Center for Disabilities and Development

What Center for Disabilities and Development does

The Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) at the University of Iowa operates a federally funded research and clinical services hub that administers all three Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) programs — the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC/Hawk-IDDRC), a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), and a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program — making it the only institution in Iowa with all three programs under one roof. Established in 2021 and led by Co-Directors Drs. Lane Strathearn and Ted Abel, the Hawk-IDDRC is one of only 15 IDDRCs nationally and operates four integrated research cores: the Administrative Core (leadership, dissemination, education); the Clinical Translational Core (patient recruitment, biobanking, clinical trials, drug manufacturing); the Developmental Genomics/Epigenetics Core (exome/genome/RNA-seq, 10X Chromium single-cell sequencing, methylation arrays, bioinformatics); and the Neurocircuitry and Behavior Core (MRI, PET, fNIRS, CT imaging, neural circuit and behavioral assessment in animal and human models).

The center's revenue model is anchored by a 5-year NIH/NICHD P50 Center grant (Award Number P50 HD103556, $6.2M total), supplemented by internal pilot grant funding, university support, and clinical service revenue through UI Health Care. The go-to-market is a membership model restricted to University of Iowa faculty, staff, fellows, and graduate students engaged in IDD research, who gain access to core facilities at discounted rates, eligibility for pilot funds, and educational programming. Patient-facing services target individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan — particularly children in Iowa and the broader Midwest — with emphasis on an underserved rural population.

Distribution occurs through academic and clinical channels including the AUCD network, the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) network, UI Health Care communications, the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, and UI Stead Family Children's Hospital. The center's value proposition rests on its integrated lifespan research approach, rare co-location of all three AUCD programs, multi-modal genomics and neuroimaging infrastructure, and longitudinal data assets including a Perinatal Family Tissue Bank, Iowa Newborn Screening Program participation, and SPARK study enrollment.

Name

Center for Disabilities and Development

Legal name

The University of Iowa

Website

https://iddrc.uiowa.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa operates the federally designated Hawk-IDDRC, one of only 15 IDDRCs in the U.S., providing genomics, neuroimaging, biobanking, and clinical trial research infrastructure to University of Iowa researchers and serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Research Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Schools & Life Skills Programs (EDAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Companion Diagnostic (CDx) Co-Development Services (biopharma partnerships, clinical strategy) (HLAAAMAB), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)

Keywords

• Developmental disability research
• Clinical research services
• Genomics and epigenetics
• Neuroimaging research
• Translational medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Iowa City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. NIH P50 Center Grant: The Hawk-IDDRC is funded by a 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NICHD P50 HD103556). The center also supports pilot grant programs funded from this grant to advance IDD research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) at the University of Iowa operates as a federally funded research center delivering integrated basic and clinical research on intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) across the lifespan. It provides four interconnected research cores—Administrative, Clinical Translational, Developmental Genomics/Epigenetics, and Neurocircuitry and Behavior—offering services such as patient recruitment, biobanking, clinical trials support, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and multi-modal neuroimaging to University of Iowa researchers and external collaborators.

Product overview

The Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) at the University of Iowa operates as a research and clinical services hub that administers three federally funded AUCD programs: IDDRC (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center), UCEDD (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities), and LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program. The CDD provides research infrastructure through four interconnected research cores: the Administrative Core (providing oversight and education), Clinical Translational Core (bridging basic science to clinical practice with patient recruitment, biobanking, and clinical trials), Developmental Genomics/Epigenetics Core (genetic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis), and Neurocircuitry and Behavior Core (neuroimaging and behavioral assessment services). These cores collectively support interdisciplinary and translational research on intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Administrative Core
• Clinical Translational Core
• Developmental Genomics/Epigenetics Core
• Neurocircuitry and Behavior Core
• Patient Recruitment & Clinical Evaluation Division
• Biobanking & Bioinformatics Division
• Clinical Trial & Drug Manufacturing Division
• Genomics Division
• Bioinformatics Division
• Neuroimaging Division
• Neural Circuits & Behavior Division
• Hawk-IDDRC Pilot Grant Program

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hawk-IDDRC is part of the AUCD network, which connects university-based centers dedicated to advancing knowledge about disabilities. AUCD promotes and supports national network of interdisciplinary centers, sharing best practices and collaborative research opportunities across the network.
• Iowa Neuroscience InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hawk-IDDRC is integrated with the Iowa Neuroscience Institute under the leadership of Dr. Ted Abel, enabling collaboration between neuroscience researchers and IDD specialists.
• UI Stead Family Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UI Stead Family Children's Hospital for clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with IDDs. The Kid Captains program highlights the unique collaboration between the hospital and University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
• IDDRC NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with other IDDRCs across the country through the AUCD network for knowledge sharing, joint research initiatives, and best practice exchanges.
• Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected to the CTSA network funded by NCATS/NIH for clinical and translational research support, providing access to additional research infrastructure and expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge): A national autism research initiative that the Hawk-IDDRC participates in via its Biobanking & Bioinformatics Division. Comparable as a large-scale genomic and clinical data platform relevant to IDD research translation.
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD): The national network that connects all IDDRCs, UCEDDs, and LEND programs. While not a research peer, AUCD is the umbrella organization whose policies, funding advocacy, and network standards directly shape Hawk-IDDRC's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Kennedy Krieger Institute (Johns Hopkins): Affiliated with Johns Hopkins and an IDDRC site, Kennedy Krieger integrates research, clinical care, and training for IDD populations in a manner directly analogous to the CDD/Hawk-IDDRC platform.
• Baylor College of Medicine IDDRC: One of the 15 IDDRCs at Baylor, with a comparable multi-core structure (e.g., cores covering genomics, neurobehavior, and clinical translation) and a focus on developmental disabilities research.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) IDDRC: An IDDRC embedded in a major pediatric hospital system, with comparable clinical-translational focus on developmental disabilities and overlapping core capabilities in genomics and neuroimaging.
• Waisman Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison): One of the 15 IDDRCs, housed at a public university like Iowa. Operates a similar multi-core research model focused on developmental disabilities across the lifespan, including genomics, neuroimaging, and clinical services.
• Einstein IDDRC (Albert Einstein College of Medicine): One of the 15 IDDRCs with a comparable multi-core research model focused on intellectual and developmental disabilities, including genomics and neurobehavioral cores.
• Vanderbilt Kennedy Center: One of the other 15 NIH-designated IDDRCs at Vanderbilt University. Directly comparable as a federally funded IDD research center with multi-core structure, clinical translation programs, and similar mission across the lifespan.
• UC Davis MIND Institute: A leading IDDRC focused on neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and IDD. Comparable as a translational research center with strong clinical trial infrastructure and lifespan research approach.
• University of Minnesota IDDRC: Another of the 15 IDDRCs, based at a Midwest public university. Comparable structure and mission around IDD research, training, and clinical services across the lifespan.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uiowaneuro
• Facebookfacebook.com/UIchildrens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-disabilities-and-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Disabilities and Development