Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR) Grants

2023 Foundation Research Grants are now closed for 2023. Subscribe to our newsletter and watch this page for grants available in 2024.

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to funding physical therapy research. Since 1979, the Foundation has awarded more than $22.5 million in research grants, scholarships, and fellowships to the most promising physical therapist researchers. In the current grant funding cycle, the Foundation will award up to a half million in research grants.

The Foundation supports research projects in any specialty. Please note that all clinical trials must be registered. Additionally, all funding calls are open to any type of research design unless otherwise specified.

The Foundation is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

No overhead (indirect costs) are allowed for any grant awards under any circumstances.

Applicants can request access to examples of past successful applications. Email info@foundation4pt.org for access. 

2023 Grant Cycle

Review Season 2 (projected dates)

April 5-7, 2023: Applications Open

June 15, 2023: Letter of Intent (LOI) due for Magistro and Paris Patla award applicants only.

August 2, 2023: Fall 2023 funding application deadline (Grants)

August 9 – 16, 2023: Checking Fall 2023 applicants’ eligibility and assign SRC reviewers

August 18 – October 25, 2023: SRC reviewing Fall 2023 funding applications online

October 2023: SRC calls to discuss top-scoring Fall 2023 funding applications

October 10-31, 2023: Administrative review and edits of SRC reviews

Prior to Thanksgiving 2023: Research Committee (RC) recommends awardees for Grants

Late November or Early December 2023: BOT Awards Research Grants

Prior to December 31, 2023: Award notification and Summary Statements go out to all applicants

*The dates included above are projected and subject to change. Please be sure to check back to this site for additional updates and register to receive the Foundation’s eNews using the subscription form on the right-hand column of this page.

2023 Grant Foundation Opportunities

The Foundation is awarding the following grants in 2023. Some of the grants listed below are offered on an annual basis. Others are offered in accordance with the grant guidelines and available funding. Please expand the toggle for details related to each grant.

Note that FPTR is now using a new Grants Management platform to simplify and streamline the application and peer-review process. All online submissions will now be accepted through Altum’s propsalCentral. Check out our Grant Reporting Instructions for more information on how to utilize this new system.

One $80,000 research grant to be awarded for research related to issues relevant to acute care physical therapy practice. This grant is generously supported with funds from the Academy of Acute Care Physical Therapy. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $40,000 research grant will be awarded to an emerging investigator that seeks to conduct research with any area consistent with the APTA’s Research Agenda. The APTA Supporting the Profession fund makes this grant possible. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $100,000 grant is to be awarded for research projects to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions most commonly delivered by physical therapists as determined by current practice standards and developing innovative physical therapist interventions and evaluating their effectiveness. Potential applicants must submit a Letter of Intent to apply for this funding mechanism. This grant is funded by the Magistro Family Foundation Endowment Fund established by Charles and Noel Magistro. View grant guideines, application instructions, and letter of intent instructions

One $40,000 Moffat Geriatric Research Grant is to be awarded for research projects aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapist examinations and/or interventions in geriatric populations. This grant is generously supported through the Marilyn Moffat Fund for Geriatric Research. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $40,000 Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Research Grant is to be awarded to an Emerging Investigator exploring clinical outcomes of physical therapy practice for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. This grant will provide $40,000 for either one or two year projects. This grant is generously funded by the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Endowment Fund. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $100,000 research grant to investigate areas related to any clinical field of physical therapy. Investigators at any level are welcome to apply regardless of funding history. A letter of intent is required; applicants will be invited to submit full applications based on content. This grant is made possible by the Paris Patla Endowment Fund established by Stanley Paris, PT, PhD, FAPTA, HonLLD(Otago), and Catherine Patla, PT, DHSc, MS, OCS, MTC, FAAOMPT. View grant guidelines, application instructions, and LOI instructions.

One $100,000 grant is to be awarded for research related to orthopedic manual physical therapy. This grant is generously supported through the Paris-Patla Fund for Manual Therapy Research. View grant guidelines, application instructions, and LOI instructions.

One $40,000 Pediatric Research Grant is to be awarded to an Emerging Investigator that seeks to conduct research consistent with the current Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Research Agenda.

This grant is funded by the Pediatric Endowment Fund, made possible with generous gifts from the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $40,000 Pelvic Health Research Grant is to be awarded to an individual to investigate the advancement of pelvic health physical therapy and closely align with the research priorities of APTA Pelvic Health. This grant is generously supported through the Research Excellence in Pelvic Health Physical Therapy Fund established by APTA Pelvic Health. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $40,000 research grant to be awarded for research related to Digital Physical Therapy. This grant is generously supported with funds from SWORD health. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

One $40,000 research grant is to be awarded to support relevant school-based PT research. This grant is generously supported through the Irene McEwen Fund for School-Based Physical Therapy Research. View grant guidelines and application instructions.

The main output of research is new knowledge. To ensure this knowledge can be accessed, read, applied, and elaborated in fulfillment of these goals, the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research encourages funded researchers to share data with the research community and with further expectations to publish their findings, including but not limited to publication in peer reviewed journals.

Future Grant Opportunities

One Deusinger Family Foundation Research Grant of up to $40,000 will be awarded to a support a new investigator in a high risk/high reward, high impact, innovative area of high contemporary significance to the profession.

This grant is generously supported from the Deusinger Family Endowment Fund.

One $40,000 research grant will be awarded to an emerging investigator for education research related to methods for promoting the uptake of research findings into education. More specifically, the purpose of this grant mechanism is to design educational interventions to address the gap between evidence and practice.

This grant is generously supported by the Academy of Physical Therapy Education.

One $40,000 Geriatric Research Grant is to be awarded to an Emerging Investigator for research that addresses an area of high impact and priority for improving the practice of physical therapy for the treatment of aging adults.  The project must also be consistent with the priorities outlined within the APTA Geriatrics Research Agenda.

This grant is made possible by the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy Fund.

One $40,000 research grant is to be awarded to support relevant clinical research projects aimed to investigate: a) those services delivered by physical therapists; and b) the development of new interventions that offer reasonable assurance that they will be clinically relevant and therapeutically effective.

This grant is generously supported through the Snyder Endowment Fund.

Foundation grants are made possible through our supporters, including the following:

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GRANTS: A ROAD TO FOLLOW-ON FUNDING

FAQ’s

For additional information, check out this list of frequently asked questions.

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