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About

The Outdrive Aphasia Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) Research Grant supports research focused on Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)—a progressive neurological condition that affects communication, language, and identity.  The grant award amount is $10,000.

This grant is made possible through a partnership with Outdrive Aphasia, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness and advancing action around PPA. The Outdrive Aphasia Golf Tournament is hosted by Campbell Gibbons & Associates. This incredible company and their many dedicated sponsors have committed to this annual day of golf and camaraderie for an important cause: PPA awareness, programming, and research. In their inaugural year (2024), the tournament raised over $50,000 for aphasia awareness and support programs.

The goal of this award is to support research that improves:

  • Understanding of PPA
  • Communication strategies and interventions
  • Care models for individuals and families
  • Quality of life and daily participation

Projects should reflect a commitment to meaningful, real-world outcomes for people living with PPA.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome proposals that:

  • Focus specifically on Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)
  • Address gaps in care, treatment, or support
  • Can be completed within a one-year timeframe
  • Demonstrate potential to inform future research or practice

Projects may include:

  • Clinical or behavioral research
  • Intervention development
  • Care partner support models
  • Community-based or applied research

Who Should Apply

We encourage applications from:

  • Researchers and clinicians
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Interdisciplinary teams

This grant is especially well-suited for early-stage or exploratory research projects.

Important Dates

Timeline for the Outdrive Aphasia PPA Research Grant:

  • Applications / Proposal deadline:  July
  • Awards Announcement:  September
  • Research Dates:  October 1 –  September 30 of the following year

FAQs

Do you have a question about the Outdrive Aphasia PPA Research Grant program or application? If so, please check our “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” page linked below.  If you still have questions, email the NAA Research Team at research@aphasia.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Grant Recipients

2026

Lucía Fernández-Romero, PhD, MSc. The University of Texas at Austin

Project: Centering the Voices of Spanish Speakers and Bilinguals with PPA: The CASA-PPA Pilot Study on Remotely Supervised tDCS and Language Intervention for Everyday Communication and Well-Being

“Receiving this grant will allow us to develop specialized treatments that are more accessible to Spanish speakers, who currently are not well represented in the literature. Although in this project we are focused on Spanish-speakers, our goal is to broaden this work across different cultures and languages. This work matters because effective treatment should not only support communication, but also be practical, meaningful, and responsive to the unique needs of people living with PPA and their families.”

2025

Dr. Jeanne Gallée, University of Washington School of Medicine

Project: Setting The Standard: Normative Parameters for The Progressive Aphasia Communication Toolkit (PACT)

“Receiving the Outdrive PPA Grant award is both an honor and a responsibility. Together, we can break down barriers to care and reimagine what communication, autonomy, and personhood look like for people living with PPA.”

2024

Mara Steinberg Lowe, Ph.D., CCC-SLP CUNY Queens College

Amy Vogel-Eyny, Ph.D., CCC-SLP CUNY Hunter College

Project: Combined Personalized Word Naming and Spaced Retrieval Training for Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Preliminary Investigation

“This project examines whether combining an intensive language treatment with a computer-based home training program will maximize retention of personally-relevant words for individuals living with Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). We are hopeful that this will lead to increased accessibility and effectiveness of anomia interventions for people with progressive aphasias.”

woman caregiver giving a side hug to an elderly woman, , National Aphasia Association

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