Two new grant opportunities from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) at ACL has been announced under the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program.
The purpose of the RERC program is to improve the effectiveness of services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act by conducting advanced engineering research on and development of innovative technologies that are designed to solve particular rehabilitation problems or to remove environmental barriers. RERCs also demonstrate and evaluate such technologies, facilitate service delivery system changes, stimulate the production and distribution of new technologies and equipment in the private sector, and provide training opportunities.
RERC on Universally Accessible Information Technology - The purpose of this grant is to conduct research and development:
- to help ensure that accessibility standards are met or exceeded for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) used by individuals with disabilities;
- to help ensure that individualized ICT configurations are available to and adaptable for individuals with disabilities across all contexts;
- for new protocols and standard to assess and optimize ICT usability for individuals with disabilities;
- for tools to support independent or assisted identification and selection of assistive technology (AT) for individuals with disabilities; and
- to identify barriers to and facilitators for access to AT, related to software licensing, cost, and availability; and
- to identify barriers to and facilitators of sustainable adoption of innovations providing universal access to ICT for individuals with disabilities.
RERC on Physical Access and Transportation - The purpose of this grant is to conduct research and development that leads to greater accessibility of the built environment and better access to safe and accessible transportation options for individuals with disabilities. Rehabilitation engineering in this area should result in the continued promotion of universal design, and the planning of accessible housing, buildings, parks, neighborhoods and cities; accessible transportation systems; and new or improved products, devices, and technological advances that enhance community living and participation in community and home settings.
Please visit the link above for more details about the grant opportunity and application process. These grant opportunities close on April 2, 2018.
To stay current on NIDILRR grant opportunities, please visit www.grants.gov and search: NIDILRR or 93.433.
Within ACL, NIDILRR works to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community; and to expand society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for people with disabilities. NIDILRR conducts its work through grants that support research and development.