FPTR AWARDS NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION IN 2021 SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR) is excited to announce the 2021 scholarship recipients. This cycle, FPTR awarded $232,500 in Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) including $82,500 in PODS I Scholarship funding to 11 researchers; $135,000 in PODS II Scholarship funding to 9 researchers; and $15,000 towards the first PODS II/Combined NIFTI award.

ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 26, 2021) – The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR) recently awarded $232,500 in scholarship funding to 21 promising physical therapist researchers. The awards will help these new investigators begin their research careers and complete doctoral studies.

Additionally, FPTR named the first recipient of the combined PODS II/NIFTI award. Early in 2021, FPTR announced it would direct its fellowship funds to support this new award, modeled after the NIH K99/R00 mechanisms. This new version of the PODS/NIFTI award will better support post-doctoral students while they pursue a mentored research position.

Julia Mazzarella, PT, DPT, of The Ohio State University, is the recipient of this year’s combined PODS II/NIFTI award. She will apply this award to her project titled: “Hippotherapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Upper Extremity Activity, Participation, and Engagement.” While this award offers up to $115,000 in support of the final year of the post-candidacy phase in addition to the first two years of the research fellowship, Mazzarella will be awarded the $15,000 portion of the Combined PODS II/NIFTI scholarship this year. This portion of the award was funded through the APTA PODS Fund.

“FPTR is committed to investing in young physical therapy researchers,” said FPTR President, Paul Rockar, Jr., PT, DPT, MS, FAPTA. “It is always an honor to have the opportunity to support the physical therapy profession and provide budding researchers with the means to become established investigators and compete for more large-scale funding.”

FPTR awards Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODS) I Scholarships of $7,500 each year to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have completed at least two full semesters or three full quarters of their coursework toward a postprofessional doctoral degree.  This cycle, a total of $82,500 was awarded in PODS I Scholarship funding to 11 researchers. The 2021 PODS I Recipients include:

  • Renata Braudy, PT, MS, MA, OCS, Cl T, at University of Minnesota
    Project titled: “Shoulder dysfunction and quality of life after breast cancer surgery and reconstruction: implications for rehabilitation and survivorship”
    Funded through the APTA PODS Fund 
  • Morgan Busboom, PT, DPT, at Boys Town National Research Hospital
    Project Titled: “Robotic Exoskeleton Gait Training in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy”
    Recipient of the Mildred Wood Award funded through the Mildred Wood Fund
  • Lauren Hinrichs, PT, DPT, OCS, at University of Colorado
    Project Titled: “Optimizing Rehabilitation in Skilled Nursing Facilities”
    Funded through the APTA PODS Fund
  • Adam Janowski, PT, DPT, at University of Iowa
    Project Titled: “The validation of metabolic biomarkers, malate and fumarate, using animal and human research designs in chronic pain.”
    Recipient of the Florence Kendall Award funded through the Florence Kendall Doctoral Scholarship Fund
  • Patrick Knox, PT, DPT, MS, at University of Delaware
    Project Titled: “Neurovascular Coupling Responses to Pain Processing in Geriatric Chronic Low Back Pain”
    Recipient of the Florence Kendall Award funded through the Florence Kendall Doctoral Scholarship Fund
  • Jeffrey Konrad, PT, DPT, at Washington University in St. Louis
    Project Titled: “Wearable Sensors for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”
    Recipient of the Marquette Challenge Award funded through the General Research Fund
  • Jamie Kronenberg, PT, DPT, at The Ohio State University
    Project titled: “Validation of an Evidence-Based Return to Sport Movement Assessment after ACL Reconstruction”
    Made possible by general donation from PhyscialTherapy.Com to the General Research Fund
  • Dana McCarty, PT, DPT, at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Project Titled: “Contextual factors impacting parent presence in the NICU: Enhancing preterm infant motor development through parental support”
    Recipient of the Pediatric PODS Award funded by the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Fund
  • Andrew Post, PT, DPT, at University of Iowa
    Project Titled: “Impact of Physical Therapists Identification of Pain Mechanisms and Pain-related Psychological Factors on Patient Outcomes in Clinical Practice”
    Recipient of the Charlene Mae Nelson Award funded through the Charlene Mae Nelson Endowment Fund
  • Michelle Rauzi, PT, DPT, ATC, at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
    Project Titled: “Telehealth for Medically Complex Older Veterans”
    Funded by the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy 
  • Jenna Zajac, PT, DPT, at Boston University
    Project Titled: “The Relationship between Walking Capacity and Real-World Walking Activity in Persons with Parkinson Disease”
    Recipient of the Patricia Leahy Award funded by the Neurology Endowment Fund

PODS II Scholarships of up to $15,000 each are also awarded to physical therapists or physical therapist assistants who have been formally admitted to postprofessional doctoral candidacy. This cycle, a total of $135,000 was awarded in PODS II Scholarship funding to nine researchers. The 2021 PODS II Recipients include:

  • Elanna Arhos, PT, DPT, at University of Delaware
    Project Titled: “Can we modify gait asymmetry after ACL reconstruction?”
    Funded through the APTA Supporting the Profession Fund
  • Elizabeth Choma, PT, DPT, GCS, at University of Minnesota
    Project Titled: “Fall Risk and Fall Experiences in Older Adults with Peripheral Artery Disease: A Mixed Methods Approach”
    Recipient of the Scot C. Irwin Award funded by Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Endowment Fund
  • Kristin Johnson, PT, DPT, at University of Iowa
    Project Titled: “The Comparison of Females’ Capacity to Condition the Spinal Reflex and to Regulate Transcortical Reflex Responses to Perturbation during Dynamic Performance at Distinct Phases of the Menstrual Cycle”
    Equally funded by the Charlene Mae Nelson Fund and the Academy of Pelvic Health
  • Allison Miller, PT, DPT, NCS, at University of Delaware
    Project Titled: “Real-world Walking Activity Post-Stroke”
    Recipient of the Mary Lou Barnes Award funded by the Neurology Endowment Fund
  • Rebecca Molinini, PT, DPT, at Virginia Commonwealth University
    Project Titled: “Emotional Availability During Parent Child Interaction in Children with Developmental Delays”
    Equally funded through APTA PODS Fund and the Legacy Scholarship Fund
  • Rachel Prusynski, PT, DPT, NCS, at University of Washington
    Project titled: “Physical Therapy Processes and Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities in the Context of Shifting Policy”
    Recipient of the Karen St. John Award funded through the General Research Fund
  • Gaura Saini , PT, DPT, at University of Minnesota
    Project Titled: “Scapular Mechanisms of Movement-Related Shoulder Dysfunction”
    Recipient of the Phoebe Rhomberger Award funded by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund
  • Jonathan Tsay, PT, DPT, at University of California Berkeley
    Project Titled: “Neural Mechanisms supporting Implicit and Explicit Sensorimotor Learning”
    Equally funded through the Neurology Endowment Fund and the General Research Fund
  • Andrew Wagner, PT, DPT, at The Ohio State University
    Project Titled: “Vestibular Contributions to Age-Related Imbalance”
    Recipient of the Phoebe Rhomberger Award funded by the Phoebe Rhomberger Fund

This funding is awarded following a rigorous application process modeled after the National Institutes of Health – a process that sets FPTR apart in physical therapy research funding. A volunteer scientific review committee composed of experts in research and education reviews all applicants. FPTR’s unique focus on physical therapy research and peer review process sustains long-term research growth in this field. Since 1979, FPTR has awarded more than $20 million in grants, scholarships, and fellowships.

FPTR will accept applications for 2022 scholarships and fellowships beginning in Fall 2021. The organization is currently accepting research grant applications. For more information, visit Foundation4pt.org.

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