is competitively awarded based on the program’s criteria and available appropriations. Overall, the program is best understood as a regionally distributed investment in ADA-focused capacity: building consistent, reliable training and technical assistance infrastructure across the country, expanding outreach to stakeholders who need actionable ADA guidance, and using targeted research to strengthen and modernize how ADA rights and responsibilities are understood and put into practice.

• The Administration for Community Living in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network" 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 2026-06-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-23. (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 $1,246,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 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.

Apply for HHS 2026 ACL NIDILRR DPAD 0219

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: