SPECIAL SYMPOSIUM: Building Research Capacity through Partnerships with Key Stakeholder Groups

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of involving people with lived experience with SCI as partners in all phases of the research process. To support these efforts, the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium (NASCIC) has developed the Research Advocacy Course--a free online training to increase knowledge of the research process so that individuals with SCI and caregivers feel prepared to serve as research advocates and that SCI researchers and healthcare providers are better able to effectively partner with the SCI community. This presentation will describe how the online course material was developed, how stakeholders were involved, what content is presented, and plans for dissemination and use. This symposium presents content of value to SCI researchers in all topic areas, and will assist them in taking action to ensure the perspectives of people with lived experience in SCI are represented in their research efforts.