HHS Awards $35.8 Million for 68 Disability Research Grants, From Spinal Cord Injury Care to ADA Help Centers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced $35,763,912 in new federal funding for disability research, technology development and training, spread across 68 grants that range from spinal cord injury care to help desks that explain the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The fiscal year 2026 awards come from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, known as NIDILRR, which is part of HHS’s Administration for Community Living. In its announcement, HHS said the grants aim to improve health, expand job opportunities and support independent living for people with disabilities.

“We will measure these investments by one standard: whether they make a real difference in people’s everyday lives,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the release.

Where is the $35.8 million going?

The two largest pieces of the funding go to long-running national programs, according to HHS:

• ADA National Network: $11,074,444 for 10 regional centers, plus $850,000 for a University of Washington center that will coordinate national resources and measure results.
• Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems: $8,445,498 for 14 centers. Studies include arm recovery and fatigue at Craig Hospital, home-based spinal stimulation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, nerve pain at the University of Miami and urinary tract infection prevention at MedStar Health Research Institute.
• Research on technology and new products: 13 Small Business Innovation Research awards totaling $2,277,134, for projects including a motorized hand exoskeleton, a bionic arm prosthesis, accessible medication dose markings and online diabetes prevention.
• Field-initiated projects: 16 awards totaling $3,991,978, on topics from accessible social media to stroke rehabilitation and loneliness.

Smaller awards fund national data centers for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury research ($1,599,999 combined), a knowledge translation center that turns research into consumer resources ($850,000) and three advanced research training awards ($749,917). HHS said the totals are new awards only. Separate funding continues existing multiyear projects.

What research will help people with disabilities find work?

Employment is one of the program’s stated priorities. Virginia Commonwealth University received $925,000 to study employer practices and technology in hiring, workplace accommodations and career advancement. The University of Texas at Austin received $700,000 for accessible career exploration and job-readiness support for deaf high school students.

Other projects, HHS said, will look at workplace communication for autistic young people and AI-supported task instructions for employees with intellectual disabilities.

What about independent living, caregivers and technology?

Temple University received $925,000 for peer-led community living research, including volunteer transportation and peer coaching. The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Georgia Tech share $999,993: UW–Milwaukee to develop a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm with accessible controls, and Georgia Tech to build an online assessment platform for assistive technology.

The University of Northern Colorado will study how to help families as young people move from child to adult services, and the University of Pittsburgh will conduct smart-home research. HHS did not list award amounts for those two projects in its release.

Which Florida institutions received grants?

Two Florida universities appear in HHS’s list. The University of Central Florida received $975,000 for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center focused on artificial intelligence for people with limb differences. The University of Miami is among the 14 Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers, with a study on nerve pain.

Floridians with ADA questions are served by the Southeast ADA Center, one of the network’s regional centers, which serves eight Southeastern states.

How can people with disabilities use these programs now?

Much of the funding pays for research that will take years to reach patients. But some of the programs offer free help today. The ADA National Network answers questions from people with disabilities, employers, businesses and public agencies about their rights and responsibilities under the ADA. Its specialists can be reached at 1-800-949-4232 (voice/relay) or through an online form.

The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center publishes free, research-based fact sheets and videos on living with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and burn injury, written for patients and families.

“These grants will help people with disabilities stay healthy, find meaningful work, and live and take part in their communities,” said Kristi Hill, acting director of NIDILRR. Award-level details are posted on USAspending.gov and HHS TAGGS, the department said.

Key Takeaways

• HHS announced $35,763,912 in fiscal 2026 funding for 68 new NIDILRR disability research, technology and training grants on Oct. 28.
• The ADA National Network received $11.1 million for 10 regional centers, and 14 Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers received $8.4 million.
• Florida recipients include the University of Central Florida ($975,000, AI for people with limb differences) and the University of Miami (spinal cord injury nerve pain research).
• People can get free ADA guidance now at 1-800-949-4232 and free rehabilitation fact sheets at msktc.org.

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Featured image: Soldiers in a Warrior Transition Battalion play wheelchair basketball as part of adaptive sports in Shoreline, Wash., 2011. Illustrative photo. (DoD photo by Spc. Ryan Hallock, U.S. Army, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)