AOTA and hundreds of researchers urge Congress to protect NIH & NIDILRR from proposed cuts

AOTA joined more than 100 organizations and 800 research institutions and individuals to urge both Senate and House Appropriations Committee leaders to fund the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research at $119 million in the coming year. The President has proposed that NIDILRR funding be cut to $100 million along with dramatic cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research agencies.

AOTA also joined a similar coalition to urge the same Appropriations Committee leaders to fully support research funding for the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) and rehab research at other NIH Institutes. The coalition also expressed opposition to the imposition of a 15% cap on indirect costs which would be especially burdensome for academic and non-profit researchers, especially those with limited resources. Coalition members also urged Congress to fully exercise its authority related to any proposed reorganizations of NIH by the Administration.

AOTA is a Steering Committee member of the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) which organized the letters. NIDILRR is the primary research agency focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities, and its mission is not duplicated elsewhere in the federal government. The coalition noted that through its support of rehabilitation research, capacity-building centers, model systems, developing accessible technologies, and knowledge translation, NIDILRR drives innovation in health, employment, housing, and community living for people with disabilities across the lifespan.

AOTA continues to participate in meetings with staff for the Senate and House Appropriations Committees which determine levels of federal funding for research. Congress has authority over establishing the federal budget, and only it can set funding levels for NIH, NIDILRR and other agencies created by statute. Rehabilitation science at NIH is led by NCMRR which has a $90 million budget and helps coordinate over $900 million in rehabilitation and disability research across NIH. AOTA will continue to oppose cuts to NIDILRR and disability/rehab research at NIH, CDC and other agencies.