BRIGHT IDEA
Building Resilience, Innovation, and Integrity in Hub Trainees: Increasing Depth and Empowerment in Academia (BRIGHT IDEA)
BRIGHT IDEA is a leadership development program designed to support NTID/Cross-registered students pursuing careers in health care and science. By connecting students with experienced professionals and mentors, BRIGHT IDEA inspires curiosity, empowerment, and career exploration in fields where culturally-concordant representation remains limited.
Through a series of mentorship opportunities, networking events, and professional development workshops, students will gain valuable insights, build meaningful connections, and develop the confidence towards pursuing their career goals. BRIGHT IDEA is committed to closing equity gaps in health care and science by creating an inclusive, supportive community that uplifts and inspires future culturally-concordant leaders in these fields.
Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, current undergraduates in good academic standing, and majoring or interested in STEM, biomedical, healthcare, or psychology-related fields are encouraged to apply, regardless of academic year.
Program Philosophy
Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Hub (Deaf Hub) has substantial influence and focus on those in health care and biomedical science careers as a team where understanding, kindness, compassion, inclusion, and empathy are the norm, achieving collaborative work towards dismantling negativity and -isms.
LeeAnne Valentine, the Coordinator of BRIGHT IDEA Program.
Message from the Coordinator of BRIGHT IDEA program. Watch the video
News & Community
Community News
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September 30, 2025
NTID researchers work to incorporate accessible AED machines on campus
Researchers have identified an AED that includes visual and text prompts, making it accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing users and those not familiar with the English language.
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December 18, 2024
Student spotlight: Researching health care for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people
Emma Kane, a third-year public policy major, has spent the past year working at the Deaf Health Laboratory, led by the mentors at the Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Sciences Hub (Deaf Hub) at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
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October 24, 2024
RIT/NTID partners with Rochester Museum & Science Center for Deaf Culture Day, Nov. 2
Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf is partnering with Rochester Museum & Science Center for Deaf Culture Days, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, at RMSC, 657 East Ave., Rochester. The event provides an accessible and friendly experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the community.
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November 8, 2023
Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate partnership continues with grant to increase the number of deaf, hard-of-hearing scientists
A fruitful partnership between NTID and University of Rochester has earned a funding boost to help meet the long-term goals of the Bridges to the Doctorate for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students program. A grant from the National Institutes of Health will help increase the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering Ph.D. programs in biomedical science fields and the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students who successfully earn Ph.D.’s in biomedical sciences.