Brain Waves: UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Newsletter Volume 17 | Number 1 | Page 4

TBI INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT
NIDILRR
How much do you know
about the National Institute on
Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)?
Not much, probably, but you have
without doubt benefited from
NIDILRR if you have a traumatic
brain injury or other disability.
The history dates back to 1978 with
the Rehabilitation, Comprehensive
Services, and Developmental
Disabilities amendment to the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This
amendment established the National
Institute on Handicapped Research
(NIHR). NIHR was charged with the
prime responsibility of providing
the required knowledge for defining
needs, and of identifying the means
for improving services to individuals
with disabilities.
Some new initiatives and changes
that NIHR spear-headed included,
but were not limited to:
• Research that improved the
rehabilitation and habilitation
of children with disabilities as
well as older Americans with
disabilities;
• Conduct of model research and
training centers on innovative
programs and techniques for
evaluating, training, and placing
individuals with disabilities in
productive work;
• Conduct of a research program
to determine ways to train and
retain rehabilitation professionals
to serve in rural areas;
• Development and
implementation of a public
education program, based
on research results, to inform
the public about the needs,
concerns and problems of
individuals with disabilities
including information relating
to family care, self-care,
and preventative aspects of
rehabilitation and habilitation;
• Establishment of a program
to improve the development,
evaluation, production, and
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distribution of technological
systems and devices that could
improve the quality of life of
persons with disabilities;
Development, in conjunction
with other federal agencies,
of statistical reports on the
employment, health, income,
and other demographic
characteristics of individuals with
disabilities; and
The conduct of projects
by private profit-making
organizations, non-profit public
entities, as well with universities.
NIHR became the National Institute
on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) in 1986 with
another amendment. NIDRR’s basic
purpose and reason for being did not
change much. The name change was
mainly an update in terminology to
reflect current times.
The name changed again in 1998
with the passage of the Workforce
Innovation Opportunity Act. Now
known as National Institute on
Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research, it has a
similar mission to:
• generate new knowledge
and to promote its effective
use to improve the abilities of
individuals with disabilities to
perform activities of their choice
in the community, and
• expand society’s capacity to
provide full opportunities and
accommodations for its citizens
with disabilities.
Current NIDILRR Programs
Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Program funds knowledge
translation, building capacity for
minority research entities, individual
research projects, and other work.
Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Center Program funds
advanced engineering research
and development of innovative
technologies to solve rehabilitation
problems or remove environmental
barriers for people with disabilities.
Switzer Research Fellowship
Program provides grants for
individuals to perform research on
rehabilitation, independent living,
and other experiences of people with
disabilities.
Field-Initiated Projects
Program Rehabilitation Research is
investigator-initiated research with
projects to generate new knowledge.
Model Systems Programs provide
coordinated systems of rehabilitation
care and conduct research on
recovery and long-term outcomes for
spinal cord injury, traumatic brain
injury, and burn injury.
Advanced Rehabilitation Research
and Training Program increases
capacity for high-quality disability
and rehabilitation research by
supporting grants to institutions to
provide advanced research training
to individuals with doctorates or
similar advanced degrees.
Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center Programs conduct
advanced research, training, and
information sharing on topic areas for
improving rehabilitation methodology
and service delivery systems;
improving health and function; and
promoting employment, independent
living, family support and economic
and social self-sufficiency for people
with disabilities.
Small Business Innovation
Research Program supports
development of new ideas and
projects useful to people with
disabilities through grants to small
business firms with strong research
capabilities in science, engineering,
or educational technology.
Americans with Disabilities Act
National Network funds 10 regional
centers for providing information,
training, and technical assistance
to individuals, businesses,
and agencies with rights and
responsibilities under the Americans
with Disabilities Act.