The Baylor College of Medicine Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (BCM IDDRC) is one of 21 such centers funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; it is also member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

The BCM IDDRC is committed to advancing research in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in order to contribute to the resolution of many of the problems encountered by individuals with IDD and their families. The goals of the BCM IDDRC are to identify as many causes as possible of mental retardation and disability, to prevent these disorders, and to provide interventional schemes that can improve the quality of life of affected individuals and their disability whenever possible.

BCM IDDRC investigators are able to utilize the Core facilities to aid in their individual research (see Cores and Investigators).
The New Program Development Project helps investigators new to the IDD to obtain funding for novel research studies that will take the best possible advantage of the various available cores (see Funding).