LPAA and Tavistock Awards

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Awards 2023

The Trustees of The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia (TTA) are pleased to announce another year for The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Awards.

These awards were conceived to address research capacity related to quality of life issues in aphasia. The award is given in recognition of scholarly excellence in all, or some, of the following areas:

• Research and Publications dedicated to improving life with aphasia, and/or
• Mentoring of research students to conduct research associated with quality of life, life participation, conversation or similar topics related to life with aphasia, and/or
• Working to improve external grant funding that addresses the needs of people living with aphasia.

Who is eligible:

Early career aphasia researchers in the USA and Canada are eligible.  Early career is defined as approximately 8-10 years post Ph.D. (excluding any period of career break such as family care or health leave).

The aim of these awards is to foster and encourage pioneering research that aims to make a difference in the everyday lives of people living with aphasia, their families, and caregivers.

 Aphasia Access will collaborate with the TTA by facilitating the process by which recipients are selected.  Aphasia Access is a not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the belief that people with aphasia should have access to services that not only improve language, but also help them participate in conversations, life’s interactions and activities, and foster communicatively accessible environments.

The The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Award will include a (one-time) US $1,000 monetary prize, a certificate, and a Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar badge. and the title of Distinguished Scholar.

Important Dates:

Applications to be submitted by 10th February 2023

Announcements of Awards will be made in May 2023

Online Application

Applications:

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia, in collaboration with Aphasia Access, will accept both nominations from a third party, or applications from individuals who wish to be considered for a Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Aphasia Scholar award.

Applicants will need to provide:

1. A brief resume*. The resume should be written to address the following sections
as they apply to current experiences:

• contact information (phone, email address, etc.);
• relevant educational history;
• relevant service to the aphasia community;
• relevant presentations, publications and/or grants;
• relevant teaching and/or clinical experiences.
  * The resume should not exceed 4 pages.

2. A brief essay (of no more than 500 words) describing accomplishments in relevant areas below:

• Research and publications dedicated to improving life with aphasia;
• Working to improve external grant funding that addresses the needs of people living with aphasia;
• Mentoring of research students to conduct research associated with quality of life, life participation, conversation or similar topics related to life with aphasia.

3. Letters of recommendation

 If you are nominating someone:

1. Please state your relationship to the person being nominated.

2. Please include 1 additional letter of recommendation: This letter should explain why the person being nominated is a good candidate for The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar award.

If you are applying for yourself:

1. Please provide 2 separate letters of recommendation. This letter should explain why the person applying is a good candidate for The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia Distinguished Scholar Award.

Process

All applications will be reviewed by a dedicated committee: Professor Nina Simmons-Mackie, Dr. Aura Kagan and Professor Gloria Olness.

A short list will be forward to the Trustees of The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia who will make the final decision as to who will receive the Awards each year.

Innovator Award

The Aphasia Access Innovator Award recognizes an Aphasia Access member in good standing whose exceptionally creative ideas have significantly impacted the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) framework of service delivery.

The Innovator Award was developed as a means to recognize the incredible work of service providers who have considered LPAA development from a novel perspective and have addressed challenges in an inclusive, equitable, and creative manner. Their propensity to question existing assumptions and beliefs have allowed new programs to be created that exemplify the treatment framework and take into consideration the supporting evidence and outcomes. Further, the individual should be known to address the diverse needs of individuals with aphasia, their families and the community with a practical, task-oriented mindset considering alternative funding streams, resource allocation and pragmatic solutions to program challenges.

The award may be presented to an individual whose contributions have been made in a single area or multiple areas of achievement within the LPAA. This individual may be a speech-language pathologist or other professional that works within the field. Accomplishments in the following areas are considered for this award:

• Clinical service
• Counseling and supportive programming
• Education and training
• Program development
• Research
• Advocacy
• Leadership and mentoring

Honorees:

2023: Mary Beth Clark (Mayo Health System) and Carol Dow Richards (Aphasia Recovery Connection)
2021: Jodi Morgan (Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center)
2019: Ellen Bernstein-Ellis (California State University at East Bay) and Jerome Kaplan (Boston University)
2017: Maura Silverman (Triangle Aphasia Project, Cary, NC)

Winner(s) are announced at the Aphasia Access Leadership Summit held in March in odd numbered years.