Field Initiated Projects Program: Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) - Development

The purpose of the Field Initiated Projects (FIP) program is to generate new knowledge through research or to develop methods, products, procedures, or rehabilitation technologies -- to maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family/caregiver support, and economic and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities, especially people with disabilities who have the greatest support needs. Another purpose of this grant opportunity is to improve the capacity of minority serving institutions (MSI) to conduct high-quality disability and rehabilitation research and development. In carrying out a development project under a FIP development grant, a grantee must use knowledge and understanding gained from research to create materials, devices, systems, methods, measures, techniques, tools, prototypes, processes, or intervention protocols that are beneficial to the target population of people with disabilities. Please note that this will be the funding opportunity for FIP-MSI Development proposals. We will invite FIP-MSI Research proposals under a separate announcement. NIDILRR plans to make three FIP-MSI awards. NIDILRR's FIP-MSI grants will include a combination of research applications and development applications, depending on the combined ranking of individual research and development applications by the peer review panel. Grants will have a 36- month project period, with three 12-month budget periods.