Home / The Profession / Scholarships and Grants / Court to CART Grant

Court to CART Grant


Court to CART grant logo

Grant overview

The Court to CART Grant is offered through the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) in memory of Eligio Antonio Rosario, Sr., late stepfather and lifelong role model of Rich Germosen, FAPR, RDR, CRR.

The $1,500 annual grant will be awarded to an NCRA applicant interested in broadening his or her skill set from the judicial setting to the path of providing communication access realtime translation (CART) for people with hearing loss or for nonnative English speakers. The grant winner will receive an assessment of his or her realtime skills and instruction about current CART technology. Hands-on training will be provided as well as the chance to learn from applicable existing NCRA videos.

The concept behind this grant emanated from Germosen's quest for speed, accuracy, and professional development. His focus was complemented by Patricia Graves' passion to serve people with hearing loss or nonnative English speakers by providing CART services when needed.

Grant requirements

Eligibility criteria

  • The applicant must be a current member of NCRA in good standing.
  • The applicant must hold at a minimum an RPR and preferably some realtime certification: CRC or CRR.
  • The applicant must be providing realtime services in the judicial settings (freelance or official) with an untranslated rate of at least 96 percent accuracy.
  • The applicant must possess all qualities exemplified by a professional court reporter including attitude, demeanor, dress, and motivation.
  • The applicant must have a desire to learn a new skill set for CART that starts with assessment and ends with individualized mentoring and hands-on training.
  • The applicant must have a desire to learn about the communities served, understand the role a CART provider performs, and a willingness to ensure the text is always readable and understandable.
  • The one-time annual grant of $1,500 will be awarded by NCRF upon completion of a skills assessment, viewing needed modules, and completing one-on-one direct mentor training. The recommended timeframe for these grant elements is three months.
  • REQUIRED: File names must include the nominee/applicant's last name and first name. Files without the nominee/applicant's name in the file name will not be reviewed.
  • REQUIRED: Include the nominee/applicant’s full name on every page of the nomination letter/essay.
  • Format: LastName_FirstName_DocumentType

How to apply

Complete the online application and submit the required documents below. If you do not see the application, the application period is closed.

  • Complete the application (self-nomination is expected).
  • A letter of recommendation from a recipient (instructor, employer, client) of the applicant’s realtime text that attests to the recipient’s ability to read and understand what is being said, noting the applicant’s ability to participate fully in this program by the writer.
  • Applicant essay: 300 to 350 words, double-spaced, with applicant’s full name on each page. Essay topic: Explain why you, as the applicant, want to change or expand your career path to include CART. What impact will your contributions make on CART captioning audiences that you will serve as well as the court reporting and captioning professions. Share your motivation to participate in CART training.

Guidelines for posting Court to CART Grant online

SUBMIT APPLICATION
 

Past recipients

2025: Erica Mc Quillan, Tucson, Ariz.

2024: Jacey Samic, RPR, CRR, Doylestown, Ohio

2023: Amy Doman, RMR, CRR, CSR , Carmel, Ind.

Contact

For questions or additional information about this program and other NCRF programs, please email ncrfoundation@ncra.org.

My brother Richard, who was deaf, was my inspiration to serve people with hearing loss. I witnessed firsthand the isolation that happens when two-way verbal communication is impaired or stopped.

I moved from serving people in the throes of legal issues to providing people with communication access in all facets of their lives.

 

Pat Graves, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC