National vocational rehabilitation technical assistance center

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) awarded San Diego State University Research Foundation $6.73 million on October 1, 2025, under the Rehabilitation Training Technical Assistance Centers program (CFDA 84.264) to establish and operate the National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center (NVRTAC) through September 30, 2026. The NVRTAC delivers training curricula, technical assistance, and capacity-building services to State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency personnel—particularly rehabilitation counselors—with the objective of improving service delivery and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. This Project Grant represents one of only 69 awards issued under this program since 2001, reflecting the selective and specialized nature of vocational rehabilitation technical assistance funding.

The NVRTAC operates through a consortium partnership that includes three primary sub-awardees: the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), the National Disability Institute (NDI), and George Washington University's Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Education (CRCRE), which collectively received $2.1 million in sub-awards. CSAVR ($100K) assists with knowledge development, information dissemination, and coordination; NDI ($300K) provides technical assistance on quality employment strategies, program performance, and fiscal resource management; and GWU-CRCRE ($1.7M) delivers technical assistance on program performance, fiscal management, and employment strategies. Together with the prime awardee's contributions through San Diego State University's Interwork Institute, the center provides comprehensive technical assistance and training resources to support State VR agencies in achieving improved employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.