Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Transition to Employment for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions | HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0334

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0334

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Transition to Employment for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions is a discretionary federal grant opportunity intended to strengthen what works in helping young people with serious mental health conditions move successfully into the workforce. It sits within the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), specifically NIDILRR (the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). The overall RRTC model is built around improving the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by funding coordinated research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination in priority topic areas identified by NIDILRR. In practice, that means the award supports not just studies, but also the practical infrastructure needed to get evidence into real-world programs, provider practice, and policy.

This specific RRTC focuses on the transition to employment for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions, with the central aim of improving employment outcomes for this group. The funded center is expected to generate actionable research and translate it into training and technical assistance that can be used by rehabilitation and mental health systems, education partners, and community-based providers. A key feature of the opportunity is that it reflects an ongoing collaboration between NIDILRR and SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), signaling a strong emphasis on coordination across disability, rehabilitation, and mental health service systems and on producing results that matter to both fields.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this opportunity was released under Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0334. The instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 93.433). The program anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $875,000. Applications were due April 15, 2019, with electronic submissions required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. While this competition is dated, these details clarify the intended scale of the center, the competitive structure (single award), and the kind of work expected (a comprehensive center rather than a small stand-alone study).

Eligibility is broad and includes multiple sectors that commonly participate in rehabilitation and mental health research and service improvement. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and other entities as allowed in the additional eligibility guidance. This wide eligibility pool is consistent with the RRTC concept, which often requires cross-system collaboration among universities, service providers, government partners, and community organizations to conduct rigorous research and deliver training and technical assistance at scale.

At its core, the opportunity supports building and operating an RRTC that can do four connected things: produce well-designed research on strategies that improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions; train stakeholders who influence employment pathways (such as vocational rehabilitation professionals, mental health providers, educators, and workforce partners); provide technical assistance to help organizations implement evidence-informed approaches; and disseminate findings so that policymakers, service systems, families, and other stakeholders can use the results. The intended beneficiaries extend beyond the direct target population to include family members, rehabilitation service providers, policymakers, and the broader research and practice community working at the intersection of mental health, disability, and employment.

• 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 "Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Transition to Employment for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions" 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 Feb 14, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 15, 2019 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 $875,000.00 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, Independent school districts, 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HHS 2019 ACL NIDILRR RTEM 0334

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