New York RDRC 2024-2025 Grant Proposal

The role of Retirement and Disability Research Centers is to build and strengthen the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) capacity to undertake a broad range of research, evaluation, and policy analysis for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), Disability Insurance (DI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Because specific research needs evolve over time, SSA provides a list of focal areas of research each year.

Two topics are relevant to all the focal areas and should be considered when developing all research proposals:

(1) Racial equity and support for communities facing barriers. SSA encourages all researchers to consider equity—including the structural barriers that may contribute to disparate outcomes among people who have been historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely affected by persistent poverty—as they develop their proposals.

(2) The COVID-19 pandemic and how it impacts SSA programs and the populations SSA serves. In particular, we are interested in studies that consider how Long COVID may affect health, employment, and participation in Social Security programs. 

FY25 Focal Areas  

Focal Area 1: Understanding Service Needs and Improving Service Delivery 

Focal Area 2: Studying Causes and Inequities of Overpayment and Underpayment 

Focal Area 3. Addressing Barriers to Disability and SSI Programs Participation and Processes 

Focal Area 4: Understanding and Improving Communication  

Focal Area 5. Identifying Disparities by Race, Ethnicity, and Sex  

Focal Area 6: Examining Economic Security of Program Applicants and Beneficiaries 

Focal Area 7: Addressing Employment Barriers for People with Disabilities 

We strongly encourage research proposals that draw from a variety of academic disciplines  (including, but not limited to sociology, history, demography, public health, public policy and  administration, economics, and psychology); utilize qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods approaches, including community-engaged research; and draw from or develop new data  sources. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. We welcome proposals on topics that may fall outside these  areas provided they make a strong case for why they are significant areas of research.

Please carefully review the NY RDRC FY2025 Research Project RFP for eligibility, requirements, expectations and instructions.

Key Documents

All projects must utilize the NY RDRC Proposal and Budget Templates. Please click the links to download a copy. The full NY RDRC RFP and Focal Area List and updated scoring criteria from the SSA are also available to download.