What is a research and training center?
These scientific organizations, typically based at universities, are funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Each focuses on a specific problem affecting people who have disabilities. As sites of national excellence in rehabilitation research, the centers conduct research in the problem area, teach those in the field about their findings, help a variety of audiences use the information to make life better, and serve as resources for research information.

What is the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)?
As part of the U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. Its efforts are aimed at improving the lives of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood. View http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/programs.html for more information.

What type of research do research and training centers do?
Research, a way of finding answers to questions, is a systematic process of learning more about human behavior, experiences, and environments. Medical researchers, for example, may test equipment or measure health testing. Social scientists who conduct disability research help make changes in policies, programs, and practices that affect the lives of people with disabilities. They use different types of research methods, depending on the particular question that needs to be answered.

What specifically is data?
Scientists call collective pieces of information “data.”  This information, or data, are presented as the results of a study. After results have been gathered,  researchers analyze data to see if any predictable patterns, associations, or variations emerge to figure out what the results mean.