Comment Due April 18
View the details and submit comment.
ACL is proposing to amend its regulations for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
These important amendments to NIDILRR's peer review criteria will allow NIDILRR to better evaluate the extent to which grant applicants conduct outreach to and hire people with disabilities and people from other groups that traditionally have been underserved and underrepresented. The amendments also emphasize the need for engineering research and development activities within NIDILRR's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) program.
The first proposed update is directly responsive to Executive Order 13985 Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. NIDILRR has long emphasized the importance of applicants’ employment outreach to people with disabilities and others who have traditionally been underserved and underrepresented. NIDILRR has used this criterion for many decades as one of the criteria for evaluating grant proposals. The amendment highlights this fundamental point to better allow for distinct evaluation of applicants' outreach and hiring practices for people with disabilities. NIDILRR believes this proposed change is at the core of our mission and strengthens true inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of the disability research enterprise.
ACL/NIDILRR encourages public comment on this action. The proposed amended language and a link to provide comments can be found in the Federal Register.
All comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 18, 2022.