Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research

What Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research does

The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) is an academic research institute founded in December 2021 and hosted at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, with a secondary office in Toronto. Its mission is to conduct research that improves access to rehabilitation and habilitation globally, with a focus on functioning and quality of life for people with disability. IDRR's core outputs are evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, epidemiological studies, clinical practice guidelines, and health policy research, supported by a small team of nine employees and a network of affiliated researchers, graduate students, and advisory committees. The institute leverages leadership publication records exceeding 375 peer-reviewed papers for its director alone, and operates within a formal governance structure spanning Ontario Tech University and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.

In 2024, IDRR was designated as the first WHO Collaborating Centre in Canada for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health, and is also a founding member of the WHO World Rehabilitation Alliance. Its research and policy reach extends through partnerships with Cochrane Rehabilitation, the Pan American Health Organization, and universities in Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and France, as well as grant funding from CIHR, SSHRC, and the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation. Recent strategic additions include the Hann-Kelly Family Chair in Disability and Rehabilitation Research (CAD 1.25M gift, 2024) and the Rinaldi Research Chair in AI and Rehabilitation (2025). IDRR distributes its work via peer-reviewed publications, webinars, conferences, and a dedicated website.

IDRR does not sell products or services commercially. Its funding model consists of competitive research grants, institutional support from Ontario Tech University and CMCC, and philanthropic gifts such as the Hann-Kelly Family endowment. Customer "segments" are functionally research beneficiaries rather than buyers: people with disabilities, rehabilitation clinicians, health policy makers, and the academic research community who consume IDRR's evidence base, guidelines, and policy recommendations.

Name

Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Legal name

Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Website

https://idrr.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) is a 9-person academic research institute at Ontario Tech University that conducts evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, and health policy research to improve global access to rehabilitation for people with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rehabilitation Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN)

Keywords

• Rehabilitation research
• Disability research
• Musculoskeletal health
• Evidence synthesis
• Health policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Oshawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: Funded through government research grants, institutional partnerships with Ontario Tech University and Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, and donations such as the $1.25 million Hann-Kelly Family Chair in Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IDRR is an academic research institute that conducts rehabilitation and disability research to improve access to rehabilitation and habilitation globally. It operates as a WHO Collaborating Centre, producing peer-reviewed publications, systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines, and policy evidence for global health stakeholders. The institute does not sell commercial products or services; its outputs are research findings, evidence syntheses, and policy recommendations.

Product overview

The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) is a research institute at Ontario Tech University that operates as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health. The organization conducts research to improve access to rehabilitation and habilitation globally. IDRR collaborates with partners including Cochrane Rehabilitation, Ontario Tech University, and Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College to advance knowledge in disability and rehabilitation research through evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, and health policy research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (IDRR) The Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research is a research hub at Ontario Tech University that conducts research to improve access to rehabilitation and habilitation globally, with a focus on functioning and quality of life for people with disability. It operates as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health and produces evidence synthesis, systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines, and health policy research for global health stakeholders.
• WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health Official WHO Collaborating Centre designation through which IDRR supports WHO's Rehabilitation 2030 initiatives, builds capacity, and conducts research to strengthen rehabilitation health systems in Canada and globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 million Canadians could benefit from rehabilitation services - research aims to develop evidence to inform policies and service delivery

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024IDRR is designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Rehabilitation and Musculoskeletal Health - the first in Canada. This strategic partnership involves assisting WHO in researching, evaluating, and strengthening rehabilitation and musculoskeletal health in Canada and globally. The collaboration includes supporting WHO's Rehabilitation 2030 initiatives, building capacity, and strengthening research in rehabilitation science.
• Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health)minorOthers · 1 January 2024IDRR leadership met with the Canadian Minister of Health to discuss rehabilitation research and policy priorities in Canada.
• Cochrane RehabilitationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2022IDRR and Cochrane Rehabilitation announced a collaboration to develop solutions to common methodological challenges faced when conducting systematic reviews in rehabilitation. This includes work on Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews on delivery, governance, financial arrangements, and implementation strategies for rehabilitation.
• Ontario Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDRR is based at Ontario Tech University's Faculty of Health Sciences. The university provides institutional support, infrastructure, and serves as the primary academic home for the institute and its researchers.
• Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMCC is a key institutional partner, with joint appointments, collaborative research projects, and shared resources. Many IDRR researchers hold positions at CMCC, and the institutions collaborate on evidence-based practice guidelines and clinical research.
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAHO and IDRR co-host webinars on low back pain, providing evidence-based interventions and practice tools recommended by WHO/PAHO for treating low back pain across the Americas.
• Grandview KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research exploring wait times for pediatric habilitation and rehabilitation services for neurodiverse children in Durham, Ontario.
• University of TorontominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on various research projects including reproductive justice in healthcare, with researchers from University of Toronto involved in IDRR-affiliated studies.
• Toronto Metropolitan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-investigators from Toronto Metropolitan University participate in the 'Do No Harm' research project on perinatal clinical care.
• Université du Québec à ChicoutimiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-investigators from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi participate in IDRR-affiliated research projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC): Core institutional partner of IDRR with shared researchers and joint appointments. Comparable as an organisation producing musculoskeletal and rehabilitation research, including systematic reviews and clinical guidelines.
• Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (UHN): One of Canada's largest rehabilitation research hospitals, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Comparable as a Canadian rehabilitation research enterprise producing clinical and health systems research for disability populations.
• Institute of Health Economics (IHE): Alberta-based health systems and policy research institute. Comparable to IDRR's policy and health systems research arm, producing evidence to inform Canadian health policy decisions.
• Cochrane Rehabilitation: International field-specific Cochrane network that synthesises rehabilitation evidence. IDRR is a formal methodological collaborator on systematic review methodology, making Cochrane Rehabilitation a direct peer in evidence synthesis and rehabilitation research.
• CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research: McMaster University-affiliated research centre focused on childhood disability and participation research. Highly comparable to IDRR as a university-housed disability and rehabilitation research institute producing systematic reviews and policy-relevant evidence.
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital: Pediatric rehabilitation hospital and research institute in Toronto focused on children with disability. Comparable to IDRR's pediatric habilitation research (e.g., Grandview Kids collaboration) and rehabilitation evidence generation.
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS): Laval University-affiliated rehabilitation research centre. Comparable to IDRR as a Canadian university-housed institute conducting rehabilitation and disability research with social participation and integration themes.

Broad incumbents

• McMaster University School of Rehabilitation Science: Academic rehabilitation science programme producing rehabilitation evidence and training. Comparable to IDRR's university-based rehabilitation research function, though broader in scope and longer-established.
• AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence: Canadian federally-funded research network on technology and aging. Comparable as a federally supported Canadian research network addressing disability and aging populations, with overlapping rehabilitation and healthy aging research themes.

Emerging players

• WHO World Rehabilitation Alliance (founding members): WHO-convened alliance of which IDRR is a founding member, comprising global rehabilitation stakeholders. Comparable peers within the alliance include other emerging national rehabilitation research organisations building WHO-aligned evidence programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpi7HyVHGA3IrUdTEkOFA_Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-disability-and-rehabilitation-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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