Our Mission

The mission of the Kansas IDDRC (KIDDRC) is to promote, facilitate, and support high-quality basic and applied research on the causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and amelioration of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
A kid playing with toys with supervisor in the lab

To achieve the mission, the KIDDRC is engaged in three activities: 

  • The KIDDRC develops new research that is directly relevant to the understanding, prevention, and treatment of IDD by bringing scientists across the various sites of the Kansas Center together, as well as promoting collaboration between KU researchers working on IDD with scientists at other institutions. 
  • The KIDDRC supports existing and new projects with state-of-the-art services, resources, and facilities that directly enhance the quality, quantity, and impact of science produced by Center investigators and their collaborators.
  • Finally, the KIDDRC provides efficient and effective systems for coordinating, and disseminating research associated with the Center to those people who need it the most, including individuals with IDD, their family members, and providers.

 

The KIDDRC is committed to generating and synthesizing new knowledge about the causes, prevention, management, and treatment of intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Our scientists work on this problem at many levels, from environmental conditions associated with IDDs to their specific neural, molecular, and genetic causes. 

The KIDDRC has been at the heart of KU’s strengths in IDD research and has served as a national comprehensive center for biobehavioral research on IDD for a half century.  We accomplish this at KU by providing assistance where that work can be supported with additional resources, by enhanced by fostering collaborations among scientists, and by making our science more meaningful by connecting the results of our research with students training for future careers in IDD, providers and stewards who serve those with IDD, and with individuals in the IDD community. 

 

We invite you to learn more about us by exploring: