Wireless RERC Funding

National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

The mission of NIDRR is to generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community, and also to expand society’s capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities. Toward this end, NIDRR conducts comprehensive and coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the full inclusion, social integration, employment and independent living of individuals of all ages with disabilities. NIDRR's focus includes research in areas such as employment; health and function; technology for access and function; independent living and community integration; and other associated disability research areas.

Grant Structure

The Wireless RERC is structured into Research, Development, and Training activities that are guided and evaluated by constituent advisory groups made up of consumers, rehabilitation professionals, and wireless industry representatives.

Other Areas of NIDRR Support

National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR)

Access to high-quality information has the potential to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. With an emphasis on knowledge translation, the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) promotes the production and aggregation of research results that can be used in shaping new technology, improving service delivery, and expanding decision-making options for people with disabilities and their families.

National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)

NARIC provides a gateway to disability- and rehabilitation-oriented information organized in a variety of formats designed to make it easy for users to find and use. As a leader in providing interactive information to the disability and rehabilitation community, NARIC's web site provides information to consumers through online publications, searchable databases, and timely reference and referral data.

Other RERCs

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) conduct programs of advanced research of an engineering or technical nature designed to apply advanced technology, scientific achievement and psychological and social knowledge to solve rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers. Each center is affiliated with one or more institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations. Involved at both the individual and systems levels, RERCs seek to find and evaluate the newest technologies, products, and methods that ultimately can benefit the independence of persons with disabilities and the universal design of environments for people of all ages.

A current list of all RERCs is maintained by NARIC.

• RERC on Spinal Cord Injury: Keep Moving: Technologies to Enhance Mobility and Function for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury.
• RERC: Develop and Evaluate Technology for Low Vision, Blindness, and Multi-Sensory Loss.
• RERC for the Advancement of Cognitive Technologies (RERC-ACT).
• RERC on Hearing Enhancement.
• RERC for Wireless Technologies.
• RERC on Wheeled Mobility.
• RERC on Workplace Accommodations.
• RERC on Rehabilitation Robotics and Telemanipulation: Machines Assisting Recovery from Stroke (MARS).
• RERC in Prosthetics and Orthotics
• RERC on Recreational Technologies and Exercise Physiology Benefiting Persons with Disabilities (RERC RecTech).
• RERC on Technology Access for Landmine Survivors
• RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety.
• RERC on Children with Orthopedic Disabilities
• RERC on Technology Transfer (T2RERC).
• RERC on Universal Design and the Built Environment at Buffalo
• RERC on Communication Enhancement.
• RERC for Accessible Public Transportation.
• RERC on Telerehabilitation
• RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety
• RERC on Accessible Medical Instrumentation.
• RERC on Telecommunication Access
• RERC on Universal Interface and Information Technology Access.