NIDRR Program Directory Produced by the National Rehabilitation Information Center A project funded by The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, project number ED-08-CO-0095. National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program Directory 2009 Produced by the National Rehabilitation Information Center Landover, MD Mark X. Odum Director Jessica H. Chaiken Media and Public Education Manager Catherine E. Graves Media Specialist The full text of this public domain publication is available at the NARIC’s home page at www.naric.com and in alternate formats upon request. For more information, please contact us at: NARIC 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 600 Landover, MD 20785 800/346-2742 or 301/459-5900 (Voice) or 301/459-5984 (TTY). Contents Introduction .....................................................................................................i Research and Development: Employment....................................................................................................1 Health and Function........................................................................................2 Technology for Access and Function .............................................................3 Participation and Community Living .............................................................4 Disability Demographics ................................................................................5 Knowledge Translation Knowledge Translation...................................................................................6 ADA Technical Assistance .............................................................................7 Capacity Building Capacity Building for Rehabilitation Research Training ...............................8 Indices Subject ...........................................................................................................A Grantees ......................................................................................................... B Project by State .............................................................................................. C Principal Investigators ...................................................................................D Projects by Program Type.............................................................................. E Model System and Collaborative Projects..................................................... F Introduction The mission of NIDRR is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community, and also to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. NIDRR conducts comprehensive and coordinated programs of research and related activi- ties to assist in the achievement of the full inclusion, social integration, employment, and independent living of people with disabilities. This edition of the NIDRR Program Directory lists all projects funded by NIDRR during the 2009 fiscal year. The contextual paradigm of disability and rehabilitation research, originally described in NIDRR’s Long Range Plan, 1999-2003, continues to frame the NIDRR research agenda. This paradigm overcomes the limitations imposed by a medical model of disability. This paradigm of disability maintains that “disability is a product of the interaction between characteristics of the individual (e.g., conditions or impairments, func- tional status, or personal and social qualities) and the characteristics of the natural, built, cultural, and social environments.” (NIDRR Long-Range Plan 1999-2003.) NIDRR’s Research Program Under the Long Range Plan 2005-2009, NIDRR-funded research activities fall within three strategic arenas: Research and Development, Capacity Building, and Knowledge Translation. Most NIDRR grantees are universities or organizations of rehabilitation or related services. NIDRR’s largest funding programs are the Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs), the Model Systems, and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs). NIDRR also makes awards through other program mechanisms, including ADA Technical Assistance Projects, Advanced Rehabilitation Re- search Training Projects, Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects, Mary E. Switzer Research Fellowships, NIDRR Contracts, NIDRR Scholars, and Small Business Innovative Research. Program descriptions are provided below. ADA Technical Assistance Projects NIDRR funds a network of Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) to provide information, training, and technical assistance related to the American with Disability Act (ADA) to businesses, agencies, and the public. Presently, ten regional DBTACs and one Coordination, Outreach, and Research Center (CORC) are funded under this program. Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Projects The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program provides research training and experience at an advanced level to individuals with doctorates, or similar advanced degrees, who have clinical or other relevant experience. ARRT projects train rehabilitation researchers, including research- ers with disabilities, with particular attention to research areas that support the implementation and objectives of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and that improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Act. Introduction 1 Grants are made to institutions to recruit qualified persons, and to provide a training program that includes didactic and classroom instruction, is multidisciplinary, emphasizes scientific research method- ology, and may involve collaboration among institutions Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects The Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) program funds projects with special emphasis on research, demonstration, training, dissemination, utilization, and technical assistance. Projects may include combinations of these activities. True to the mission of NIDRR, these projects may develop methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology to assist in achieving the full inclu- sion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most significant disabilities, or to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act. Mary E. Switzer Research Fellowships Research Fellowships, named for the late Mary E. Switzer, give individual researchers the opportunity to develop new ideas and gain research experience. There are two levels of fellowships: Distinguished Fellowships and Merit Fellowships. Distinguished Fellowships go to individuals who have seven or more years of research experience in subject areas, methods, or techniques relevant to rehabilitation research and must have a doctorate, other terminal degree, or comparable academic qualifications. Merit Fellowships are given to individuals who have either advanced professional training or indepen- dent study experience in an area that is directly pertinent to disability and rehabilitation but who do not meet the qualifications for Distinguished, usually because they are in earlier stages of their careers. Fellows work for one year on an independent research project of their design. Model Systems NIDRR administers programs that have become world-renowned model systems of care for persons with spinal cord injuries, burns, and traumatic brain injuries. The Model Systems establish innovative projects for the delivery, demonstration, and evaluation of comprehensive medical, vocational, and other rehabilitation services. The work of the Model Systems begins at the point of injury and ends with successful re-entry into full community life. These projects collect and contribute data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, causes of injury, interventions, outcomes, and costs to a uniform national database; participate in collaborative research with other Model System centers; and coordinate re- search efforts with other related grant recipients. In 2006, NIDRR funded a coordinating knowledge translation center for all three Model System types. NIDRR Scholars The NIDRR Scholars Program is designed to provide internship opportunities in disability and reha- bilitation research for undergraduate students with disabilities. Each year, NIDRR provides funding for this program to projects and centers. The intent of the program is to enable students to gain practical experience in ongoing research, thereby preparing them for careers in disability and rehabilitation research. The duration of the internship is one semester and the students are required to work 20 hours per week. 2 Introduction NIDRR Contracts Through its contracts, NIDRR seeks improved methods, systems, products, and practices to add to its work. The contracts are for specific activities related to management, research, and information dis- semination. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) conduct programs of advanced research of an engineering or technical nature designed to apply advanced technology, scientific achievement, and psychological and social knowledge to solve rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers. Each center is affiliated with one or more institutions of higher education or nonprofit organi- zations. The RERCs’ work in a rehabilitation