Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge

This is a US-based competition open to non-academic 501(c)3 organizations. 

Please read the complete eligibility requirements here.

This challenge calls upon community groups with experience serving people with disabilities to lead the way in proposing solutions that can reduce health disparities. Community organizations are essential to developing and disseminating interventions that are both effective and sustainable in reducing health disparities for disabled people. This competition is about taking actionable steps to promote health equity for all. The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and partners are leveraging this prize competition to support community-led solutions. 

In Phase 1, community groups submit innovative proposals to reduce health disparities experienced by disabled people by improving, expanding, diversifying, or amplifying their current programs and offerings. Participating organizations must describe how people with disabilities will be a part of their proposed solutions. Up to 8 organizations will be awarded $25,000 each and advance to Phase 2. 

In Phase 2, organizations will have 52 weeks to implement their plan/proposal. During this time, subject matter experts from NIH and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will also provide technical assistance in the form of educational webinars and matchmaking events. There will be an opportunity to submit an interim progress report at the halfway point and compete for an additional $7,500 prize each. At the conclusion of Phase 2, organizations should demonstrate how they have enhanced the services and output of their organization. Up to three (3) grand prize winners will be awarded $75,000 each. 

Challenge Guidelines 

Over 70 million people in the US have one or more type of disability, which is any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult to do certain activities and interact with the world around them. Disabled people often experience health disparities that are avoidable health differences resulting from systemic or interpersonal factors, not due to the disabling condition. Disabled people could live longer, healthier lives if health disparities were eliminated. Disability and health are not synonymous!  

There are many types and sources of health disparities and we believe community groups can and are working to address many of them. This competition seeks to reward community groups for their creative ideas to promote healthy habits , increase access to health services and information, and reduce barriers to promoting health for people with disabilities. As expressed in the Disability Rights movement slogan “Nothing about us without us,” it is expected that people with lived experience will be central to the teams and ideas proposed.  

Health disparities experienced by people with disabilities can include problems with access, like healthcare information delivered in formats that are not accessible to people with vision or hearing disabilities or medical buildings, diagnostic equipment or treatment facilities that preclude access for a person with disability (PWD). While not an exhaustive list, these are examples of documented health disparities, or barriers to healthy behaviors or health information experienced by the disability community: 

Health Care Services 

• Receipt of screening and preventive health services, like routine check-ups, reproductive health care, dental care, vaccinations, intimate partner violence screenings and cancer screenings. 
• Participation in smoking cessation programs 
• Communication with health professionals, like ASL interpretation, Braille or large print, and health literacy information (e.g., for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or other cognitive impairments) 
• Availability of accessible clinical spaces and equipment, like wheelchair scales, adjustable height exam tables, adaptive treatment and therapy devices. 

Social Determinants of Health 

• Assistance with navigating health insurance options and outpatient or community-based health services 
• Receipt of food and nutrition services 
• Participation in physical activity, including access to adaptive sports equipment and gyms 
• Access to community and recreational opportunities 
• Availability of accessible transportation to health care providers, especially in rural communities  

Access to Assistive Technology  

• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) products 
• White canes 
• Hearing aids 
• Mobility supports like walkers and scooters 

NIH and ACL are looking to the community to help address health disparities experienced by disabled people by reducing barriers and facilitating access to healthy living.  
 

Background 

Disability is defined in different ways depending on context. Common types of disability include Impairments in the following domains*: 

• Vision 
• Movement 
• Thinking 
• Remembering 
• Learning 
• Communicating 
• Hearing 
• Mental health 
• Social relationships  

*https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html 

Not all disabilities are visible and people may experience one or more disabilities throughout their life course, separately or overlapping. For the purposes of this challenge, services aimed at improving the health of people with any disability type are welcome. We also alternate the use of person-first and identity-first language throughout these guidelines to acknowledge different preferences of different disability communities.  

NIH and ACL are working to reduce health disparities experienced by people with disabilities.  

In September 2023, NIH officially designated people with disabilities as a population that experiences health disparities, which both drew attention to topic and opened funding opportunities for academic research. NIH is addressing health disparities caused by ableism (i.e., the belief that people with disabilities are inferior or inadequate leading to discrimination and social prejudice) in healthcare and clinical research through a variety of traditional academic research projects.  This prize competition seeks to complement these efforts by engaging with and directly supporting initiatives to improve health equity for disabled people conducted by community groups who do not historically receive NIH funding. 

The Challenge 

The Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge is an opportunity for community groups to expand their transformative solutions to enhance the health of people with disabilities. This competition empowers organizations to address health disparities through innovative, community-driven initiatives. By participating, organizations compete for substantial cash prizes and gain access to NIH and NIDILRR resources, expert mentorship, and a platform to showcase their impactful work. This challenge is a call to action to create lasting, equitable health improvements and champion the voices and needs of those with disabilities in the health landscape. Join us in making a profound difference and driving health equity forward! 

Phase 1 

In Phase 1 of the Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge, community groups are invited to submit detailed proposals that outline their strategies for reducing health disparities among people with disabilities. Participants will introduce their organization and team, providing insights into the communities they serve and the specific health equity issues they aim to address. They will analyze the current state of their engagement with disability communities and propose innovative improvements or expansions to their existing programs. 

Solvers are expected to develop comprehensive plans that include clear objectives and methods for implementation, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes. They will describe how they intend to involve individuals with lived experiences of disability in their efforts and how they will assess the impact of their initiatives. Please note that human subject research is not expected for this challenge. The proposals should also highlight the unique aspects of their approach and the potential for significant positive change within their target communities. 

The most promising proposals, demonstrating both innovation and feasibility, will be awarded $25,000 each, allowing up to eight organizations to advance to Phase 2, where they will have the opportunity to bring their plans to life and further contribute to health equity for people with disabilities. 

Phase 2 

In Phase 2, selected organizations will implement their proposed plans over a 52-week period. During this phase, participants will put their strategies into action, focusing on improving health equity and reducing disparities for people with disabilities. Organizations will receive support through technical assistance, educational webinars, and matchmaking events with subject matter experts from NIH and NIDILRR. 

Participants will provide an interim update halfway through the phase, detailing their progress and any preliminary impacts. This update offers the chance to win an additional $7,500 prize. Throughout the implementation period, organizations are expected to track and measure the impact of their initiatives, ensuring they are making significant strides toward their goals. 

At the end of Phase 2, organizations will demonstrate how they have enhanced their services and outputs, showcasing the tangible benefits of their efforts. Up to three grand prize winners will be awarded $75,000 each, recognizing their exceptional contributions to advancing health equity for people with disabilities. This phase emphasizes the practical application of innovative ideas and the achievement of measurable improvements in health-related programs. 

While it is expected that all Phase I winners will engage in Phase 2, it is not required and teams may disengage from the competition at any time and keep their prize winnings to date.  

Who Is Eligible 

This challenge is open to all 501(c)3 organizations that are not institutions of higher learning.  Examples of eligible organizations include: advocacy, local community, faith-based, and other similar groups.  Additionally, you must have a primary place of business in the United States.  Your organization may choose to partner with other groups, but the lead organization submitting to this challenge must be non-academic, non-profit, and not a primary recipient of NIH funding (i.e., you may be a partner organization on a grant award or contract but your organization is not the primary recipient).  You may add or change partners as you move through the different phases of the challenge. 

How do I Win? 

To be eligible for an award, your proposal must, at minimum: 

1. Satisfy the Judging Criteria requirements. 
2. Thoughtfully address the Submission Form questions. 
3. Be scored higher than your competitors! 

Prize 

The total prize purse for the Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge is $485,000. Prizes will be awarded across the multiple phases of this challenge as described in the table below. In addition to cash prizes, participating organizations in this challenge will be provided with education, training, and mentoring opportunities. Prize amounts may increase if there are prize purse dollars that were not awarded during previous phases of this Challenge. Prize funds that remain unawarded after the selection of winners for each phase may be rolled over into a subsequent phase and added to those prize payments; however, any decision to increase any individual prize amounts from what is outlined below is entirely at the discretion of the Challenge sponsor. 

Timeline 

Judging Criteria 

Eligibility Rules:  

To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a Participant Organization—  

a. Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement;  

b. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;  

c. Shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States; Shall be a registered tax-exempt organization and meet the criteria as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code; 

d. Shall not be an institution of higher learning as defined at 38 USC § 3452(f);  

e. Shall not, at the time of submission, be listed as the primary awardee on an active grant, cooperative agreement, or contract award issued by the National Institutes of Health;  

f. Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;  

g. Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;  

h. Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge; 

i. Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).  

j. In the case of any individuals participating on behalf of a Participant Organization, shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.  

Participation Rules: 

(1)  A Participant Organization may not use federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions. 

(2)  Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.  

(3)  By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.  

(4)  Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant Organization participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance, or demonstrate financial responsibility, or agree to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities in order to participate in this Challenge. 

(5)  A Participant Organization shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis. 

(6)  By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant Organization (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant Organization has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant Organization is aware.  

(7)  By participating in this Challenge, each Participant Organization grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the solution throughout the world. Each Participant Organization will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the Challenge, each Participant Organization must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Participant Organization’s rights to the federal government. To receive an award, Participant Organizations will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Participant Organizations must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.  

(8)  Each Participant Organization agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies. 

(9)  Each Participant Organization participating in this Challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this Challenge constitutes each such Participant Organization’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein. 

(10)  As a condition for winning a cash prize in this Challenge, each Participant Organization that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to NIH within 15 business days of formal notification. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize winning submission. 

Funding Partners 

The following groups have contributed to the prize purse for this Challenge: 

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health  
• National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health 
• National Institute on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health 
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health 
• Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, National Institutes of Health 
• Office of the Principal Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health 
• National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, Administration for Community Living
• Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, within the NIH Office of the Director

To read the official challenge posting please https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=community-disability-health