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Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Research Grant

Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is the research funding organization for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is a registered 501(c)(3). Our vision is to shape the future of health through physical therapy research. Our mission is fund research and develop researchers to optimize movement and improve the health of society. Through the generosity of our donors and community of supporters, our sole purpose for the past 46 years has been to fund physical therapy research and researchers through grants, scholarships, and fellowships.

Through our investments in PhD students and early career researchers, we are creating a pipeline of highly skilled and capable researchers. They are building our knowledge of and evidence about effective and innovative physical therapy practices, tools, guidelines, and education across the spectrum of our professional specialties.

Our growing number of larger grants allows us to fund both emerging and established researchers who have been helping build the physical therapy evidence base in priority areas and help define the value of physical therapy for patients and clients, health care professionals and payers.

Through the generosity of our donors, we have created a sustained pipeline for future researchers and of research funding to help launch careers and advance the profession’s evidence-based practices.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Alignment with Clinical and Educational Relevance

Funded studies must evaluate physical therapist–delivered interventions, tie directly into the APTA Research Agenda, and have clear applicability to patient care .

Projects that test novel clinical questions, innovative teaching methods, or new practice models are prioritized .

📋 2. Strong Study Design & Feasibility

Successful proposals include:

Clear hypotheses

Appropriate sample size and measurable outcomes

Feasible timelines and milestones

Justified, cost-effective budgets up to $40,000 (for 1–2 years) .

🏅 3. Investigator & Institutional Credibility

Applicants must be APTA members; many use Academy-specific or specialty grants (e.g., Acute Care, Orthopaedics, Geriatrics) .

Research from strong academic settings, especially those with history of FPTR support, tends to be more competitive .

👥 4. Peer Review & Specialty Emphasis

All applications undergo review by the Foundation’s Scientific Review Committee, often including reviewers with expertise in the applicant's specialty academy foundation4pt.org.

Specialty alignment (e.g., geriatric or pelvic-health focus) boosts chances .

🔁 5. Pilot-to-Larger Impact Potential

FPTR funds projects that can lead to external follow-on funding, such as NIH proposals, pilot clinical trials, or educational interventions .

Projects highlighting measurable impact and scalability are favored.

🌐 6. Scholarship, Fellowship & Career Stage Relevance

Fellowships and doctoral scholarships support researchers in protected (often 100%) research time—emphasizing training and research skills development .

For early-career investigators, demonstrating potential and institutional backing is crucial .

✅ Summary Table – What Sets Successful Applications Apart

Predictor	Details
APTA member & Academy match	Fond grants are academy-specific with required memberships
Clinical/educational relevance	Aligns with research agenda and delivers practical impact
Robust study design	Hypotheses, outcomes, timeline, and budget are clearly defined
Institutional track record	History with FPTR or strong academic setting helps
Peer/niche specialty support	Reviewed by experts in your clinical or educational area
Translation & scalability	Potential for follow-on funding or broader impact
Protected research time	Especially for fellowship candidates

💡 Tips to Boost Your Application

Target the right grant—choose the academy-specific call that matches your project.

Highlight APTA and Academy support—mention memberships upfront.

Build a solid team or mentor network, especially if you're early in your career.

Design a clear, feasible plan—include sample size, methods, milestones, and timeline.

Connect to bigger goals—show how this seeds further funding or implementation.

Emphasize measurable change—outcomes, dissemination plans, longer-term benefits.

Ensure budget clarity—up to $40K for grants; align your costs tightly with project goals.

Specialties

Orthopedics

Eligibility Requirements

This research grant is open only to applicants who meet the definition of emerging investigator.

One Principal Investigator must submit the application, regardless of whether they are naming co- investigators. They must do so in conjunction with the legally registered, U.S.-based sponsoring organization or Institution at which they are employed. Both entities will sign the application.

The Principal Investigator must meet these requirements:

• Hold an academic doctorate (e.g., PhD, DSc, or EdD). If the principal investigator does not

hold an academic doctorate, this eligibility can be met one of two ways: Hold a master’s orcertificate that required least eight credit hours in research design and methodologies; if a
DPT, show at least one year of research methods coursework; or have an expert on the
research team who is explicitly responsible for providing the requisite design and
methodological skills and experience.
• Be employed by a domestic, public or private, non-profit or for-profit organization or
institution that is eligible to receive research grants and that agrees to act as the
Sponsoring Institution.
• Be a member of APTA1 and of the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy at the time of
application submission and for the life of the grant.
• Meet the definition of an emerging investigator.
• Possess a license to practice physical therapy in the U.S. or in a U.S. jurisdiction OR
o Have met all the requirements for physical therapy licensure in the U.S. or in a U.S.
jurisdiction, including having received a passing score on the licensure exam; OR
• Possess a physical therapist assistant license in the U.S. or in U.S. jurisdiction OR
o Have met all the requirements for licensure as a physical therapist assistant in the
U.S. or in a U.S. jurisdiction, including having received a passing score on the
licensure exam.
• Be a U.S. citizen OR a permanent resident with a valid Green Card for the life of the grant
OR be a non-immigrant foreign citizen with a valid visa granting the right to work in the
U.S. for the duration of the grant period.
• Hold a current certificate for human subjects protection training.
• Have a substantive research and leadership role on the study, as well as being responsible
for its implementation.
• If a prior Foundation research grant recipient, be in Good Standing with the Foundation.
• If the Principal Investigator currently holds any scholarship award or research grant from
the Foundation, that award or grant must be successfully completed and closed prior to
the start of this research grant. No Principal Investigator will hold more than one
Foundation award or grant at one time.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085

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