Mitsubishi Grants for Empowering Youth with Disabilities

The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation provides grants for innovative projects in the United States that are designed to empower youth (birth through college-aged) with disabilities to lead productive lives.  The MEAF national grants program provides funding to nonprofit organizations that are working toward the full inclusion of young people with disabilities in society. Proposed projects should be national in scope and impact, or model projects that can be replicated at multiple sites.

Grants are designed to support innovative projects that help youth with disabilities develop the leadership and employment skills they need to succeed, particularly in STEM fields. MEAF also will consider projects to create tools that help break down barriers to employment and increase job opportunities for young people with disabilities entering the workforce, including returning veterans.

Amount: $10,000 - $75,000

Date due: June 1, 2012 (Concept paper)

For more information, click here.

Research in Disabilities Education (RDE)

The Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program advances the goal of broadening the participation and achievement of postsecondary students with disabilities in STEM. This effort is realized by making strategic investments in educational and institutional Model Building and in basic and applied Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education (BPR).  Model Building projects develop, replicate, translate and utilize innovative educational and institutional capacity building models to broaden the participation of postsecondary students with disabilities in STEM fields.  Models employ evidence-based educational exemplars that improve the learning, participation, persistence and graduation of students with disabilities in associate, baccalaureate and graduate STEM degree programs.  BPR projects promote efforts to understand the underlying issues contributing to the differential learning, participation and graduation rates of post-secondary students with disabilities in STEM.  Particular emphasis is placed on contributing to the knowledge base by investigating the STEM learning characteristics and differences of post-secondary students with disabilities.  Educational research about students with disabilities in STEM is advanced by studying the educational and pre-professional experiences that influence student interest, academic performance, retention and persistence in degree programs, degree completion and career choices.  RDE projects contribute to closing the achievement gaps for post-secondary students with disabilities in STEM fields, including students enrolled in community colleges, baccalaureate degree programs and graduate schools.

Amount: Varies

Date due: June 1, 2012

For more information, click here.