AOTA urges Congress to protect OT and disability research at NIH and NIDILRR

NIH also urged to implement its Disability Research Plan

As Congress considers spending bills for 2027, AOTA and partners in the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) are urging Appropriations Committee leaders to maintain full funding for medical rehabilitation and disability research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), especially at the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). The group is also advocating for an increase to funding for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Congress defended both NIH and NIDILRR funding in its 2026 Appropriations process after the White House proposed massive cuts, and we are hopeful that this support will continue for 2027.

NCMRR supports approximately $90 million annually in rehab science and coordinates over $900 million in rehabilitation and disability research by other institutes at NIH. The focus is on improving function, rehabilitation outcomes, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Its portfolio includes critical work on stroke recovery, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, developmental and neuromuscular disorders, limb loss, and many other disabling conditions.

DRRC members requested an increase in NIDILRR funding since its budget has remained flat for years. NIDILRR is the primary research agency focused on generating knowledge to improve health and function, ability to return to work, and independent living of people with disabilities. OT researchers have played an important role in this area for many years.

Coalition members have also urged NIH to prioritize and implement its NIH Disability Health and Health Care Research Plan which was released in April. AOTA and many others had advocated for development of this plan for several years. The plan outlines actions to enhance data collection, support scientists with disabilities, promote study designs relevant to disability populations, and ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are identified in the nation’s health research agenda.

In addition, AOTA and DRRC are advocating with Congress and leaders at NIDILRR and NIH to speed the process of issuing Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) which have decreased dramatically over the past year. Delays in the NOFO process ripple across research organizations which cannot submit timely requests for research funding.