FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities: Expanding 

Disabilities Network’s (UCEDDs) Access to COVID-19 Vaccines (Version 1.0 

dated 4-14-21)

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced a new funding opportunity of $4 million to support 

UCEDDs increase vaccine access for people with disabilities. With funding and partnership support from the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACL is providing grants to UCEDDs to provide critical services 

to help communities combat COVID-19. A leading priority of this joint effort is to ensure vaccines are equally 

accessible to the disability population. 

Questions related to allowable activities 

Q1: What are the allowable activities for this award? 

A1: All expenses related to the following activities are allowable to be charged to this award:

• Education about the importance of receiving a vaccine; 

• Identifying people unable to independently travel to a vaccination site; 

• Helping with scheduling a vaccine appointment; 

• Arranging or providing accessible transportation;

• Providing companion/personal support;

• Reminding people of the second vaccination appointment if needed; and/or 

• Providing technical assistance to local health departments or other entities on vaccine accessibility.

 

Q2: Can the funding be utilized to assist state vaccine information lines? 

A2: In providing this funding, CDC intends to increase vaccinations among people with disabilities, their families, 

and other support providers by utilizing ACL’s the disability networks as a reliable source of information. If the 

state vaccine lines are providing specific support to people with disabilities, the expense would be appropriate.

Q3: Can the funding be used for combatting vaccine hesitancy? 

A3: Yes, one of the purposes of the funding is for disseminating credible information about COVID-19 vaccines 

and helping direct those with questions to additional sources of information.

Q4: Can the funding be used to support vaccine equity efforts? 

A4: Yes, the disability network is encouraged to use these funds to address inequity in COVID-19 vaccination 

access among people with disabilities, their families, support providers, and disability network staff and 

volunteers from communities defined by race, ethnicity, geography, disability, income, sexual orientation, gender 

identity, and other factors.
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 2

Q5: Can the funding be used to provide transportation stipends/vouchers to individuals? 

A5: Yes, arranging or providing accessible transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites for people with disabilities, 

their families, and other support providers is an allowable use of funds.

Q6: Can the UCEDD purchase a vehicle to transport people with disabilities to vaccine appointments? 

A6: To help mobilize people with disabilities to vaccine center appointments during this crisis, vehicle 

purchases are allowable. This is consistent with the DD Act that supports people with disabilities having access 

to and use of transportation. While vehicle purchases are allowable per 2 CFR 200.48, prior approval is 

required by ACL. The approval process involves submitting a completed Large Purchase Request Form that can 

be provided by your grant or project officer to get started. In this this form, the UCEDD will need to describe the 

vehicle’s proposed use after the project period ends. In addition, ACL requires that grant recipients include an 

analysis of lease and purchase alternatives to determine which would be the most economical and practical 

procurement of the recipient and the federal government. For assistance in determining whether to lease or 

purchase a vehicle, please contact your project officer.

Q7: Can the funding be used to pay for staff to plan and organize the activities stated the in Federal Register 

Notice, participate in meetings with local public health and other entities, and/or collect and analyze data on 

COVID-19 vaccination rates of people with disabilities, family caregivers, and disability network staff and 

volunteers? 

A7: Yes, paying for staff for these activities is an allowable use of funds.

Q8: Can we use these funds to provide temporary staffing (personnel) to help with getting people appointments 

and help with transportation to get vaccination? 

A8: Yes. These funds are designed to break down barriers to increase vaccine access. 

Q9: Can the funding be used to serve anyone? 

A9: This funding is intended to be used to serve people with disabilities, their families, support providers, and 

disability network staff and volunteers. Funding must be targeted to serve these populations. 

Q10: Since some sites will be in rural communities to provide vaccine access, can Disability Service Providers be 

included as part of this funding to get served and counted?

A10: Yes. Disability Service Providers are to be served and counted in all communities since they provide critical 

support to keep the ID/DD population safe in their homes and in their communities. They may get reimbursed 

for travel costs. 

 

Grant and Fiscal policy questions 

Q11: Does the UCEDD need to apply for these funds if they want to access the funding? 

A11: Yes. In order to receive these funds, a grantee must submit an application packet via Grant Solutions. The 

packet includes a signed Letter of Assurance. Please contact your Program Officer if you have not received 

instructions for funding. 
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 3

 

Q12: Can the UCEDD decline this funding opportunity? 

A12: Yes. To ensure proper tracking, we ask that you inform your Program Officer if you wish to decline funding. 

Q13: Will funding received under this award be factored into funding formulas for other current or future 

awards my grant currently receives from ACL?

A13: No. There will be no impact on future funding since these are one-time special funds from CDC for the 

purpose of increasing vaccine rates of people with disabilities, their families, and other support providers. 

 

Q14: What is the Project Period for this award?

A14: Awards made under this announcement can have a start date of April 1, 2021 with an estimated end date 

of September 30, 2022. 

Q15: Can we use multiple funding sources to fund these activities in the community?

A15: Yes. ACL encourages collaboration and leveraging funds. It is advisable that UCEDDs monitor the use of these 

funds to ensure that they are allocated appropriately.

Q16: How are funding amounts determined and distributed? 

A16: Based on the $4 million available for UCEDDs, each of the 67 UCEDDs will be awarded $59,701 as 

announced in the Federal Register published on April 7, 2021. We anticipate awarding the funds on a rolling 

basis after reviewing the completeness of the application submitted via Grant Solutions. As some UCEDDs may 

choose not to access this funding, this will inevitably result in increasing the balance of funds available for 

further distribution. In this scenario, we anticipate awarding the balance of funds evenly across the 67 UCEDDs 

through a second installment shortly after the 14-day deadline on April 21st. 

Q17: Can I transfer or sub-award these funds to another entity? 

A17: No. A grantee cannot transfer or sub-award these funds to another entity. However, a grantee may 

contract or purchase services or goods with these funds. It is ACL’s expectation that the recipient has control 

and oversight of these funds at all times.

Q18: Is Match required? 

A18: No. There is no match requirement. 

 

Q19: Will there be reporting requirements specific to this award? 

A19: Yes. As indicated in the assurance template, recipients of this award must also submit programmatic 

and financial reports that reflect use of this funding. Specific procedural processes, reporting tools and 

deadlines are currently being developed by ACL and will be shared once finalized. 

Q20: Will I need to track these funds separately? 

A20: Yes. UCEDDs will be expected to report specifically on the use of these funds and should begin to take 

steps now to ensure funds are utilized in a way that allows for specific tracking and reporting.
ACL COVID-19 Response · Updated 4/14/21 · Page 4

Q21: Is this funding limited to services or goods purchased, or must it also be utilized for related administration 

or other costs? 

A21: Costs charged to this award should follow the same rules, including those established in an approved 

Indirect Cost Rate, a Notice of Award or applicable under 45 CFR 75, as any other Federal funding source.

Q22: Can a UCEDD apply indirect cost rate against this funding? 

A22: Yes. A UCEDD can apply an indirect cost of 8% for this funding because this is considered a training grant. 

Q23: Is this funding simply adding to our annual UCEDD allotment or is this a separate grant? 

A23: These funds are considered a separate grant to support UCEDDs with a specific focus to increase 

community access to vaccines. A separate grant number will be provided by ACL. 

Q24: Are UCEDDs permitted to obligate funding without a competitive bidding process? 

A24: Given the extenuating circumstances and the urgency of services to increase vaccines access for people 

with disabilities, flexibility exists for grantees to consider expedited procurement methods. Please work with 

your Grants or Program Officer to make sure the right forms are submitted for ACL review. 

 

Q25: One of the assurances is focused on collaborating with partners. Do you have guidance or best practice 

examples of how recipients of this grant can work together collectively to address needs in the community? 

A25: We hope you can begin building off the existing relationships with DD Network Partners and CILs in your 

community in this effort. It just takes a phone call or an email. If this has not happened yet, a moment of crisis 

is a good opportunity to bring network providers together to respond to the unique needs in each community 

without duplicating efforts. As for accessing information on guidance and best practices, please consult with 

your TA provider to get promising concrete action steps that can be undertaken to strengthen partnerships in 

your communities. For additional resources, please visit ACL’s COVID-19 website and resource page titled How 

ACL’s Disability and Aging Network is Advancing Vaccination Efforts.