Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 21 041
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) grant opportunity is a federal training program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is a discretionary grant (CFDA 93.877) designed to strengthen the nation s workforce serving people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD). The central aim is to improve health outcomes for individuals who have, or may be at risk of developing, ASD or related disabilities by funding graduate level, maternal and child health focused, interdisciplinary leadership training programs that prepare professionals, families, and self advocates to improve both services and systems of care.
A major theme of the opportunity is building real world diagnostic and intervention capacity across the lifespan. HRSA is looking for programs that can expand or develop the ability to evaluate individuals for ASD or other DD, including the ability to diagnose or rule out ASD, and to connect those evaluations to evidence based interventions. Training is expected to blend academic learning with clinical practice and community based experiences, rather than focusing on classroom instruction alone. Trainees are expected to develop cultural competence, work effectively with diverse populations, and consistently use person and family centered approaches that recognize family priorities, lived experience, and the practical realities of navigating services.
LEND programs are intentionally interdisciplinary, meaning trainees gain exposure to content and experiences beyond their home discipline. The broader workforce goal is to increase the number of well trained leaders who can meet the complex needs of people with ASD/DD, not only through direct clinical care, but also through leadership, coordination, and systems improvement. This includes strengthening the skills of practicing professionals while also meaningfully including family members and people with disabilities as trainees and leaders in the training environment.
The notice lays out several concrete objectives that funded programs are expected to pursue. These include training graduate and post graduate students, community professionals, family members, and individuals with disabilities; providing a balanced training model that integrates academic instruction, clinical learning, leadership development, and community engagement within an interdisciplinary and person/family centered framework; and offering multiple levels of participation through long term, medium term, and short term training opportunities to reach learners with different roles and time commitments. Another explicit priority is diversity: programs should recruit and support trainees and faculty from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and from a range of geographic and community backgrounds so the training pipeline better reflects the population being served.
Beyond training itself, the program emphasizes service expansion and knowledge dissemination. LEND sites are expected to increase the number of interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations conducted by faculty and trainees, which both strengthens trainee skills and expands access to assessment in the community. They are also expected to offer continuing education to practicing professionals, helping update the existing workforce with current evidence based practices. In addition, LEND programs are expected to provide technical assistance to local, state, and national agencies and programs, with the goal of improving the broader system of care for people with disabilities, not just the services offered by the grantee organization.
The opportunity also includes an optional component: a single, one year LEND supplement that may be available when funds allow. This supplement is meant to help existing LEND programs respond to emerging needs and test or scale innovative training approaches, particularly in ways that strengthen diagnostic and evaluation capacity for ASD/DD across the lifespan.
Administratively, the funding opportunity is identified as HRSA 21 041, was created on November 16, 2020, and originally closed on February 16, 2021. HRSA anticipated making about 55 awards, and the posted award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that applicants need to consult the full announcement for detailed budget expectations and limits. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full text of the announcement.Apply for HRSA 21 041
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.877.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 16, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 16, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 55 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) Grant (HRSA 21-041) FAQs
What is the LEND grant opportunity?
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) grant opportunity is a federal training program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It funds graduate-level, maternal and child health-focused, interdisciplinary leadership training programs aimed at improving outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD).
Which agency administers this program?
The program is administered by HRSA, an agency within HHS.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes. It is described as a discretionary grant, meaning funding decisions are made competitively based on the federal notice and application review process.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The notice identifies the program as CFDA 93.877.
What is the main purpose of the LEND program?
The central aim is to strengthen the nation's workforce serving people with ASD and other developmental disabilities by supporting interdisciplinary leadership training. The goal is to improve health outcomes for individuals who have, or may be at risk of developing, ASD or related disabilities.
What kind of training does HRSA expect LEND programs to provide?
LEND programs are expected to provide graduate-level training that blends academic instruction with clinical practice and community-based experiences. The model is intended to go beyond classroom teaching alone and prepare trainees for real-world systems and service environments.
What does "interdisciplinary" mean in the context of LEND?
Interdisciplinary training means trainees gain exposure to content and experiences beyond their home discipline. The program emphasizes preparing leaders who can work across professional boundaries to address complex needs related to ASD/DD through clinical care, leadership, coordination, and systems improvement.
Who are the intended trainees for LEND-funded programs?
The notice lists multiple intended trainee groups, including graduate and post-graduate students, community professionals, family members, and individuals with disabilities (including self-advocates).
Does the program include family members and people with disabilities as participants?
Yes. The opportunity specifically emphasizes meaningfully including family members and people with disabilities as trainees and leaders within the training environment.
What population focus does the training emphasize?
The training is maternal and child health-focused, and it is designed to improve outcomes for individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities, including individuals who may be at risk of developing ASD or related disabilities.
What is a major theme of this opportunity?
A major theme is building real-world diagnostic and intervention capacity across the lifespan. HRSA is looking for programs that can expand or develop the ability to evaluate individuals for ASD or other DD, including diagnosing or ruling out ASD, and connecting evaluations to evidence-based interventions.
Are LEND programs expected to increase diagnostic and evaluation capacity?
Yes. The notice expects funded programs to increase the number of interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations conducted by faculty and trainees. This is intended to build trainee skills while also expanding community access to assessment.
Do programs need to connect evaluations to interventions?
Yes. The notice highlights connecting ASD/DD evaluations to evidence-based interventions as part of strengthening real-world diagnostic and intervention capacity.
What approach to care is emphasized in LEND training?
The opportunity emphasizes person- and family-centered approaches that recognize family priorities, lived experience, and the real-world challenges of navigating services.
Is cultural competence part of the expectations?
Yes. Trainees are expected to develop cultural competence and work effectively with diverse populations.
Does the opportunity include different levels of training participation?
Yes. Funded programs are expected to offer multiple levels of participation, described as long-term, medium-term, and short-term training opportunities, to reach learners with different roles and time commitments.
Besides training, what other activities are emphasized?
Beyond training, the program emphasizes service expansion and knowledge dissemination. Examples in the notice include increasing interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations, offering continuing education for practicing professionals, and providing technical assistance to local, state, and national agencies and programs to improve the broader system of care.
Are LEND sites expected to offer continuing education?
Yes. The notice indicates LEND programs are expected to provide continuing education to practicing professionals to help update the existing workforce with current evidence-based practices.
Are LEND programs expected to provide technical assistance?
Yes. The opportunity includes an expectation that LEND programs provide technical assistance to local, state, and national agencies and programs to support improvements in systems of care, not just services inside the grantee organization.
How does the opportunity address leadership and systems improvement?
The workforce goal includes increasing the number of well-trained leaders who can meet complex ASD/DD needs through direct care and through leadership, coordination, and systems improvement activities.
Is diversity a stated priority in this funding opportunity?
Yes. The notice explicitly prioritizes diversity, including recruiting and supporting trainees and faculty from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and from a range of geographic and community backgrounds so the training pipeline better reflects the population being served.
Is there an optional supplement mentioned in the notice?
Yes. The opportunity describes an optional component: a single, one-year LEND supplement that may be available when funds allow.
What is the purpose of the optional one-year supplement?
The supplement is intended to help existing LEND programs respond to emerging needs and to test or scale innovative training approaches, particularly approaches that strengthen diagnostic and evaluation capacity for ASD/DD across the lifespan.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity is identified as HRSA 21-041.
When was the funding opportunity created, and when did it close?
The notice states it was created on November 16, 2020, and originally closed on February 16, 2021.
How many awards did HRSA anticipate making?
HRSA anticipated making about 55 awards.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The posted award ceiling is listed as 0. The notice indicates this typically means applicants should consult the full announcement for detailed budget expectations and limits.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full text of the announcement.
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