Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers
🏛 Administration for Community Living (HHS-ACL)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for established research and clinical service centers that provide comprehensive, specialized care and research services for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Eligible applicants typically include academic medical centers, hospital systems, rehabilitation facilities, and research institutions with demonstrated capacity to conduct spinal cord injury research, provide Model Systems clinical services, and train rehabilitation professionals. The program has a national scope with funding supporting centers in multiple regions. Activities supported include clinical rehabilitation services, outcomes research, data collection and analysis, patient follow-up tracking, training of rehabilitation personnel, and dissemination of evidence-based practices for spinal cord injury care and community integration.
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Key dates
- Jun 22, 2026 Applications open
- Jul 29, 2026 Application deadline in 13 days
- Sep 1, 2026 Award announced
- Sep 1, 2026 Project start
Program description
The SCIMS program is designed to provide research-based knowledge to support a multidisciplinary system of rehabilitation care for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). For purposes of this program, SCI is defined as a clinically discernible degree of neurologic impairment of the spinal cord. SCIMS Centers must conduct site-specific and collaborative research. SCIMS Centers must also collect and contribute data to the SCIMS longitudinal database. SCIMS Centers will be funded at varying amounts up to the maximum award based on the numbers of database participants eligible for follow-up in the SCIMS longitudinal database. Existing centers with significantly larger numbers of database participants will receive higher funding within the specified range, as determined by NIDILRR after the applicants are selected for funding. The grant will have a 60-month project period, with five 12-month budget periods.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Hospital
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- Project narrative describing the center's clinical services, research plan, and Model Systems operations
- Detailed budget and budget justification
- Organizational capacity and staffing plan with key personnel CVs
- Letters of support from clinical and research partners
- Data management and evaluation plan
- IRB approval or authorization documentation
- Evidence of existing patient population and clinical infrastructure
Program contact
- 👤 Brian Bard
- 📧 Brian.Bard@acl.hhs.gov
- 📞 202-795-7298
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.433 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$6,230,000
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$6,230,000
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$6,230,000
-
$6,230,000
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$6,229,999
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$5,560,825
-
$5,560,824
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Transcen Inc MD$5,560,823
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$5,557,344
-
$5,407,677
Top States by Funding
- IL 15 awards $63.1M
- PA 9 awards $35.6M
- NY 6 awards $30.8M
- MA 6 awards $21.3M
- CA 4 awards $20.8M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.433). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $112,987,188 | |
| 2025 | $112,711,817 | |
| 2026 est. | $110,762,762 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers funding?
Academic medical centers, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and research institutions with existing spinal cord injury programs and demonstrated research capacity are typically eligible. Organizations must have access to a patient population, clinical expertise, and research infrastructure.
What are the primary activities supported by this grant?
Supported activities include providing comprehensive rehabilitation and medical care to individuals with spinal cord injuries, conducting longitudinal research and outcomes studies, maintaining national databases, training rehabilitation professionals, and disseminating evidence-based clinical practices and information to patients and providers.
What is the typical funding level and period?
This is typically a multi-year grant program with substantial funding to support a comprehensive Model Systems center. Specific funding amounts and project periods should be confirmed in the current funding opportunity announcement.
How competitive is this program?
This is a highly competitive federal research and demonstration program. Applicants should have established programs, published research records, strong clinical services track records, and clear capacity to meet detailed federal performance requirements.
What data collection and reporting is expected?
Model Systems centers are expected to maintain detailed longitudinal patient data, participate in national registries and databases, track long-term outcomes, and submit regular performance reports to the federal government.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your center's existing infrastructure, clinical expertise, and research capacity in spinal cord injury care—Model Systems grants reward established, proven programs.
- Develop a clear patient recruitment and retention strategy, including how you will achieve target enrollment numbers and maintain long-term follow-up data.
- Align your proposed research and services with the latest evidence-based practices and national priorities in spinal cord injury rehabilitation and community reintegration.
- Plan for robust data management and quality assurance systems; federal reviewers scrutinize your ability to collect, validate, and report reliable outcomes data.
- Build strong partnerships with other providers, researchers, and community organizations to expand the reach and impact of your Model Systems center and enhance patient referral networks.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail when centers lack sufficient existing clinical volume, research infrastructure, or published outcomes data to demonstrate capacity. Many are rejected because data collection plans are vague or unrealistic given the proposed team and resources. Weak partnerships with other regional providers and poor integration with community support systems are also common reasons for rejection.
Similar grants
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- OPEN Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center — Administration for Community Living
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- OPEN DoW Spinal Cord Injury, Clinical Translation Research Award — Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA
- OPEN Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center — Administration for Community Living