Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program, Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project
Funding Announcement
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023 for the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF), Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project, Assistance Listing Number 84.421E. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1894–0006, Applications for New Grants under the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will post a PowerPoint presentation that provides general information about the Rehabilitation Services Administration's discretionary grants and a PowerPoint presentation specifically about the Disability Innovation Fund, Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project (84.421E) at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/grant-info. In addition to posting the PowerPoint, OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition via conference call to respond to questions. Information about the pre-application meeting will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/grant-info prior to the date of the call. OSERS invites interested applicants to send questions to 84.421E@ed.gov in advance of the pre-application meeting.
Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program, as provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117–103), is to support innovative (as defined in this notice) activities aimed at increasing competitive integrated employment (CIE) as defined in section 7 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) (29 U.S.C. 705(5)),[1] for youth and other individuals with disabilities.
For FFY 2023, the Department intends to fund multiple innovative model demonstration projects focused on the creation of systemic approaches to transition services for children and youth with disabilities (as defined in this notice). Ensuring that key agents of change and required partners (as defined in this notice)—State vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs), State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and federally funded Centers for Independent Living (CILs)—are actively collaborating to support coordinated transition processes is critical to the success of children and youth with disabilities.
Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FFY 2023 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provision Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
Absolute Priority: For FFY 2023 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet the absolute priority.