Partner Organizations

• National Rehabilitation Hospital Center on Health & Disability Research
• University of Miami School of Medicine/Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
• ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) Program at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
• National Spinal Cord Injury Association
• Spinal Cord Injury Network
  

National Rehabilitation Hospital Center on Health & Disability Research

The National Rehabilitation Hospital Center for Health & Disability Research (NRH-CHDR) has conducted public domain, peer-reviewed research funded by federal and private organizations since its founding in 1986. Our interdisciplinary staff of professionals holds advanced degrees in health services research, financial analysis, statistics, sociology, psychology, social work, and related fields. A leader in policy research and analysis of health care issues and care for people with disabilities, NRH-CHDR is a mixed-methods, non-profit research organization that offers direct data collection services through interviews and focus groups, cognitive analysis, survey design, secondary data analysis, information processing, and rigorous qualitative and quantitative analysis. In addition, disability policy and program evaluations are conducted for federal agencies, advocacy organizations, and universities. The research conducted by the NRH-CHDR informs local, state, national, and international policy makers on all aspects of rehabilitation and health for persons with temporary or permanent disabilities.

University of Miami School of Medicine/Miami Project to Cure Paralysis

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis (www.miamiproject.miami.edu) is a Center of Excellence hosting 22 separate research laboratories at the University of Miami (UM) School of Medicine. The medical school is a partner with the Jackson Memorial Medical Center (JMMC), which is a part of the second largest medical center in the US and the most active research institution in the southeast US. The UM/JMMC is a Level I trauma Center and an NIDRR-funded Model System. The UM/JMMC Rehabilitation center is 122-bed inpatient facility providing rehabilitation services for persons with SCI, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic trauma, and others.

Exercise testing will be conducted in the Human Performance Laboratory, which occupies 6000 square feet of research-dedicated space in the Lois Pope Life Center (LPLC). All equipment necessary for the research is capitalized and in common research use. The lab has a dedicated room for exercise testing containing a Vmax229 Metabolic Measurements Analyzer (Sensormedics, Inc). The metabolic analyzer contains a cardiac module for 12-lead EKG recording and storage. Four Hans-Rudolph “Softmasks” are used for routine exercise testing. Testing is conducted on Monarch Arm Ergometer secured to a table having manual height adjustment.

ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) Program at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research

The ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) (www.ilru.org) is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living and a program of TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research), a nationally recognized medical rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities. TIRR has logged over 40 years serving people with SCI and has been an NIDRR's model SCI system center since 1972. It was recently named the second best rehabilitation hospital in the US News & World Report rating of best hospitals in the US.

Since ILRU was established in 1977, it has developed a variety of strategies for collecting, synthesizing, and disseminating information related to the field of independent living. ILRU staff--a majority of whom are people with disabilities--serve independent living centers, statewide independent living councils, state and federal rehabilitation agencies, consumer organizations, educational institutions, medical facilities, and other organizations involved in the field, both nationally and internationally. They have proven experience in the development and provision of Web-based methods, and other alternate formats (e.g., audio-visual, Spanish translations), of disseminating research findings and resource materials to the independent living field.

National Spinal Cord Injury Association

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) (www.spinalcord.org) was founded in 1948 and is the nation’s oldest and largest consumer organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Americans living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Their National Peer Support Network currently links people with SCI to each other by providing peer support referrals to programs via 21 Chapters and 19 Support Groups across the country. Half a million visitors visit the NSCIA website each year, gaining access to a monthly newsletter and other resources, and their mailing list reaches 135,000 subscribers. The Resource Center of the NSCIA also serves the national SCI community through a staff of Information Specialists with SCI, as well as a SCI nurse.

Spinal Cord Injury Network

The Spinal Cord Injury Network (www.spinalcordinjury.net) is a 501 (c)(3) established in 1982, serving the metropolitan Washington, DC area, to include central Maryland and Northern Virginia. The Network provides not only information and referrals, but also peer and family support groups, as well as a monthly newsletter for its 1500 active members. The SCI Network is the local DC chapter of the NSCIA, and like the NSCIA, also has a peer-mentoring component that addresses long-term support and issues for people with SCI, as well as the benefits of shared experiences.

This RRTC grant is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The mission of NIDRR is to generate, disseminate, and promote new knowledge to improve the options available to people with disabilities.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/about.html