Fabricio Balcazar and Sarah Parker Harris win research grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research

DHD professor Fabricio Balcazar and DHD associate professor Sarah Parker Harris were awarded a $2.3 million research grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. The project, “Promoting Entrepreneurship Among Low-Income Youth with Disabilities,” aims to develop and conduct formative and summative evaluations of a school-based model intended to promote self-employment outcomes among transition-aged youth with disabilities from low-income communities.

The project will be implemented in collaboration with a school for dropouts called Youth Connection Charter School and with the Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services. Balcazar is the PI and the Co-PIs are Parker-Harris and Maija Renko from the UIC College of Business. The grant will bring $2,374,979 over five years to UIC.