Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR)

Mission - Promote a cohesive, strategic Federal program of disability and rehabilitation research by brokering partnerships and facilitating coordination among Federal departments, offices, and agencies conducting disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research and related activities.

Structure - The ICDR is comprised of such members as the President may designate, including the following (or their designees):

• Administration of the Administration for Community Living

• Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space

• Administrator of the Small Business Administration

• Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs

• Assistant Secretary of Labor, Disability Employment Policy

• Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

• Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration

• Director of the Indian Health Service

• Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

• Director of the National Institutes of Health

• Director of the National Institute of Mental Health

• Director of the National Science Foundation

• Secretary of Defense

• Secretary of Education

• Secretary of Health and Human Services

• Secretary of Transportation

• Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The individuals in the positions listed above, known as the ICDR statutory members, also serve as the ICDR's Executive Committee. The Executive Committee serves as the administrative body for promoting and brokering interagency disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research collaboration and coordination.

The ICDR currently maintains the following five standing committees:

• Interagency Committee on Assistive Technology (ICAT)

• Interagency Committee on Disability Statistics (ICDS)

• Interagency Committee on Employment (ICE)

• Interagency Committee on Medical Rehabilitation (ICMR)

• Interagency Committee on Health and Health Disparities (ICHHD)

Benefits of Participation - The ICDR works to support the administration’s goal to work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Consistent with this goal, the ICDR develops and uses innovative tools, methods, and systems to support collaboration across all levels of government, and with organizations, businesses, and individuals in the private sector. Benefits of participation include:

• support for relevant agency agendas, proposed disability and rehabilitation research topics, or other related initiatives;

• increased capacity to explore emerging research topics and concerns;

• access to tools and information about disability and rehabilitation research programs, projects, and activities;

• opportunities to exchange information and solicit input from Federal and non-Federal stakeholders;

• mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships that can achieve your agency goals, address emerging topics, leverage resources, and result in cost-savings;

• a forum for the identification of research gaps and strategies to address such gaps;

• partnership activities that could lead to joint sponsorship, co-funding or other types of interagency agreements and activities; and

• enhanced capacity to leverage funding and other resources that may lead to cost-savings and maximize research activities and outcomes.