HHS Announces $35M+ in Grants for Disability Research, Technology & Training
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), 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.
The work supports HHS and ACL priorities: Whole-person health, employment, caregiving, connecting people to services and economic security.
Improving Rehabilitation & Whole-Person Health
Since 1970, the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Model Systems program, among the world’s longest-running, has linked specialized rehabilitation care, research at individual centers, studies that span centers and a national database that follows people’s outcomes over the long term.
- SCI Model Systems (14 centers) – $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 – $699,999: self-management for adults with chronic burn injury
- Medical University of South Carolina – $699,950: resilience and mental health after spinal cord injury, including an online peer story-exchange program
Expanding Employment & Economic Opportunity
These awards study how to help people with disabilities get hired, succeed at work and thrive in their communities.
- Virginia Commonwealth University – $925,000: employer practices and technology in hiring, accommodations and advancement
- University of Texas at Austin – $700,000: accessible career exploration and job-readiness supports for deaf high school students.
Other projects look at workplace communication for youth with autism and AI-supported task instructions for employees with intellectual disabilities.
Supporting Independence & Caregivers
These projects look at ways to improve daily independence, support families and make useful technology and services easier to find and use.
- Temple University – $925,000: peer-led community living, including volunteer transportation and peer coaching
- University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Georgia Tech – $999,993 combined: a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm with accessible controls (UW–Milwaukee) and an online assistive technology assessment platform (Georgia Tech)
- University of Northern Colorado: help for families moving from child to adult services
- University of Pittsburgh: smart-home research
Strengthening Accessibility & ADA Implementation
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.
- Ten regional centers – $11,074,444
- University of Washington – $850,000: a Knowledge translation center that will coordinate national resources and improve how the network measures results
Developing Technology & Building the Evidence Base
- 13 Small Business Innovation Research awards – $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 prevention
- University of Central Florida – $975,000: a rehabilitation engineering research center on AI for people with limb differences
- 16 Field-Initiated Projects – $3,991,978: topics range from accessible social media to stroke rehabilitation and loneliness
- 3 Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training awards – $749,917
- SCI and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems data centers – $1,599,999 combined
- Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center – $850,000: will turn research into resources for individuals, families and professionals
Summary of 68 New Awards for FY2026
| PROGRAM OR FUNDING MECHANISM | AWARDS | FY2026 FUNDING |
|---|---|---|
| Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems | 14 | $8,445,498 |
| Regional ADA National Network centers | 10 | $11,074,444 |
| ADA National Network Knowledge Translation Center | 1 | $850,000 |
| Field-Initiated Projects | 12 | $3,991,978 |
| Small Business Innovation Research, Phase I | 7 | $699,984 |
| Small Business Innovation Research, Phase II | 6 | $1,577,150 |
| Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on AI | 1 | $975,000 |
| Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Community Living and Participation | 1 | $925,000 |
| Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment | 1 | $925,000 |
| Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Burn Injury | 1 | $699,999 |
| Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employment | 1 | $700,000 |
| Spinal Cord Injury Resilience | 1 | $699,950 |
| Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects on Community Living and Participation | 2 | $999,993 |
| Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training | 3 | $749,917 |
| Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center | 1 | $800,000 |
| Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center | 1 | $799,999 |
| Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center | 1 | $850,000 |
| Total | 68 | $35,763,912 |
Amounts are recorded FY2026 obligations verified on Oct. 6, 2026. Separate funding continues existing multiyear projects. For award details, visit usaspending.gov and HHS TAGGS.
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