Stalled federal grants threaten US disability research and services
Federal grants that fund much of the US disability research and services infrastructure are stuck. Of about $37 million in forecast awards from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), more than $34 million — over 90 percent — has not been released, with only 7 of 80 expected awards distributed, STAT reported . Some institutions face a funding cliff as soon as August 31, with the fiscal year ending September 30.
The money supports concrete programs: 18 Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems that provide emergency and rehabilitation care, 18 ADA Centers that advise on accessibility and disability law, and long-running work such as the National Survey on Health and Disability used by more than 100 researchers. Because these grants underwrite both clinical services and the staff who run them, prolonged delays risk laying off researchers and shuttering centers rather than merely pausing projects — losses that are slow and costly to rebuild.
The holdup is part of broader funding disruptions across the Department of Health and Human Services. NIDILRR sits within HHS, and the stalled disbursements track wider delays affecting federal research grants this year.