The National Capital Area Rehabilitation Research Network (NCARRN) has been established under the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research to advance the fields of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation by providing strong mentored, in-depth research training opportunities and access to state-of-the-art core research facilities for rehabilitation professionals. This NCARRN brings together outstanding programs in basic neuroscience (at Georgetown University), biomedical engineering (at National Rehabilitation Hospital, Catholic University, and Georgetown University) and clinical research and care (at National Rehabilitation Hospital) to establish a nationally recognized interdisciplinary research program in spinal cord injury, based on both animal and human studies. The program specifically targets physicians with interests in neurorehabilitation (physiatrists, neurologists and neurosurgeons) and Ph.D. trained individuals at the early stages of their independent academic careers. In this way, we provide a centralized research infrastructure which will enhance the capability of medical rehabilitation investigators to identify and understand the neural mechanisms underlying functional recovery, design and implement therapeutic strategies to enhance these mechanisms and to improve the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord and other CNS injuries.