The National Center for Voice and Speech

Historical notes
The National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS), conceived as a "center without walls," was formally organized in 1990 with the assistance of a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The grant proposal was initiated in response to a request for applications for National Multi-Purpose Research and Training Centers for the newly-established Institute.

Four organizations composed the original NCVS consortium: The University of Iowa, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Utah.

The NCVS was organized on the premise that a consortium of institutions is better able to acquire and maintain resources to fulfill the global mission of the sponsors than a single organization. NCVS members, although geographically separate, were linked by a common desire to fully understand the characteristics, limitations and enhancement of human voice and speech. They maintained cohesiveness by exploiting contemporary communications technology, inter-site training responsibilities, periodic conferences, and shared resources.

In 1999, the Institute rescinded the Multi-Purpose Research and Training Center funding mechanism. In a July 2000 meeting, however, NCVS investigators voted unanimously to continue the concept of a national resource center for voice and speech, to be driven by a variety of single-project research awards (R01's), as well as health communication, core, and training grants.

Goals
The five-year strategic goals of the NCVS are:

To increase research funding
To expand educational programs
To advocate for healthy voice use
To improve and expand clinical service

Milestones

To increase research funding by 100% within five years through doubling the number of principal investigators (from 2 to 4) who have NIH, NSF, or OE funding
To retain mid-career investigators by providing job security (through bridge funding) that accumulates as multiple grants are awarded to an individual
To establish and operate a voice clinic in the Tramway Building tailored to the needs and comfort of professional vocalists and other special populations
To offer on-site voice workshops at the DCPA on a monthly basis, to conduct off-site workshops in the Denver community on a similar schedule, and expand educational offerings to a regional and national level through live presentations, television broadcasts and the internet
To program and deliver “arts in education” products to schools that carry key messages about healthy and effective voice use
With the assistance of the NCVS advisory board, to raise public awareness and visibility of the Center and its products and services
With the assistance of the NCVS advisory board, to build strategic partnerships with institutions in the Denver area that can enhance the mission of the center
To involve students, interns and volunteers in the development of NCVS products and services, thereby discovering new talent for lifelong careers in human vocal communication
To educate and certify 20-30 professional “vocologists” every year, in partnership with The University of Iowa and The National Center for Voice and Speech
To develop and deliver e-based voice education products in partnership with Jones Knowledge, Denver Center Media, and the DCPA Education Department
To help make treatment of speech and voice a priority in the management of individuals with neurological disorders, through research and educational efforts.