WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014OCTOBER 28, 2026\u2014The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), today announced $35,763,912 in fiscal year 2026 funding for 68 new grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The grants pay for research, technology development, training, and technical assistance. They aim to improve health, expand job opportunities, and support independent living and community life for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
The work supports HHS and ACL priorities: Whole-person health, employment, caregiving, connecting people to services, and economic security.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident Trump is expanding opportunity for Americans with disabilities to live healthier, more independent, and more productive lives,\u201d said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. \u201cHHS is investing in practical research and new technologies that remove barriers to work, improve health, strengthen independence, and help people participate fully in their communities. We will measure these investments by one standard: whether they make a real difference in people\u2019s everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese grants will help people with disabilities stay healthy, find meaningful work, and live and take part in their communities. Our goal is research and technology that make a real difference in everyday life, and these new grants move us closer to that,\u201d said Kristi Hill, PhD, Acting Director of NIDILRR.<\/p>\n
Improving Rehabilitation and Whole-Person Health<\/p>\n
Since 1970, the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems program, among the world\u2019s longest-running, has linked specialized rehabilitation care, research at individual centers, studies that span centers, and a national database that follows people\u2019s outcomes over the long term.<\/p>\n
SCI Model Systems (14 centers) \u2013 $8,445,498: studies include arm recovery and fatigue (Craig Hospital), home-based spinal stimulation (Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital), nerve pain (University of Miami), and urinary tract infection prevention (Medstar Health Research Institute)Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital \u2013 $699,999: self-management for adults with chronic burn injuryMedical University of South Carolina \u2013 $699,950: resilience and mental health after spinal cord injury, including an online peer story-exchange program<\/p>\n
Expanding Employment and Economic Opportunity<\/p>\n
These awards study how to help people with disabilities get hired, succeed at work, and thrive in their communities.<\/p>\n
Virginia Commonwealth University \u2013 $925,000: employer practices and technology in hiring, accommodations, and advancementUniversity of Texas at Austin \u2013 $700,000: accessible career exploration and job-readiness supports for deaf high school students.<\/p>\n
Other projects look at workplace communication for autistic youth and AI-supported task instructions for employees with intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\n
Supporting Independence and Caregivers<\/p>\n
These projects look at ways to improve daily independence, support families, and make useful technology and services easier to find and use.<\/p>\n
Temple University \u2013 $925,000: peer-led community living, including volunteer transportation and peer coachingUniversity of Wisconsin\u2013Milwaukee and Georgia Tech \u2013 $999,993 combined: a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm with accessible controls (UW\u2013Milwaukee) and an online assistive technology assessment platform (Georgia Tech)University of Northern Colorado: help for families moving from child to adult servicesUniversity of Pittsburgh: smart-home research<\/p>\n
Strengthening Accessibility and ADA Implementation<\/p>\n
Since 1991, the ADA National Network has helped people with disabilities, employers, businesses, and public agencies understand and carry out the Americans with Disabilities Act. New work covers healthcare and workplace access, accommodations, web access, and the needs of rural areas and small businesses.<\/p>\n
Ten regional centers \u2013 $11,074,444University of Washington \u2013 $850,000: a Knowledge Translation Center that will coordinate national resources and improve how the network measures results<\/p>\n
Developing Technology and Building the Evidence Base<\/p>\n
13 Small Business Innovation Research awards \u2013 $2,277,134: these support feasibility studies and further development of innovations, including a motorized hand exoskeleton, a bionic arm prosthesis, accessible medication dose markings, and online diabetes preventionUniversity of Central Florida \u2013 $975,000: a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on AI for people with limb differences16 Field-Initiated Projects \u2013 $3,991,978: topics range from accessible social media to stroke rehabilitation and loneliness3 Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training awards \u2013 $749,917SCI and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems data centers \u2013 $1,599,999 combinedModel Systems Knowledge Translation Center \u2013 $850,000: will turn research into resources for individuals, families, and professionals<\/p>\n
Summary of 68 New Awards for FY2026<\/p>\n
PROGRAM OR FUNDING MECHANISM<\/p>\n
AWARDS<\/p>\n
FY2026 FUNDING<\/p>\n
Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems14$8,445,498Regional ADA National Network centers10$11,074,444ADA National Network Knowledge Translation Center1$850,000Field-Initiated Projects12$3,991,978Small Business Innovation Research, Phase I7$699,984Small Business Innovation Research, Phase II6$1,577,150Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on AI1$975,000Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation1$925,000Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment1$925,000Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Burn Injury1$699,999Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employment1$700,000Spinal Cord Injury Resilience1$699,950Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects on Community Living and Participation2$999,993Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training3$749,917Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center1$800,000Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center1$799,999Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center1$850,000Total68$35,763,912<\/p>\n
Amounts are recorded FY2026 obligations verified on October 6, 2026. Separate funding continues existing multiyear projects. For award details, visit USAspending.gov<\/a> and HHS TAGGS<\/a>.<\/p>\n About NIDILRR<\/p>\n The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), part of the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds research and development that helps people with disabilities improve their health and function, employment, and participation in community life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014OCTOBER 28, 2026\u2014The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":898560,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[374747,97,252,253],"class_list":["post-898559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-funding-opportunities-and-grant-awards","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/898559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=898559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/898559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/898560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=898559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=898559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=898559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}