Foundation for Physical Therapy Research to Fund Health Services Center of Excellence for Two Additional Years

The Foundation Board of Trustees elected to extend funding of the one-of-its-kind Center on Health Services Training and Research (CoHSTAR) with an additional investment of up to $500,000.

ALEXANDRIA, VA (February 19, 2019) – The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research Board of Trustees announced the intent to continue investment in a multi-million dollar health services research initiative during this year’s American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting in Washington, DC.

The Center on Health Services Training and Research (CoHSTAR) was originally established with a 5-year Foundation grant of $2.5 million in 2015. Now in its fourth year, CoHSTAR has yielded more than 50 publications accepted or submitted for publication; garnered $225,000 in follow-on funding towards ten CoHSTAR-funded pilot studies; and propelled the careers of promising researchers through faculty fellowships, postdoctoral fellowships, and visiting scientists programs.

Foundation President Edelle Field-Fote, PT, PhD, FAPTA Announces Additional CoHSTAR Funding

“We recognize the role of health services research in strengthening the physical therapy profession,’ said Foundation President Edelle Field-Fote, PT, PhD, FAPTA. “CoHSTAR has yielded remarkable results and continues to grow the capacity for physical therapy health services research. We are grateful to our donors for allowing us to make a continued investment in this innovative program.”

Funding for this initiative was made possible with a $1 million gift from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), gifts from APTA components, and donations from physical therapists, foundations, and corporations with a shared passion for the field of physical therapy.

The multi-institutional research and training program is training physical therapist scientists to increase and improve physical therapy health services research capacity. This initiative was established to promote the inclusion of physical therapy as an integral part of patient care and current health care discussions. CoHSTAR offers postdoctoral fellowships, hosts visiting scientists, and provides special summer training sessions. Each trainee is paired with a mentoring team from one or more of the institutions, participates in immersive research experiences, and has access to other training activities and courses from 26 pertinent graduate programs at three institutions — Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Boston University. Additionally, CoHSTAR funds promising pilot studies each year from investigators within and outside the Center.

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, formerly known as the Foundation for Physical Therapy, is celebrating 40 years of funding research and researchers this year. Founded in 1979, the Foundation has awarded more than $17 million in grants, fellowships, and scholarships to nearly 600 researchers. Many of today’s leading physical therapist researchers, academicians, and educators began their careers with support from the Foundation. Learn more about the Foundation’s investments in the physical therapy profession, including CoHSTAR, at foundation4pt.org.

About the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare through physical therapy research. The mission of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is to fund research and develop researchers to optimize movement and health. Learn more at www.Foundation4PT.org.

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