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October 14, 2026 |
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Announcements |
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Join us in Washington, DC, November 8–11, for the AUCD Annual Conference! The online agenda is live. Book your stay at The Westin Washington, DC Downtown for the special AUCD rate of $280 per night. The room block includes 23 ADA accessible rooms, with 10 featuring roll in showers. Register today and join network members, partners, disability professionals, families, students, and trainees to connect, learn, and share your impact. Reduced registration rates are available for students, individuals with disabilities, and family members of individuals with disabilities.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Join AUCD for a Pre-Conference Policy Session to prepare for Hill Day at the 2026 AUCD Annual Conference. AUCD Executive Director Kim Knackstedt, Liz Weintraub, and Cornerstone Government Affairs will share practical tips on requesting meetings with elected officials, preparing for conversations with policymakers, and navigating Capitol Hill. Whether you are new to Hill Day or have previous experience, this session will help you feel prepared to share your voice and the expertise of the AUCD Network. |
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Thursday, October 29, 2026, 5:15 PM ET - 6:30 PM ET
This Webinar will help conference attendees as they prepare for their trip to Washington, D.C for the AUCD 2026 Conference. It will provide a brief overview of AUCD and orient attendees to the content and structure of the conference. Whether you're a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, the AUCD Conference provides countless opportunities to share with and learn from colleagues and peers. |
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Funding |
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National Institutes of Health, Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD), Research Program
Estimated Deadline: September 25, 2027
Estimated Award Ceiling: TBD
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications to continue the Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD). CIFASD is a multidisciplinary research consortium supporting coordinated basic, clinical, translational, diagnostic, intervention, and prevention research on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a set of lifelong physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. The anticipated NOFO is expected to support collaborative research addressing high-priority needs in the FASD field, including improved early identification and diagnosis; development and validation of interventions; mechanistic and translational studies of prenatal alcohol exposure and alcohol teratogenesis; and approaches to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and the incidence of FASD. Projects are expected to demonstrate integration with the broader CIFASD consortium through multidisciplinary expertise, shared resources, and coordinated data and research activities. |
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Administration for Community Living, Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Estimated Deadline: March15, 2027
Estimated Award Ceiling: $800,000
The Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation research (KTDRR Center) will promote the use of high-quality disability and rehabilitation research that is relevant to the needs of intended audiences by serving as the main knowledge translation (KT) resource for other NIDILRR grantees, including NIDILRR grantees that serve as KT centers (NIDILRR KT Centers). The KTDRR Center's work will also be available to researchers who are not NIDILRR grantees and to the public. This grant will have a 60-month project period, with five 12-month budget periods. |
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Administration for Community Living, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC): National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities
Estimated Deadline: March 26, 2027
Estimated Award Ceiling: $925,000
The purpose of this RRTC is to conduct research, training, technical assistance and related activities toward evidence-based services, supports, interventions, or technologies to support parents with disabilities as they engage in their parenting roles. NIDILRR plans to make one grant under this announcement. This grant will have a 60-month project period, with five 12-month budget periods. |
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Resources |
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Turn NDEAM awareness into action! The Administration on Disabilities (AoD) Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) created this checklist with practical steps you can take to advance competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities in your state and local community. Save or print checklist for yourself or your team and check off items all month
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For National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Think College highlights research showing how inclusive postsecondary education supports employment and financial independence for people with intellectual disability. The publication From Learning to Earning: The Impact of Postsecondary Education on Employment for Individuals with Intellectual Disability reports that 74% of graduates from federally funded TPSID programs were employed one year after graduation. Participants who received postsecondary education with vocational rehabilitation support were twice as likely to be employed and earned 51% more than those without postsecondary education. The findings underscore the value of expanding inclusive college opportunities that support career goals and meaningful employment.
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This National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Minnesota Transformation Initiative (MTI), a project of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), highlights how Minnesota service providers are expanding customized, integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, MTI supports competitive integrated employment and community life engagement through individualized technical assistance, statewide training, peer mentoring, and collaboration. Watch the latest success story featuring customized employment in action and explore more at mti.ici.umn.edu.
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Weekly news items may be submitted for consideration via the
AUCD Promotion Request Form. Submissions are due on Monday each week. |
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AUCD | 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000 | Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
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This weekly newsletter is in part supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) through a technical assistance contract for the URC and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a National Professional Organization for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of any federal agency. No official support or endorsement by federal agencies is intended nor should be inferred. |
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