• A Bigger BRIDGE is a project dedicated to helping those with communication disabilities engage in research that is about them.
• We hope to foster and support at least 22 research teams around the U.S. Each team will have researchers, clinicians, and people living with communication disabilities working together to plan and conduct research.

The project is focused on supporting people with communication disabilities and their families to engage in research and communication with researchers and clinicians.

Stakeholder-engaged research is when people who are going to be affected by the research help plan, conduct, or otherwise direct the research. Stakeholders can participate in an advisory group, as consultants, or co-leaders or co-investigators.Stakeholders can be people living with a health condition,clinicians, payers, policy-makers, administrators, or anyone who will be affected by the outcomes of the research.

• A regional center is a research network. Each of the 4 regional centers serves as a connection point to help recruit and train new research team members.
• The Main Hub of our network is located in:
  • Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Our regional centers are located in:
  • The University of Nevada in Reno
  • Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI
  • The University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL
  • Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood, NJ.

Please contact us by clicking here.

Participants include:

• People with communication disabilities, such as aphasia.
• Families of people with communication disabilities
• Researchers in the field of communication disorders
• Clinicians, such as speech-language pathologists.

• For first-time participants, please complete the training program. More information about the program can be found here: Click Here
• For returning participants, please complete an application to become a guide. The application can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ydc23r43

The BRIDGE Guide/Newcomer Program provides participants with the opportunity to:

• Co-learn alongside healthcare professionals and researchers.
• Network with healthcare professionals and researchers.
• Be matched to research teams.

• To be a Guide, you must:
  • Have participated in the BRIDGE 2018 Conference.
  • Be in a current research team.
  • Be willing to offer your time and expertise to help train a Newcomer.
• To be a Newcomer, you must:
  • Have shown interest in the BRIDGE 2018 Conference, but were unable to attend.
  • Show current interest in BRIDGE.
  • Be interested in working together with clinicians, researchers, and people affected by communication disabilities.

• As a Guide, you are expected to:
  • Give guidance and instruction to a Newcomer within their research teams.
  • Provide resources, new information, and support to a Newcomer within their research teams.
• As a Newcomer, you are expected to follow proper training by:
  • Watching a webinar series for either participants or researchers (3 webinars).
  • Completing a face-to-face learning visit with your chosen Guide
  • Contacting your Guide every month for 3 months after you have been paired together in a research team.
  • Participating in a collaborative research team.

• Below, you will find the specific Guide/Newcomer pairing process:
  • The Leadership Team will select a Guide from the list of candidates who shares the same interest as a Newcomer.
  • The Leadership Team will then introduce both the Guide and Newcomer to one another by email.
  • From there, Guides will set a date to video call the Newcomer
  • Through this video call, both the Guide and Newcomer will create a schedule and agree on common goals for the team.
  • Both the Guide and Newcomer will be matched in an existing research team.
• Guides and Newcomers are matched to a research team based on common professional and personal interests.

• To become a Guide or Newcomer, please complete the Guide/Newcomer Application.

• You should be a BRIDGE Guide or Newcomer if you are interested in:
  • Learning new things
  • Being part of an aphasia research team.
  • Collaborating in research that impacts people with aphasia.
  • Working alongside healthcare professionals and researchers
  • Making a difference!