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ACL Awards Disability Research Grants

September 27, 2023

Nearly 20 five-year grants awarded through two NIDILRR programs

ACL's National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) has awarded 19 five-year research grants through two programs. The planned project period for the grants is September 1, 2023-August 31, 2028. 

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program

ACL has awarded five RERC grants, with an estimated award amount up to $925,000 per year for each grantee. The purpose of the RERC program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies that are designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or to remove environmental barriers. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities.

RERC Grant Recipients

RERC on Physical Access and Transportation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

This RERC works to expand access to and promote ease of using transportation, including on-demand wheeled vehicle transportation (such as automated vehicle accessibility) and commercial airline travel (such as modified airplane seat). This RERC will also offer summer internships and cooperative study for undergraduates and an educational board game on transportation experience.

RERC on Prosthetics and Orthotics, WillowWood Global LLC, Sterling, OH

This RERC will advance prosthetic and orthotic design and research to maximize performance, comfort, health, and embodiment. Projects include comparing new socket design techniques and related limb health with standard of care, evaluating technology to adapt the skin to be more resilient to pressure, developing a force sensing interface, and developing an adaptable interface system to accommodate changes in limb presentation. This RERC will also offer an internship for the research and development projects and for learning how to commercialize technologies.

RERC on Rehabilitation Strategies, Techniques, and Interventions, Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

The RERC on Power of Play for People with Disabilities serves to expand access to and promote use of consistent physical activity and recreation for people with disability through research and development of new technologies, advanced training and educational techniques, and dissemination strategies. The goal is to remove barriers to participation in recreation, exercise, and adaptive sports that are often encountered by people with disabilities, with an emphasis on removing barriers experienced by people with disabilities from underserved communities.

RERC on Technologies to Support Aging Among People with Long-Term Disabilities, Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL

RERC TechSAge will continue to serve as a catalyst for major advancements in research and development of home and community-based technologies to meet the needs of people with long-term disabilities where they live, work, and play. Projects include assessing user needs, scaling up a telewellness program, designing self-care technologies, developing a wayfinding robot to support indoor navigation, and serving as an incubator for early-stage rapid response pilot projects.

RERC on Universal Access to Information and Communication Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

This RERC will work to address key accessibility gaps that inhibit or prevent use of existing and emerging information and communication technology. The RERC will conduct research and development with a variety of aims, including AI systems that provide better results tailored to users with disabilities, identifying the failures in technology use by older adults and developing strategies for easier use, developing cross-disability access strategies for self-service terminals, and creating and improving accessibility standards around public access, safety, and general accessibility.

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program

ACL has awarded 14 DRRP grants, with estimated annual funding ranging from $200,000 to $924,000. The purpose of the DRRP program is to plan and conduct research, demonstration projects, trainings, and related activities (including international activities) to develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities.

DRRP Grant Recipients

DRRP for the Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer, University of Pittsburgh

DRRP for the Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer to the University of Pittsburgh with an estimated funding amount of $924,000 per year for performing research, development, and technical assistance activities to accelerate the commercialization of NIDILRR-funded rehabilitation technologies. Contact linda.vo@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on Improving Methods for Conducting Research with People with Cognitive Disabilities, American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences

DRRP on Improving Methods for Conducting Research with People with Cognitive Disabilities to the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences with an estimated funding amount of $500,000 per year for conducting inclusive participatory research to identify, vet, develop, and test virtual research methods for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD); to promote uptake of validated methods; and build capacity to use them with an online toolkit housing three modules for researchers, people with I/DD, and caregivers and support professionals for people with I/DD. Contact amanda.reichard@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on International Exploration of Rehabilitation Length of Stay Following Spinal Cord Injury, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

DRRP on International Exploration of Rehabilitation Length of Stay Following Spinal Cord Injury to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now known as the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) with an estimated funding amount of $840,000 per year to establish international collaboration focused on health policy and spinal cord injury (SCI) outcomes and to generate knowledge about variations in rehabilitation length of stay and intensity and how these variations are associated with the experience and long-term outcomes of people with SCI. Contact brian.bard@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP for the Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center, University of Washington

DRRP for the Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center to the University of Washington with an estimated funding amount of $425,000 per year for conducting a research, training, and technical assistance program resulting in high-quality, efficient data collection and secure and confidential storage — and that includes collaborations to facilitate cutting-edge burn injury research. Contact radha.holavanahalli@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on Promoting Positive Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities who are Experiencing Long-COVID, University System of New Hampshire

DRRP on Promoting Positive Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities who are Experiencing Long-COVID to the University System of New Hampshire with an estimated funding amount of $500,000 per year for performing research to understand how individuals with disabilities, particularly those with intersectional identities, are living and working with Long COVID and test a novel intervention (job crafting) to promote positive work outcomes. Contact hugh.berry@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Centers Collaborative Research Project, Trustees of Indiana University

DRRP on Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Centers Collaborative Research Project to the Trustees of Indiana University with an estimated funding amount of $900,000 per year for conducting exploratory research to better understand angry and aggressive reactions that individuals with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience in response to their daily lives. Contact cate.miller@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on Scaling Up Evidence-Based Services to Promote Competitive Integrated Employment Among People with Disabilities, University of Massachusetts

DRRP on Scaling Up Evidence-Based Services to Promote Competitive Integrated Employment Among People with Disabilities to the University of Massachusetts with an estimated funding amount of $900,000 per year for further building the evidence of effectiveness for, feasibility of, and capacity to implement the Progressive Employment (PE) model as an intervention that improves competitive integrated employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities and meets the needs of businesses in the community. Contact hugh.berry@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP on Understanding the Experience and Outcomes of Students with Disabilities who have 504 Plans, Vanderbilt University

DRRP on Understanding the Experience and Outcomes of Students with Disabilities who have 504 Plans to Vanderbilt University with an estimated funding amount of $600,000 per year for conducting research to explore the lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and family caregivers in accessing Section 504, understand disparities in barriers and facilitators to accessing Section 504, and develop and test an advocacy program to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities and family caregivers. Contact angel.miles@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

DRRP Projects for Translating Findings and Products into Practice (several awards)

DRRP Projects for Translating Findings and Products into Practice: Several awards were made with an estimated award amount up to $200,000 per year for each grantee. The purposes of these DRRP projects are to promote the use, adoption, or implementation of findings, interventions, or products from NIDILRR-sponsored research or development projects by intended users and to document and disseminate the knowledge translation methods use to do so.

  • Building Accessibility in the Community to The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Contact linda.vo@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.
  • Employing Knowledge Translation Strategies to Promote Provider Adoption of the AAN-ACRM-NIDILRR Practice Guidelines on Management of Persons with Disorders of Consciousness Across the Care Continuum to The Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation. Contact cate.miller@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.
  • TBI@Work Toolkit: Employment Resources for People with Traumatic Brain Injury to the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences. Contact linda.vo@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.
  • Translating Findings on Supports for Community Life Engagement to the University of New Hampshire. Contact linda.vo@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.
  • Translating Multifunctional Robotic Assistive Arm for Activities of Daily Living into Practice to The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Contact thomas.corfman@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.
  • Translation of Wheelchair Skills Training to Practice: A Multiple Stakeholder Approach to The University of Pittsburgh. Contact angel.miles@acl.hhs.gov at NIDILRR with questions about this project.

To stay current on NIDILRR grant opportunities, please visit grants.gov and search: NIDILRR or 93.433.



NIDILRR, part of ACL, generates new knowledge and promotes its effective use so that people with disabilities can perform activities of their choice in the community. NIDILRR also works to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for people with disabilities.

 


Last modified on 09/27/2023


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