Improving Disability Determination Process: Small Grant Program (IDDP)

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides benefits to approximately 11 million individuals with disabilities and their dependents each month. In addition, each month the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program makes payments to approximately 6.5 million low-income individuals who are blind or disabled. In calendar year 2009, expenditures for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI programs for the blind and disabled totaled $121.5 billion and $41 billion respectively. These programs are the foundation of the Federal structure that provides cash income to individuals who do not have or who have lost the ability to support themselves in the labor market due to one or more permanently disabling conditions. The disability determination process under the SSDI and SSI programs is both extensive and complex. Members of the public with health problems and economic hardships may find it difficult to navigate this complex process. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is seeking ideas to improve the efficiency and reduce the complexity of the disability determination process. SSA is announcing the solicitation of applications to compete for a grant aimed at improving the Disability Determination Process. This new program will make small stipends available to graduate students for innovative research relevant to the disability program. SSA management will identify suggested priority areas of interest. SSA intends to fund stipends to graduate students to support their thesis work with the expectation that the resulting product will be a thesis or written project relevant to our disability program. The successful grantee will serve as Program Manager to coordinate the effort. SSA intends to award funding for this grant on a five-year basis, renewable annually. Annual funding for this grant is $300,000, which will include funding for the program manager and graduate student stipends of $10,000 each.