Eligibility
Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations
Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)
Non-Profit Organizations
Other Public Agencies
State Agencies (Not Education)
The Innovative Rehabilitation Training program is designed to develop:
- New types of training programs for rehabilitation personnel and to demonstrate the effectiveness of these new types of training programs for rehabilitation personnel in providing rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
- New and improved methods of training rehabilitation personnel so that there may be a more effective delivery of rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities by designated State rehabilitation agencies and designated State rehabilitation units or other public or non-profit rehabilitation service agencies or organizations; and
- New innovative training programs for VR professionals and paraprofessionals to have a 21st-century understanding of the evolving labor force and the needs of individuals with disabilities so they can more effectively provide VR services to individuals with disabilities.
Applicants may apply under one or more of the priority’s six topic areas:
- VR Counselor Participant Engagement Practices;
- Career Assessment for VR Participants Addressing Emerging Career and Employment Trends;
- Preparing VR Participants to Achieve High-quality Employment Outcomes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Advanced Technology Careers, including AI;
- Dual Customer Employer Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies;
- Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies for Underserved Populations; and
- Field Initiated.
FY 25 Funding
Estimated Available Funds: $3,200,000
Award Ceiling: We will not make an award exceeding $640,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
Program Authority
Applicable Regulations
- The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
- The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485.
- The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
- The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 385 and 387.
- The Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program Notice of Final Priorities.
Eligibility
States and public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian Tribes and institutions of higher education.
Applicant Information
FY 2025 Grantees
| Grant Award Number | Grantee | Project Title | Funding | Project Director |
| H263G250004 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Innovative Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Approach (IRACA) | $640,000 | Jennifer McDonough |
| H263G250005 | George Washington University | Provider Advancement Through High-Quality Training (PATH): A Pathway to Skills, Partnerships, and Better Outcomes | $639,999 | John Walsh |
| H263G250006 | University of Iowa | Strengthening Training and Employment Models for Readiness in STEM within VR (STEM Ready-VR) | $374,397 | Allison Levine |
| H263G250007 | University of Kentucky Research Foundation | Training Innovation Project (TIP): Demand-Side Employer Engagement Strategies in Vocational Rehabilitation | $640,000 | Kathleen Sheppard-Jones |
| H263G250008 | Texas A&M University - San Antonio | Alamo Bridges: Pioneering Workforce Transitions for Texans with Disabilities | $579,642 | Mariya Davis |
| H263G250010 | University of Arizona | Building VR Capacity for Self-Employment: Training, Policy Reform, and Tribal Partnership Initiative | $505,513 | Jacy Farkas |
| H263G250011 | University of Illinois | Career Innovations Project (CIP) | $640,000 | David Strauser |
| H263G250013 | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences | FuturePath: Transition Professionals Certificate Program | $528,472 | Tameika Minor |
| H263G250015 | University of Massachusetts - Boston | Innovative Methodologies Promoting the Advancement of Clinical Transformative Supervision in VR (Impact VR) | $640,000 | Russell Thelin |
| H263G250020 | Florida International University | Project NeuroVerse VR | $282,115 | Michelle Bradham-Cousar |
| H263G250025 | University of Massachusetts - Boston | Innovative Guided Rehabilitation Employer Engagement Training (iGREET) 2.0 | $640,000 | Julisa Cully |
| H263G250027 | University of Alabama | Advanced Skills for Premier Interdiscplinary Rehabilitation Personnel (ASPIRE) | $475,802 | George Mugoya |
The Innovative Rehabilitation Training program is designed to develop:
- New types of training programs for rehabilitation personnel and to demonstrate the effectiveness of these new types of training programs for rehabilitation personnel in providing rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
- New and improved methods of training rehabilitation personnel so that there may be a more effective delivery of rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities by designated State rehabilitation agencies and designated State rehabilitation units or other public or non-profit rehabilitation service agencies or organizations; and
- New innovative training programs for VR professionals and paraprofessionals to have a 21st-century understanding of the evolving labor force and the needs of individuals with disabilities so they can more effectively provide VR services to individuals with disabilities.
Applicants may apply under one or more of the priority’s six topic areas:
- VR Counselor Participant Engagement Practices;
- Career Assessment for VR Participants Addressing Emerging Career and Employment Trends;
- Preparing VR Participants to Achieve High-quality Employment Outcomes in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Advanced Technology Careers, including AI;
- Dual Customer Employer Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies;
- Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies for Underserved Populations; and
- Field Initiated.
FY 25 Funding
Estimated Available Funds: $3,200,000
Award Ceiling: We will not make an award exceeding $640,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
Program Authority
Applicable Regulations
- The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
- The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485.
- The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
- The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 385 and 387.
- The Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program Notice of Final Priorities.
Eligibility
States and public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian Tribes and institutions of higher education.
Applicant Information
FY 2025 Grantees
| Grant Award Number | Grantee | Project Title | Funding | Project Director |
| H263G250004 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Innovative Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Approach (IRACA) | $640,000 | Jennifer McDonough |
| H263G250005 | George Washington University | Provider Advancement Through High-Quality Training (PATH): A Pathway to Skills, Partnerships, and Better Outcomes | $639,999 | John Walsh |
| H263G250006 | University of Iowa | Strengthening Training and Employment Models for Readiness in STEM within VR (STEM Ready-VR) | $374,397 | Allison Levine |
| H263G250007 | University of Kentucky Research Foundation | Training Innovation Project (TIP): Demand-Side Employer Engagement Strategies in Vocational Rehabilitation | $640,000 | Kathleen Sheppard-Jones |
| H263G250008 | Texas A&M University - San Antonio | Alamo Bridges: Pioneering Workforce Transitions for Texans with Disabilities | $579,642 | Mariya Davis |
| H263G250010 | University of Arizona | Building VR Capacity for Self-Employment: Training, Policy Reform, and Tribal Partnership Initiative | $505,513 | Jacy Farkas |
| H263G250011 | University of Illinois | Career Innovations Project (CIP) | $640,000 | David Strauser |
| H263G250013 | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences | FuturePath: Transition Professionals Certificate Program | $528,472 | Tameika Minor |
| H263G250015 | University of Massachusetts - Boston | Innovative Methodologies Promoting the Advancement of Clinical Transformative Supervision in VR (Impact VR) | $640,000 | Russell Thelin |
| H263G250020 | Florida International University | Project NeuroVerse VR | $282,115 | Michelle Bradham-Cousar |
| H263G250025 | University of Massachusetts - Boston | Innovative Guided Rehabilitation Employer Engagement Training (iGREET) 2.0 | $640,000 | Julisa Cully |
| H263G250027 | University of Alabama | Advanced Skills for Premier Interdiscplinary Rehabilitation Personnel (ASPIRE) | $475,802 | George Mugoya |