National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services funds disability and rehabilitation research, demonstration projects, training, and technical assistance under CFDA 84.133, with the most recent grant awards dated October 1, 2014. This program is not actively pursuing new funding—the portfolio has not issued awards in over a decade, though multiple grant opportunities were posted in early 2015 (February through June, with due dates in April through August 2015).

Over its active funding period, the program issued 1,263 Project Grants totaling $937 million in federal dollars obligated (combined federal and non-federal share of $1.2 billion). The portfolio shows a declining award trend, declining from 105 awards in 2013 to 59 in 2014. All funding has come through the single owning agency; no other federal funders participate. Recent awards span rehabilitation research and training centers, disability rehabilitation research projects, rehabilitation engineering research centers, small business innovation research, field-initiated projects, and advanced rehabilitation research training. Awards range from $4 thousand to $1.38 million, with median magnitudes around $100 thousand to $200 thousand. A Rehabilitation Research and Training Center award (H133B130023) received $1.38 million, and another RRTC (H133B130014) received $1.04 million. Field-initiated projects, SBIR Phase I awards, and disability rehabilitation research projects each constitute material portions of the award mix.

Recent opportunities included Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers for Self-Directed Care to Promote Recovery for individuals with serious mental illness (due August 25, 2015); Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training fellowships and policy fellowships (various due dates in May through August 2015); Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects targeting knowledge translation for employment, outcomes measurement for home and community-based services, and translating research into practice (due dates July 6 through July 20, 2015); Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers addressing individual mobility and manipulation, information and communication technology access, and physical access and transportation (due April 20, 2015); and SBIR Phase I competitions for small businesses developing technologies or methods serving people with disabilities (due May 12, 2015). Eligible applicants include states, public and private agencies (including for-profit), institutions of higher education, Indian tribes and tribal organizations, and, for certain fellowships, individuals with terminal degrees or advanced professional experience. The source supports no grant opportunities posted after June 2015.