Funding Opportunity Number: SSA–OPDR-11-1 (Grants.gov Opportunity Number: IDDP-IDD-11-001)

OVERVIEW

Federal Agency
Social Security Administration, Office of Program Development and Research (OPDR).

Title
Improving Disability Determination Process: Small Grant Program (IDDP)

Announcement Type
New announcement

Funding Opportunity Number
SSA-OPDR-11-1 (Grants.gov Opportunity Number: IDDP-IDD-11-001)

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number
CFDA 96.007, Research and Demonstration

Dates
The opening date of this announcement is the date of publication. The closing date for receipt of grant applications under this announcement is June 13, 2011.

Executive Summary
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefits to approximately 11 million individuals with disabilities and their dependents each month. In addition, each month the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program makes payments to approximately 6.5 million low-income individuals who are blind or disabled. In calendar year 2009, expenditures for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI programs for the blind and disabled totaled $121.5 billion and $41 billion respectively. These programs are the foundation of the Federal structure that provides cash income to individuals who do not have or who have lost the ability to support themselves in the labor market due to one or more permanently disabling conditions.

The disability determination process under the SSDI and SSI programs is both extensive and complex. Members of the public with health problems and economic hardships may find it difficult to navigate this complex process. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is seeking ideas to improve the efficiency and reduce the complexity of the disability determination process.

SSA is announcing the solicitation of applications to compete for a grant aimed at improving the Disability Determination Process. This new program will make small stipends available to graduate students for innovative research relevant to the disability program. SSA management will identify suggested priority areas of interest. SSA intends to fund stipends to graduate students to support their thesis work with the expectation that the resulting product will be a thesis or written project relevant to our disability program. The successful grantee will serve as Program Manager to coordinate the effort.
SSA intends to award funding for this grant on a five-year basis, renewable annually. Annual funding for this grant is $300,000, which will include funding for the program manager and graduate student stipends of $10,000 each.

Notice/Letter of Intent
Prospective applicants are asked to submit, preferably with an e-mail attachment, within 30 days of publication of this RFA, an e-mail, fax, postcard or letter of intent that includes (1) the program announcement number (SSA-OPDR-11-1) and title (Improving Disability Determination Process: Small Grant); (2) the name of the agency or organization that is applying and (3) the name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number and fax number for the organization's contact person. The notice of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review process of a subsequent application.

The purpose of the notice of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. The notice of intent should be faxed to (410) 597-0825 or mailed to Social Security Administration, Office of Program and Disability Research, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 20235. Attn: Thomas V. Rush.

Application Submission Address
We require that applicants submit an electronic application through www.grants.gov for Funding Opportunity Number SSA-OPDR-11-1. The www.grants.gov "Get Registered'' Web page is available to help explain the registration and application submission process. In addition, new Federal grant applicants may find the Grants.gov "Registration Brochure'' on the above noted Web site to be helpful.

Also, as questions come in from this RFA, we will be posting a Word attachment FAQ on the OPDR Web site http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/research.htm. Questions can be submitted to tom.rush@ssa.gov and answers will be posted on the Web site as they become available. Therefore, all potential applicants should continue to monitor the OPDR Web site frequently in order to ensure that they have the latest updates of FAQs.

If you experience problems with the steps related to registering to do business with the Federal government or application submission, your first point of contact is the Grants.gov support staff at support@grants.gov, 1-800-518-4726. If your Grants.gov difficulties are not resolved, you may also contact the SSA Grants Management Team for assistance: Audrey Adams, (410) 965-9469 or Dionne Mitchell, (410) 965-9534.

Should extenuating circumstances prevent you from submitting an application through www.grants.gov , please contact Dionne Mitchell for possible prior approval to download, complete, and submit an application by mail.

For Further Information Contact
Non-programmatic: Dionne Mitchell, SSA, Office of Acquisition and Grants, Grants Management Team, 7111 Security Blvd., 1st Floor Rear Entrance, Baltimore, MD 21244. The telephone number is (410) 965-9534, fax number is (410) 594-0133, and email address is Dionne.Mitchell@ssa.gov.

Programmatic: For information on the program content of the announcement/application, please submit a question to the mailbox tom.rush@ssa.gov.