The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions has received a five-year National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research grant of $1.8 million.
The grant will be used to identify and evaluate current practice and methods in the conduct of minority disability research and to begin to increase capacity in this area.
“The goal of the grant is to advance the state of the science in the conduct of minority disability research and to develop more persons who are passionate and interested in devoting careers to this line of research,” said principal investigator Allen Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling.
According to Lewis, the project will involve a national survey that examines the experiences of Americans with disabilities from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, and what research methods, practices and strategies are needed to advance the field in culturally competent research.
In addition, the project will focus on a longitudinal study of post-injury unemployment for minorities with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries; and prevalence and trends in employment discrimination due to disability for different ethnic groups.