For Individuals

Patron Member

Voting Member

Any individual living with a spinal cord injury or directly representing a person living with a spinal cord injury, such as a caregiver or family member, with a main objective of representing themselves and not an organization.

This membership category has a limit of one voting delegate representative.

"As someone who has survived three spinal cord injuries and one of 5.4 million individuals and wounded service members living with paralysis in the US, it is important for me to be a part of the NASCIC community."

— Claudia Garofalo, New Orleans, Louisiana

Additional Opportunities

Individuals interested in project engagement can visit our Project Engagement Database Application online.

How to Get Involved

  • Register for NASCIC's Project Engagement Database to get involved as an advisor/advocate on SCI research projects
  • Join one of NASCIC's many committees, working groups and task forces

Benefits of Membership

  • Join the Consortium in unifying the SCI community to cooperatively leverage resources and facilitate change
  • Promote information exchange, experience sharing, and networking across the spinal cord injury community
  • Contribute to strengthening the voice of people living with spinal cord injury in North America
  • Drive change by sharing your lived experience with researchers, healthcare professionals, and policy makers
  • Participate in innovative projects to move research results into care
  • Support efforts in shaping policy that responds to community needs
Apply for Patron Membership

For SCI Industry

Partner Member

Advisory Member

Any organization or individual with an interest or activities related to people living with SCI but do not meet the Principal or Patron membership categories. Examples include clinical care facilities, professional associations, funding agencies, for-profit entities, government agencies, and research institutions.

This membership category can advise Principal and Patron members and participate in meetings and discussions, but does not have voting delegate representative.

"It is important to Professional Members to have the opportunity to hear first-hand the discussions and business at hand for the community of individuals with SCI within their framework, in an environment in which they lead, and in which we can contribute as appropriate. As a Professional Member, we are enthusiastic about actively listening and understanding the community's goals and priorities and working with them to address both their goals and ours."

— Dr. Dennis Bourbeau, Case Western Reserve University, Louis Stokes VA

How to Get Involved

  • Submit a project application, request a letter of support or research recruitment distribution to NASCIC's Project Review Committee
  • Join one of NASCIC's many committees, working groups and task forces

Benefits of Membership

  • Engage with the SCI community to enhance effective partnerships between research, healthcare, and industry
  • Connect directly with the spinal cord injury community
  • Learn about the priorities, needs and opportunities of people living with SCI and their representative organizations
  • Gain access to people with lived experience and their family members as a critical component of patient engagement
  • Present and co-design projects with NASCIC
  • Earn exposure, recognition, and acknowledgement from the SCI community
Apply for Partner Membership

For Nonprofits

Principal Member

Voting Member

A consumer-based organization registered as a 501(c)(3) (USA), Registered Charity, or equivalent non-profit that directly serves, represents, or advocates for the SCI community at national, regional, or local levels. Organizations representing the broader disability community must have direct interaction or focus on the SCI community.

Principal members have an obligation to inform their organization's members about NASCIC. This membership category has a limit of one voting delegate representative, and this vote must be representative of the organization's membership.

"It is important personally and as part of United Spinal to be a part of the 'disruption' and re-channeling of SCI research to include the consumer voice up-front, not only as an afterthought."

— Bill Fertig, Director, United Spinal Association Resource Center

How to Get Involved

  • Let us help promote your organization's important initiatives through our communication channels
  • Encourage your organization's larger membership to join NASCIC to strengthen the voice of people living with SCI
  • Register for NASCIC's Project Engagement Database to get involved as an advisor/advocate on SCI research projects
  • Submit project applications, request letters of support or research recruitment distribution
  • Join one of NASCIC's many committees, working groups and task forces

Benefits of Membership

  • Unite the SCI community to cooperatively leverage resources and facilitate change
  • Promote information exchange, experience sharing, and networking across the spinal cord injury community
  • Strengthen the collective voice of people living with spinal cord injury in North America
  • Drive change through shared lived experience with researchers, healthcare professionals, and policy makers
  • Participate in innovative projects to translate research into care
  • Shape policy that responds to community needs
Apply for Principal Membership