Center for innovation, design, and digital learning (CIDDL)

The Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL) at the University of Kansas Center for Research Inc. received a $700,000 Project Grant from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) under the Special Education Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities program (CFDA 84.327), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. CIDDL will operate as a center of knowledge, digital platform, and national collaborative community to advance how institutions of higher education (IHE) faculty use technology to improve practices supporting students with disabilities (SWDs) and early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) programs. The center will facilitate a scaled, facilitated professional learning network connecting IHE faculty, educational technology researchers, K-12 teachers, related service providers, and leadership scholars to accumulate and share knowledge on evidence-based technology implementation.

The award includes two sub-grants to support CIDDL's mission: a March 27, 2026 sub-award to Metiri Group LLC (a woman-owned small business) and a January 27, 2026 sub-award to the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, Office of Research. Both sub-awardees will support CIDDL's operations as a knowledge center with a critically reviewed understanding of how faculty technology use translates into improved practices for students with disabilities and early intervention/early childhood special education populations. These collaborative efforts align with OSERS's program objective of promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).