The National Institute on Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research

FY 2013 Organization Highlights
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research...Briefly

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) was established in the landmark 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1978. The Rehabilitation Act laid out a groundbreaking perspective 

on disability and citizenship in the Congressional finding that, “Disability is a natural part of the human 

experience and in no way diminishes the rights of individuals to...live independently; enjoy self-determination; 

make choices; contribute to society; pursue meaningful careers; and enjoy full inclusion and integration in the 

economic, political, social, cultural and educational mainstream of American society.” At its core, NIDRR’s 

role is to generate and promote the use of knowledge that contributes to fulfilling the rights recognized by 

Congress in the Rehabilitation Act. More specifically, as the federal government’s primary disability research 

agency, the Congress has called on NIDRR to:

• “provide for research, demonstration, 

training, technical assistance and related 

activities to maximize the full inclusion 

and integration into society, employment, 

independent living, family support, and 

economic and social self-sufficiency of 

individuals with disabilities of all ages...;

• promote the transfer of, use and adoption of 

rehabilitation technology for individuals with 

disabilities in a timely manner...; and

• ensure the widespread distribution, in 

usable formats, of practical scientific and 

technological information.”

NIDRR accomplishes these and other mandates through the funding of scholars, innovators and leaders across 

the U.S. and beyond. A few summary statistics related to these responsibilities are shown in Chart 1.

Chart 1: A Brief Summary of NIDRR 

Grants and Contracts in FY 2013

$104,902,278 Research and Contract Budget

7.7% Increase in Budget Allocated to 

Competitive Grants Since 2009

237 Grants and Contracts Supported

34 States with at Least One Grant

32 Grant Competitions Conducted in 2013

277 Peer Reviewers Participating in 

Application Review

470 Proposals Evaluated 

14% Success Rate of Applicants

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From the Director

Charlie Lakin, Director of NIDRR

We at NIDRR are pleased to present to the Congress, the Administration 

and our broader community of stakeholders this summary of our activities 

and accomplishments in fiscal year (FY) 2013. FY 2013 was a busy year for 

NIDRR. We published our draft new Long-Range Plan, received over 150 

public comments in response to it, and revised and published the final Plan in 

April 2013. This Plan lays out commitments and procedures for NIDRR 

to achieve its main goals in FY 2013 and beyond. In broad strokes, these 

goals are to continuously improve the balance, relevance and quality of the 

research we fund and to share it and its implications effectively with all who 

might benefit. 

NIDRR has been aided in our long-range planning efforts by the 

recommendations of a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) review of 

NIDRR released early in FY 2013. This review was generally positive about 

the products of NIDRR’s funding, finding that the vast majority of those 

products were of good to excellent quality and in direct alignment with the 

purposes for which NIDRR was created. But the review also provided important suggestions for improving 

NIDRR operations. Building on the NAS review, NIDRR contracted with Abt Associates to develop a 10-

year cycle of recurring evaluation activities to make us a more data-driven organization. To assure ongoing 

scrutiny of the relevance of NIDRR activities, in FY 2013 NIDRR moved forward with the establishment 

of a Rehabilitation Research Advisory Council (RRAC). This Council is composed of remarkable leaders in 

research, policy and outreach in government and non-government roles. The Council will be of great value to 

NIDRR in keeping us informed of emerging trends and needs, enhancing our two-way communication with key 

constituents and recommending directions to NIDRR for our priorities and operations. 

In addition to our efforts to increase our direct engagement with the disability community, in FY 2013 

NIDRR sustained existing and established new partnerships with other federal government agencies. NIDRR 

collaborated with 28 federal agencies from nine different departments, as well as independent agencies like the 

Social Security Administration, Access Board, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), National Science 

Foundation and National Council on Disability. These collaborations increase the benefits to other federal 

agencies of the research and technology that NIDRR finances, as well as making 

available to them the substantial expertise found within the community of 

NIDRR grantees. 

As I look to FY 2014 and beyond I am optimistic about NIDRR continuing to 

contribute to the independence, inclusion, productivity and full citizenship of all 

Americans with disabilities. In part, that optimism derives from the appointment 

of John Tschida to become the new Director of NIDRR on March 1, 2014. John 

brings to NIDRR great knowledge, experience and insight that position him 

well to be an effective leader of NIDRR in the years to come. In an even larger 

measure, my optimism derives from the fact that John will be supported by the 

same committed, skilled and exceptionally knowledgeable 

professional staff with which I have been honored to work. 

 John Tschida 

Director of NIDRR 

effective March 1, 2014

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How Is NIDRR Funding Used?

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NIDRR addresses a broad scope of concerns related to disability and rehabilitation. The charts and statistics 

presented below provide an overview of how NIDRR distributed its funds, the kinds of activities its grantees 

conducted and the types of outcomes produced in FY 2013.

Funding by Major Program Areas in FY 2013

The total NIDRR budget for 2013 was $104,902,278, provided through direct appropriations and interagency 

agreements. More than 90 percent of that funding ($94,812,900) went toward competitive grant activities. The 

remaining $10 million was allocated among a variety of administrative and contract activities. These activities 

included support of the Interagency Committee on Disability Research to coordinate disability research across 

the federal government; a national database on disability research (NARIC) and a national database on assistive 

technology products (AbleData); and a contract to support the peer review process. Other activities included 

contracts to support the Web Accessibility Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (now cofunded by IBM, HP, Adobe and the European Commission), program evaluation, management activities, work 

with the Institute of Medicine and other initiatives. These expenditures are shown in Chart 2. 

Chart 2: NIDRR’s Budget (in millions) by Program Area in FY 2013
Support for Grant Program Areas in FY 2013

NIDRR oversees 10 different grant programs that vary in purpose, scope, duration and size. The average annual 

funding amounts reflect these variations as shown in Chart 3. The 10 regional Americans with Disabilities Act 

(ADA) National Network grants have the highest average funding per grant. The Research Fellowships are 

awarded to individuals to support one year of independent research and have the lowest average funding per 

grant. 

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Chart 3: Average Funding per Grant by Program Area in FY 2013
Support for Research Capacity Building in FY 2013 

NIDRR funds the training of emerging talent for conducting research, engineering and other development 

activities. Capacity building is promoted through the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training program, 

Research Fellowships (Switzer) and Section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act which requires that NIDRR reserve 

one percent of its annual appropriation for minority outreach efforts. In 2013, NIDRR devoted $4.5 million to 

capacity building grants, including the funding of a 

new Rehabilitation Research and Training Center 

(RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for 

Minority Entities at Langston University. These 

expenditures are shown in Chart 4. 

Chart 4: NIDRR’s Capacity Building Programs in FY 2013

Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training $2,841,991

Research Fellowships (Switzer) $465,000

Section 21 Minority Outreach $1,225,000

Total $4,531,991

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Support for Knowledge Translation and Dissemination in FY 2013

Knowledge Translation (KT) is the active process of ensuring that new knowledge gained through research 

ultimately improves the lives of people with disabilities. KT involves knowledge validation, dissemination, 

utilization and transfer of technology. It recognizes the importance of engaging those potentially affected by 

research in defining the focus 

of research and the methods 

of getting research into the 

community. As illustrated in 

Chart 5, NIDRR invested over 

$4.3 million for KT projects 

focusing on different content 

areas to assist NIDRR grantees 

in their KT efforts through 

technical assistance and training.

Chart 5: NIDRR’s Knowledge Translation Grants in FY 2013

Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer $924,512

ADA Network Knowledge Translation Center $850,000

Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center $800,000

Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research

$750,000

Center on Knowledge Translation for $650,000

Employment Research

Center for International Rehabilitation Research

Information and Exchange

$399,992

Total $4,374,504

NIDRR funds the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network to conduct ADA-related 

research and to provide information, training and technical assistance about the ADA to businesses, 

agencies and the public. Currently NIDRR invests $12.5 million in its 10 ADA regional centers, one ADA 

collaborative research center and one ADA knowledge translation center. From June 2012 to May 2013, 

the ADA National Network responded to 56,688 technical assistance requests and disseminated 505,356 

publications and information products to people with disabilities and their family members, businesses, 

and other stakeholders.

NIDRR supports NARIC (http://naric.com/), a research library and information center to promote 

access to disability and rehabilitation research information. Almost 90 percent of patrons are people with 

disabilities, family, friends and advocates. In FY 2013, NARIC responded to 1,250 information requests 

and received 223,000 website visitors who viewed 1.8 million pages. 

NIDRR supports AbleData (http://abledata.com), an information center hosting an extensive database 

of assistive technology products and resources to increase awareness of and access to assistive 

devices. Over 60 percent of patrons are people with disabilities, family and friends. In FY2013, AbleData 

responded to 2,900 information requests and received about 4.3 million website visitors who viewed 

over 30.5 million pages.
Employment and Training of Persons with Disabilities

NIDRR encourages all of its grantees to employ and train individuals with disabilities. Chart 6 shows that in 

2013, 12.7 percent of NIDRR-supported grant staff, fellows and graduate students voluntarily reported having a 

disability. 

Chart 6: Disability Status of NIDRR-Supported Grant Staff,

 Fellows and Graduate Students in FY 2013 

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Position 

Type Total Supported

Responded to 

Voluntary Disability 

Declaration

Has Declared 

Disability

Percent with

 Declared Disability

Grant Staff 3,065 2,845 399 14.0

Fellows 204 195 13 6.7

Graduate Students 527 470 34 7.2

Total 3,796 3,510 446 12.7

Products of NIDRR Grants

NIDRR grantees report annually on the number and type of products they produce. Chart 7 summarizes these 

data. In 2013, peer-reviewed publications were the most common product generated by NIDRR grants. Of the 

55 technology products and devices reported, 21 were products transferred to industry. 

Chart 7: The Number of Different Products 

Generated by NIDRR Grants in FY 2013
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How Is NIDRR Research Making a Difference?

Research supported by NIDRR is practical and applied in focus, designed to generate new knowledge and 

technologies and to stimulate change in programs, practices and public policies to the benefit of Americans 

with disabilities. Selected grantee accomplishments from FY 2013 are presented below to illustrate the variety 

of NIDRR grantee activities that are improving the lives of people with disabilities.

National Estimates of Traumatic Brain Injury Reveal TBI as a Chronic Condition

NIDRR has supported the creation and maintenance of a national database for tracking people with traumatic 

brain injury (TBI) through its TBI Model Systems Centers (TBIMS) program. Now the largest longitudinal 

TBI database in existence, it is being mined to improve our understanding of the life course of people with 

moderate or severe TBI from the time of injury until death. Recent studies show that the database represents 

the U.S. population of people who require inpatient rehabilitation for TBI. 

Together with NIDRR, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA) are leveraging the infrastructure of the TBIMS national database. The VA is sponsoring 

a parallel database for veterans with TBI that will enable comparisons of outcomes between civilians and 

veterans. The CDC-sponsored research uses the database to make national prevalence estimates of outcomes. 

For example, these estimates show that individuals with TBI are more than twice as likely to die compared to 

individuals of similar age, gender and race, with a reduced average life expectancy of nine years. Among those 

who went to rehabilitation and survived for at least five years after the injury:

• 12 percent were institutionalized and 50 percent were re-hospitalized at least once;

• 57 percent were moderately or severely disabled overall, 33 percent were not independent in everyday 

activities and 39 percent showed deterioration in outcomes one or two years post-injury; and 

• 60 percent were unemployed at two years post-injury, and about one-third of those who were 

employed worked part-time. 

Studies using this database are contributing to the growing evidence 

that for some, decline occurs over time following brain injury, and that 

deterioration necessitates treating brain injury as a chronic health 

condition. Acknowledgement of chronic brain injury by the scientific 

community is likely to lead to significant changes in the approaches 

used by health care and social service providers for treating and 

managing TBI—changes that hold the promise of improving long-term 

outcomes for individuals with TBI. Visit The TBIMS National Data and 

Statistical Center at Craig Hospital (https://www.tbindsc.org/) for more 

information.
Study Supports Promising Employment Model for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders 

A NIDRR-funded study at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) yielded an 87 percent employment 

rate for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) participating in a promising employment intervention. 

This exciting finding exemplifies how much more can be accomplished in addressing the persistent challenge 

of transitioning from school to competitive employment for all youth with disabilities. The project was the 

first randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the Project SEARCH internship model plus 

ASD supports on the employment outcomes for youth with significant ASD between 18 and 21 years of age. 

The intervention is a nine-month immersion program at hospital sites that includes on-site instruction in 

job, communication and related skills, and three internship rotations in 

different departments of the hospital. Youth in the experimental group were 

hired for hospital jobs that paid above minimum wage, such as providing 

clerical assistance for physicians, stocking linens and medical supply carts, 

cleaning and stocking isolation carts, and assisting in the pharmacy. In 

contrast, only about 6 percent of the control group youth who remained in 

traditional services found jobs. Researchers concluded that the program is 

successful because of the use of applied behavior analysis, business buy-in, 

seamless transition to employment and intensive opportunities for work 

experience that help youth discover which jobs best fit their strengths and 

personalities. VCU has received a second NIDRR grant for a replication and 

scaling up of the original study to more sites. Project SEARCH case studies 

are available online at http://www.vcu-autism.org/news/index.cfm. Photo Credit: VCU

New Captioning Technologies Advance Media Access Photo Credit: NCAM

With support from NIDRR, WGBH’s National Center for Accessible Media 

(NCAM) has advanced the accessibility of media on numerous platforms. A series 

of NIDRR-funded projects has enabled NCAM to bring captioning to movie 

theaters, online and mobile media, in-flight entertainment and digital TV. The needs 

of close to 40 million people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing have often been 

left out of the initial development of new and emerging technologies because they 

are not viewed as an easily reached market or one that can yield significant returns 

on investment. NIDRR-funded projects filled this gap, starting with the Motion 

Picture Access Project (MoPix), which developed the technology and process for providing discrete or hidden 

captions in movie theaters. By the end of 2014, almost every movie complex in the country will have some 

form of captioning. As media began to migrate from traditional broadcast to web-based platforms, NIDRR 

support enabled NCAM’s Access to Online Media and Captioning Solutions for Mobile Devices projects 

to develop the first standards and specifications for captioned online and mobile media and the first do-ityourself captioning tool, MAGpie. Today, with a wide proliferation of tools and the media industry’s acceptance 

of common practices, captioning of online media is widespread, helped along by the provisions of the 21st 

Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. The DTV Access Project developed the user-controllable 

caption functions of the digital television requirements adopted by the FCC in March 2012, significantly 

upgrading the look and feel of closed captions for the 21st century. The Access to In-Flight Entertainment 

project triggered a move by the airline industry and the U.S. Department of Transportation to finally begin 

equal access to the movies and TV programs available to air travelers. As a result of WGBH’s development 

efforts, the technology is available to make many forms of media accessible to people who are deaf and hard of 

hearing. In addition, WGBH has stimulated changes in regulations that will promote accessibility in future media 

technologies. Visit http://ncam.wgbh.org/ for more information. 

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Advanced Navigation Tools Developed for Blind Travelers

According to Mike May, a NIDRR researcher who is blind, there are two major challenges facing people who 

are blind–reading and getting around. Both affect social, family and career development. His company, Sendero 

Group, has received four grants from NIDRR since 2001 to develop and expand accessible Global Positioning 

Systems (GPS) to seven platforms and to spawn commercial products. Accessible 

GPS is more than a convenience for people who cannot see printed street signs 

or the names of businesses; it is an essential tool for independent navigation. The 

first Sendero GPS was on a laptop within a backpack, weighing 12 pounds. Seeing 

Eye GPSTM is the latest Sendero app that uses Apple’s VoiceOver screen-reader 

on the iPhone. This app is regularly updated and is commercially available through 

iTunes. It is free to download, but requires users to choose a subscription plan for 

one month, one year or three years when launched. Research and development has 

also included indoor navigation and crowd sourcing, which Sendero deems “The 

Blind Army.” As a result of the collaboration of Sendero, its blind users and NIDRR, 

people who are blind now have enhanced opportunities for location literacy, better 

orientation and mobility, and improved access to jobs. For more information on 

accessible GPS, visit http://www.AccessibleGPS.com. To learn about Mike May, visit 

http://www.CrashingThrough.com.

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Photo Credit: Sendero Group

Employer-Led Research Offers Insights to Improve Employment for People with Disabilities

Since its inception, NIDRR has supported research to address the low employment rates of working age 

people with disabilities compared to those without disabilities—32.7 percent vs. 73.6 percent in 2012. In 

recent years, NIDRR initiated research to examine the effect of employer attitudes and needs, corporate 

culture, organizational behavior and the labor economy on hiring and retention of employees with disabilities. 

Extending this line of work, the Cornell Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employer Practices 

worked with 16 employers who were members of the Conference Board to explore how to improve 

employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The group, known as the Conference Board Research 

Working Group on Improving Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities, gathered and reviewed 

research, surveyed employers and participated in meetings and webinars over the course of a year. The major 

conclusions resulting from the study follow. 

• In large part, programs that benefit people with disabilities benefit all employees, and therefore, 

employers.

• Active recruiting and retention of people with disabilities, including veterans, can significantly expand 

the pool of talent and create new business opportunities.

• Providing accommodations for disabled employees is generally not expensive.

• A majority of consumers prefer to give their business to companies that employ people with disabilities.

• Employers need to develop improved metrics to further 

advance the hiring and promotion of people with disabilities.

This unique collaboration between the RRTC and the Conference 

Board has promulgated insights for employers by employers that 

may stimulate more real-world change to improve the employment 

outcomes for people with disabilities. The full report can be found 

at Cornell’s Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/

edicollect/1292/.
Studies Document Critical Needs Related to Exercise, Obesity and Disability

NIDRR began supporting a program of research on physical activity and disability a decade ago to address the 

dearth of knowledge in this area. The results of a set of interrelated studies over this period have significantly 

advanced our understanding of critical health and prevention issues for people with disabilities. Initial studies 

documented the epidemiology of obesity disparities, finding that obesity rates and rates of chronic health 

conditions are higher among youth with disabilities than their non-disabled counterparts. Building on these 

findings, NIDRR-funded researchers developed the first conceptual model highlighting the deleterious effects 

of physical inactivity and the pathway to obesity. For example, people with neuromuscular disabilities have high 

rates of sedentary behavior predisposing them to severe deconditioning and significant health risk. Researchers 

subsequently identified a general disability-associated low energy expenditure deconditioning syndrome. 

Taken together, these findings highlighted the urgent need to promote physical activity of light to moderate 

intensity among people with disabilities. To encourage appropriate physical activity, researchers developed a 

new methodology and criteria to take existing evidence-based obesity prevention strategies developed for nondisabled populations and adapt them for youths and adults with disabilities. The Guidelines, Recommendations, 

Adaptations Including Disability (GRAIDs) are now available at http://www.obesitystrategies.org/strategies.php.

Related engineering work at the Rectech Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (http://www.rectech.

org) continued developing adaptive game controllers for active video games for youth with disabilities, virtual 

environment exercise devices and the first accelerometer that accurately measures calories expended in 

manual wheelchair users so they can now track energy intake/energy expenditure to help manage their weight. 

Researchers also developed and tested an online system for promoting and monitoring physical activity in 

children with disabilities in their local communities—the Personalized Online Weight and Exercise Response 

System (POWERS). A telehealth coach 

establishes a link between the child/

parent and local service provider 

(for ballet, martial arts, swimming, 

etc.) and facilitates integration of 

the child into the program with 

remote instruction, monitoring and 

feedback. This telehealth system was 

subsequently used in a randomized 

controlled trial study that showed the 

approach led to weight reduction in 

people with physical disabilities and was 

cost-effective. Overall, this program of 

research has raised awareness of the 

critical needs of people with disabilities 

with regard to obesity and exercise and 

has developed creative and successful 

strategies to address the disparities. 

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About NIDRR

The National Institute on Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a component 

of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office 

of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 

(OSERS), is the main federal agency that supports 

applied research, training and development to 

improve the lives of individuals with disabilities. 

NIDRR staff and its grantees are committed to: 

• Generating new knowledge and promoting

its effective use in improving the ability

of persons with disabilities to perform

activities of their choice in the community,

and

• Expanding society’s capacity to provide full

opportunities and accommodations for its

citizens with disabilities.

Director: Charlie Lakin

URL: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list

/osers/nidrr/index.html 

Main Telephone: 202-245-7640 

Email: NIDRR-Mailbox@ed.gov

This report is available on the Department 

of Education’s website at: 

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/

nidrr/2013organizationhighlights.pdf

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is 

granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: 

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, National 

Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, NIDRR FY 2013 Organization Highlights, 

Washington, D.C. 2014.

This report was produced under U.S. Department of Education Contract No. ED-OSE-10-O-0072 with New Editions Consulting, Inc. Maggie Hatton served as the 

contracting officer’s technical representative. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No 

official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred.