Virginia Commonwealth University received a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to fund the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).

The grant was awarded $875,000 annually for five years to establish this RRTC in partnership with Vanderbilt University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Kansas.

The principal investigator is Paul Wehman, Ph.D. He is the director of VCU-RRTC and a professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education at the School of Education. Jennifer Todd McDonough, M.S., C.R.C., is the Co-Principal Investigator and serves as Co-Principal and Project Director on several NIDILRR grants.

The RRTC will examine the critical variables that can improve the competitive integrated employment (CIE) outcomes for individuals with IDD and enhance rehabilitation professionals and other stakeholders' capacity to provide employment opportunities and support.

These objectives include: (a) develop and test a mentor-based, shared decision-making intervention for improving competitive integrated employment (CIE) and community outcomes for transition-age youth with IDD; (b) identify competitive integrated employment (CIE) aspects that enhance the quality of life in employees with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD); (c) expand and refine a tech-prep program to increase technology-based, career-focused skills in underserved youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD); (d) create a technical assistance and training model for college professionals to improve employment opportunities for college students with IDD; and (e) increase the quality of supported employment services provided to people with IDD by establishing a valid and reliable scale for implementation.

The VCU RRTC has an Advisory Committee that is made up exclusively of people with IDD who will assist in all stages of research and knowledge translation activities. Key activities will include expanding the National Resource Center for individuals with IDD and their families and conducting various customized dissemination and knowledge transfer activities.

The grant began in September. 1, 2024, and will run for five years. The studies' results will be shared nationally and internationally through research briefs, journal articles, online training, conference presentations, and social media.