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Overview

The 2023 ��ѿ��ý (NIH) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) are working to reduce health disparities experienced by people with disabilities. In September 2023, NIH officially designated people with disabilities as a health disparities population, which both drew attention to the topic and opened funding opportunities for academic research. NIH is addressing health disparities caused by ableism (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.

The Challenge is offering a total prize purse of $485,000 which will be distributed across multiple phases of the competition and awarded to organizations who successfully complete the objectives and requirements of each phase.

In addition to cash prizes, participating organizations will receive non-monetary incentives such as training and mentoring in writing research proposals.

Description

This Challenge calls upon community groups with experience serving those with disabilities to lead the way in proposing solutions that can transform health outcomes. 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 ensure health equity for all. The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, at the 2023 ��ѿ��ý’s (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is 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. Additional information about this phase will be provided in January 2025. During this time, subject matter experts from NIH and ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) 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.

Partners:

The competition is sponsored by the NIH, NICHD and NIDILRR. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) will be the Servicing Agency and responsible party. Additional NIH partners include the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the NIH Office of the Director, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

Timeline

08/29/24 10:00 AM EDT: Phase 1 Launch

11/01/24 05:00 PM EDT: Submission Deadline

01/16/25 09:00 AM EST: Winners Announced

01/21/25 09:00 AM EST: Phase 2 Launch

03/10/25 09:00 AM EDT: NIH Rehabilitation Research Conference - Phase 2 winners invited to participate

07/21/25 05:00 PM EDT: Phase 2 Interim Deadline

01/20/26 05:00 PM EST: Phase 2 Submission Deadline

03/05/26 09:00 AM EST: Winners Announced

Prizes

Total cash prizes
$485,000

Non-monetary prizes
Training and mentoring

Prize description

Phase 1
Number of Participants: Unlimited
Number of Awards: Up to 8
Award Amount: $25,000
Total = $200,000

Phase 2 Interim
Number of Participants: Up to 8
Number of Awards: Up to 8
Award Amount: $7,500
Total = $60,000

Phase 2 Final Awards
Number of Participants: Up to 8
Number of Awards: Up to 3
Award Amount: $75,000
Total = $225,000

Payment of the Prize:

Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. HHS/NIH will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

Entities participating in this Challenge are encouraged, but not required, to request and obtain a free Unique Entity ID (UEI), if they have not already done so, via SAM.gov as this will expedite prize payment. Additional information can be found at: .

Each Participant Organization is required to identify a Point of Contact who will register and submit on behalf of the Participant Organization. The Point of Contact is responsible for all communications with the Challenge sponsors. In the event of winning a cash prize, the prize will be paid directly to the Participant Organization, not to the Point of Contact. To be eligible to receive a cash prize, the Participant Organization must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. In the event that a dispute regarding the identity of the Point of Contact who actually submitted the entry cannot be resolved to NICHD’s satisfaction, the affected submission will be deemed ineligible.

NIH reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy.

Statutory Authority to Conduct the Challenge:

NICHD is conducting this Challenge under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended [15 U.S.C. § 3719]. Specifically, section (b)(3) of the COMPETES Act authorizes federal agencies to carry out “participation prize competitions that create value during and after the competition by encouraging contestants to change their behavior or develop new skills that may have beneficial effects during and after the competition” among other types of prize competitions that stimulate innovation that has the potential to advance the mission of the respective agency.

Founded in 1962, the general purpose of NICHD is the conduct and support of research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to gynecologic health, maternal health, child health, intellectual disabilities, human growth and development, including prenatal development, population research, and special health problems and requirements of mothers and children [42 U.S.C. § 285g]. The Institute’s mission includes improving reproductive health, enhancing the lives of children and adolescents, and optimizing abilities for all, and its vision is “Healthy pregnancies. Healthy children. Healthy and optimal lives.” In 1990, Congress passed an amendment to the Public Health Service Act (P.L. 101-613) to establish the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) within NICHD to conduct and support research and research training in medical rehabilitation. The act also directed NCMRR to disseminate health information and other programs with respect to the rehabilitation of individuals with physical disabilities resulting from diseases or disorders of the neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or any other physiological system. This Challenge aligns with NICHD’s statutory authority and promotes its mission and vision by enabling the community to help ensure every person, regardless of disability status, has the healthiest life possible. This Challenge creates value during and after the competition by encouraging organizations to develop new health promotion capabilities that may have beneficial effects during and after the competition. NICHD and its partners are conducting this Challenge in support of the designation of disabled people as a health disparities population.

Rules

Eligibility Rules:

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

• Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the 2023 ��ѿ��ý (NIH) as published in this announcement;
• Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
• 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;
• Shall not be an institution of higher learning as defined at 38 USC § 3452(f);
• 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 2023 ��ѿ��ý;
• Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
• 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;
• 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;
• 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);
• 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:

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

Judging

Phase 1: Proposal

Phase 1 submissions will be evaluated based upon the following Judging Criteria:

• Team/Organization: The competing organization’s experience and expertise to engage the communities of people with disabilities it proposes.
• The Proposal/Solution: The appropriateness of the organization’s proposed idea for improving, expanding, diversifying, or amplifying their offerings to disabled populations and their approach to measure the impact, and the clarity in which it is detailed.
• Potential Impact: The potential impact the competing organization’s intervention could have on the target community if successful.
• Innovation: The novelty of either the solution itself, or the competing organization’s approach to implementing it.

Phase 2 submissions will be evaluated on similar criteria to those from Phase 1, with an emphasis on the work conducted and progress made in Phase 2. The specific evaluation criteria for Phase 2 prizes will be announced prior to the beginning of this Phase.

Phase 2: Implementation

Information for judging criteria will be provided before the launch of Phase 2 in January 2025.

How to enter

Phase 1: Proposal

Registration and Submission Process:

The Challenge registration process is administered by HeroX, a challenge platform and management provider under contract with NASA on behalf of NIH. 

All interested organizations must register on the official Challenge portal by going to by the submission deadline on November 1, 2024 and certify that they meet the eligibility requirements as stated in the Rules section of this announcement and that they agree to comply with all other requirements stated in the Rules in order to participate in the Challenge. 
 
Submission Requirements: 

Phase 1: Once Participants have completed the registration step and established an account in the online submission portal accessible at the link above, they will be asked to provide a submission Title and Executive Summary. Innovators will then need to respond to a series of specific prompts across different topics that will include:

Submitting a 3–5-page proposal that details:

• Organization and Team Overview: Introduce your organization/team; Discuss the community you serve.
• Problem Statement: Describe the problem and the aspects of health equity and disparity you want to address; Use qualitative and quantitative data to describe the problem.
• Current Engagement: Discuss how you are currently working with disability communities or how you plan to engage them; 
• Proposal for Improvement: What is your proposal to improve, expand, diversify, or amplify the positive impact on communities of people with disabilities? Describe how you will include people with lived experience of disability in your Phase 2 work.
• Potential Impact: Describe the potential, measurable impact you believe you can achieve with your target community in the one-year Phase 2 of this Challenge. Focus on improving health access equity and reducing health disparities experienced by disabled people.
• Innovation: Discuss the innovation or novelty of your solution or of your approach to implementing the solution.

The specific timing and submission requirements for Phase 2 prizes will be announced prior to the beginning of this Phase.

Phase 2: Implementation

Information will be provided before the launch of Phase 2 in January 2025.

Contact

Contact: gethelp@herox.com

Winners

Phase 1: Proposal

������’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has announced the winners of the first phase of its . This $485,000 prize competition, led by NICHD’s National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, encourages community-based organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce health disparities experienced by people with disabilities.

More than 70 million people in the United States have at least one disability. People with disabilities often face barriers to accessing health care, including inaccessible medical facilities and equipment, lack of transportation to medical appointments, and communication barriers with health care providers. They also are more likely than those without disabilities to experience chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders.

The Community Champions for Disability Health Challenge incentivizes nonprofit organizations to develop and implement creative ideas to promote healthy habits for people with disabilities, increase their access to health services and information, and lower barriers to promoting health. In the first phase of the challenge, organizations submitted proposals to reduce health disparities by improving, expanding, diversifying, or amplifying their current programs and offerings for people with disabilities.

Submissions were judged by an expert panel, and eight winners were selected. Each will be awarded a $25,000 prize and an invitation to participate in the second phase, in which organizations will have one year to implement their proposal and demonstrate how they have enhanced their services. NICHD expects to announce final winners in February 2026.

Phase 1 winners are listed in alphabetical order, along with their project titles and brief descriptions adapted from submission packages.

Able South Carolina Building Health Equity with Disability-Led Change
People with disabilities are underrepresented in health care professions, contributing to barriers to equitable care. This project seeks to create a disability-inclusive curriculum at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing and Lexington Medical Center to address gaps in health care education regarding disability competency. The team also will work with local hospital administrators to proactively address ableism, communication challenges, and physical accessibility barriers.

Autism Society of America Inclusive Vaccine Access & Education
People with autism spectrum disorders may experience disparities in the delivery of routine health care due to sensory issues, communication challenges, stigma, and other factors. This project seeks to expand the organization’s Vaccine Education Initiative by providing sensory-friendly vaccine kits and accessible vaccination clinics. The team also strives to engage and educate families and caregivers on vaccine literacy.

Discalced, Inc. (DBA Mark Morris Dance Group) Dance to Equity: Expanding Parkinson’s Access
This project strives to expand the use of dance to increase social participation and physical activity among people with Parkinson’s disease. By collaborating with Black, Hispanic, and Asian community groups in New York City, the team will diversify the music, dance, and language options in their free dance classes, making them more culturally accessible to minority populations.

Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Ohio  21 Smiles, Down Syndrome and Dental Education
 Dental care is a major unmet need for children with Down syndrome. This project plans to address this disparity by educating dental students about the oral care of people with Down syndrome, recruiting self-advocates with Down syndrome to help develop and participate in educational videos, and providing parent education to expand the number of oral screenings provided to infants and children with Down syndrome.

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) Network, Inc. Driving HPS Care in Puerto Rico
People with HPS, a genetic syndrome with high prevalence in Puerto Rico, may experience legal blindness, bleeding disorders, kidney issues, and pulmonary fibrosis. They face significant challenges due to the scattered locations of health experts and educational opportunities. By addressing transportation barriers, this project seeks to improve access to health services for people with HPS living in Puerto Rico. The team also plans to establish a pilot virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program.

National Aphasia Synergy, Inc. Aphasia Peer Befriending: Ending Social Isolation
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak, listen, read, and write, which can contribute to depression and other poor health outcomes. This project seeks to expand the organization’s online-based, peer-to-peer support program nationally. Their structured program supports aphasia self-management and mental health while offering meaningful connections and social participation.

Split Second Foundation Empowering Health & Wellness for Disabled Families
This project strives to expand the organization’s services to address the comprehensive needs of people with disabilities living in New Orleans. Following a recent move to a larger, more centrally located space, the organization plans to augment their programs addressing the physical, mental, social, emotional, and vocational needs of people with disabilities. They also seek to provide paid internships to high school students to promote careers in rehabilitation.

United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Cleveland, Inc. Assistive Technology: Finding Your Voice
Access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can provide independence and socialization for children with communication difficulties due to cerebral palsy or other developmental conditions. However, AAC can be prohibitively expensive, and a child often needs to try different types of AAC to find the best fit. This project seeks to expand the organization’s lending library of AAC materials and increase referrals from their speech-language pathologist partners to meet the requests of more children. They also seek to expand their online chat club for children who use AAC.

HeroX is supporting the design, implementation, and management of the challenge on behalf of NIH through a multi-award contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Additional funders of the challenge include the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, part of the Administration for Community Living, and the following NIH components: National Eye Institute; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; and Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives within the NIH Office of the Director.