A new program at UF will open doors for students concentrating on special education.
The project, “Preparing Researchers in Assistive Technology Application in Inclusive General Education Contexts for Students with Significant Disabilities,” will offer full scholarships to three incoming doctoral students to allow them to conduct research and learn about changing technology, said Diane Ryndak, associate professor in special education and principal investigator of the project.
Students applied to the College of Education graduate program in October, and Ryndak is in the process of choosing the three recipients.
“These students will read the most recent research,” Ryndak said, “and they will conduct new research of their own, which is all focused on helping children with special needs.”
The project will be funded by an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Ryndak said. The Office of Special Education Programs developed a board of officials to look over applying universities and chose about 10 proposals, including UF’s, out of hundreds.
UF’s College of Education will receive $200,000 a year for up to four years. Along with the three incoming doctoral students, the university will fund eight postdoctoral fellows, who will each work a semester at UF during the four years.
“There is a national trend of decreasing special education faculty,” Ryndak said. “Programs such as Project PRAIS will fill positions that are already vacant.”
Students will be working on the project in three areas: helping children with severe disabilities, working to include children with disabilities in general education classes and learning about assistant technology, which will help students in the classroom, said Ann-Marie Orlando, the coordinator of Project PRAIS.
“It’s hard to get through a doctoral program,” Ryndak said. “A grant that pays for full tuition and funds all research will make life easier.”
