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Research Resources
A monthly newsletter of the
AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health
September 2008
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Dear Colleagues,
Greetings from the AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and
Health. This issue of Research
Resources contains two important spotlights - one on the
Society for the Study of Occupation: USA - and a second on the AOTF
Institute's own Dissertation Research Grant Program, and specifically
two grant recipients who recently completed their dissertations and
have been awarded their doctorates.
Future issues of Research Resources
will contain more spotlights of both kinds, and we look forward to
bringing these to you as we advance occupational therapy through
programs of research, education, and leadership, and, in so doing, aim
to promote a society in which individuals, regardless of age or
ability, may participate in occupations of their choice that give
meaning to their lives and foster health and well-being.
Thank you again
for subscribing to Research
Resources and for encouraging your colleagues to connect to
AOTF through this monthly publication and its associated news alerts.
Please know that we appreciate your support now and always.
Jeffrey S.
Reznick, PhD
Director, AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health
PS: Don't forget
that previous issues of Research
Resources are available on our
blog and there you can also listen to the proceedings
of the 2008 AOTF Institute Research Colloquium.
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AOTF Institute Cooperation Spotlight:
Society for the Study of Occupation: USA (SSO:USA)
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About
SSO:USA
SSO:USA provides a forum to promote and disseminate research into
occupational science. It supports cutting-edge theory and research of
occupation through the establishment of networks, resources, and
collaborations. Additionally, SSO:USA fosters understanding of the
fundamental nature of occupation in health and well-being and studies
the interrelationship between the occupational science and occupational
therapy.
History of SSO:USA
The history of the SSO:USA is firmly rooted in the history of
occupational therapy itself. In 1917, a group of scholars met to establish
the profession of occupational therapy. Their vision focused on
advancing occupation as a therapeutic measure, studying the effects of
occupation, and disseminating scientific knowledge of occupation. This
vision still serves as the groundwork for the discipline of
occupational science. In November 2002, the first US-based research
society in occupational science was established with this in mind.
Ruth
Zemke Lectureships in Occupational Science
Ruth Zemke, PhD, OTR, professor emerita of the University
of Southern California, has been a guiding force for occupational
science and the creation of the SSO:USA. The Ruth Zemke
Lectureship in Occupational Science recognizes Dr. Zemke's mentorship
and ongoing efforts to foster an occupational science community of
researchers. Since 2002, the lectureship is awarded to those
researchers that present visionary, theoretical, and critical analyses
of occupational science. Clare Hocking, PhD, MHSc, AdvDip (OT),
Dip(OT), NZROT, of AUT University, New Zealand will give the Ruth Zemke
Lecture at the 2008 conference on The Challenge of Occupation:
Describing the Things People Do. Past lecturers include Graham
Rowles, PhD, Professor and Director of the Graduate Center for
Gerontology, University of Kentucky and Charles Christiansen, EdD, OTR,
OT(C), FAOTA, now Executive Director of the AOTF.
Seventh Annual Research
Conference ~ Occupations Under the Sun: Expand Your Scholarly Horizons
The seventh annual research conference of the SSO:USA will be in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida on October 23-25, 2008. The conference will
provide a context for dynamic scholarly exchange and networking on the
study of occupation. This year SSO:USA members will actively engage with
the Board of Directors in preparation for strategic planning.
Proceedings and abstracts from the previous conferences can be found on
the SSO:USA website.
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AOTF Institute Program Spotlight
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Dissertation
Research Grant Program
Since 2006, the
AOTF Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health has awarded
dissertation research grants to doctoral candidates whose research
directly contributes to one of the profession's Research Priorities and
Parameters of Practice for Occupational Therapy. Today, the
AOTF Institute is pleased to announce that four grant recipients have
completed their dissertations and have been awarded their doctorates.
This issue of Research Resources spotlights two of these recipients.
Our next issue of Research
Resources will spotlight Dory Marken, PhD, OT/L,
who completed her dissertation at Eastern Kentucky University in
2007 and who is now Associate Professor in their Department of
Occupational Therapy, and Kayoko Takahashi, ScD, OTR,
who completed her dissertation at Boston University in
2008 and who is now a clinician/researcher at Kitasato University
Higashi Hospital and a research associate at the Department of
Occupational Therapy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.
In 2006, the AOTF
Institute awarded a Dissertation Research Grant to Eynat Shevil
of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Disability Studies Program.
The award supported her research on developing and pilot-testing a
cognitive intervention program for persons with multiple sclerosis. The
program aimed to teach  participants
how to self-manage cognitive symptoms by using compensatory strategies.
Results showed that participants increased their knowledge of cognitive
impairments, significantly increased their self-efficacy over cognitive
changes, and reported using strategies in daily activities.
As a
community-based study, participants were screened at their homes and the
intervention was offered in a variety of community settings to maximize
participant's ability to reach intervention sites. Therefore, a
significant portion of the grant was allotted to the transportation
needs of the participants and research team. In addition, grant funds
were used to support recruitment efforts and enabled the acquisition of
supplies for the intervention groups.
Eynat Shevil, PhD,
OTR is now a member of the faculty of the Department of Occupational
Therapy at the Tel Aviv University in Israel where she is continuing to
study the cognitive rehabilitation program for persons with multiple
sclerosis in a randomized control trial. A copy of Dr. Shevil's
dissertation is now housed in the Wilma L. West Library of the AOTF:
Shevil, E (2008) Developing
and pilot testing: cognitive intervention program for persons with
multiple sclerosis. Chicago, IL: University of
Illinois at Chicago.
In 2007, the AOTF
Institute awarded a Dissertation Research Grant to Jessica Kramer,
also of the University of Illinois at Chicago, towards the completion
of her dissertation on a mixed methods approach to building
validity evidence with the Child Occupational Self Assessment
(COSA). This study included a database of more than 500
children from around the world and a qualitative sample of five
children with  cerebral
palsy. These studies have provided validity evidence for the COSA
and increased knowledge of how children with disabilities talk
about competence for everyday activities. In addition, the
studies illuminated some "best practice" issues
regarding children's self report and the assessment of competence.
The AOTF
Dissertation Research Grant enabled Kramer to provide on-site training
to about 150 clinicians, offer modest thank-you gifts to clinicians who
provided data for her study, reimburse children who participated in the
qualitative study, and hire Spanish translators to support aspects of
the qualitative study. Additionally, the award helped to support a
related mixed-methods study which explored the clinical utility of the
COSA. Thus far, Kramer has conducted four focus groups with clinicians
in the UK and USA that used the COSA. Kramer hopes to complete the
study during the next year and invite the more than 250 clinicians who
are part of the COSA collaborator database to complete a survey
regarding its clinical utility.
In August of 2008,
Jessica Kramer, PhD, OTR/L became a Postdoctoral Fellow at Boston
University's Health and Disability Research Institute. Through this
position, Dr. Kramer has initiated a five-year research trajectory that
will extend her dissertation research in various ways, including three
to four manuscripts based on her dissertation, submitting her
research to two to three conferences, and provide COSA training
to clinicians. Dr. Kramer's dissertation can be found in the Wilma L.
West Library of the AOTF. Kramer, JM. (2008). A mixed methods approach to
building validity evidence: The Child Occupational Self Assessment. Chicago,
IL: University of Illinois at Chicago.
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AOTF Institute Program
Reminders
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AOTF/Foundation Center Webinar: Sept 18, 2008 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Introduction to Finding Funders (see below right)
Next
deadline: February 1, 2009.
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AOTA/NBCOT
Student Conclave
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The national student
conclave (November 14-16, 2008, suburban Chicago, Illinois) was
created by AOTA and NBCOT exclusively for occupational therapy and
occupational therapy assistant students giving them an insider's
view of the profession; access to, and tips from, some of the
nation's top employers; and a jump on career skills.
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Publication Announcements
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Early Childhood Assessment:
Why, What, and How?
This book affirms that
assessments of young children's development can make crucial
contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only
if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the
context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used
appropriately. Early
Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by
identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5
and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments
for developmental assessments.
Snow, C.E. & Van Hemel, S.B. (Eds.).(2008) Early Childhood Assessment:
Why, What, and How? Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press.
Personal Narratives Provide
Valuable Information
In Telling Stories,
the authors argue that personal narratives-autobiographies, oral
histories, life history interviews, and memoirs-are an important
research tool for understanding the relationship between people and
their societies. Gathering examples from throughout the world and
from premodern as well as contemporary cultures, they draw from labor
history and class analysis, feminist sociology, race relations, and
anthropology to demonstrate the value of personal narratives for
scholars and students alike. Maynes, M.J., Pierce, J.L., &
Laslett, B. Telling
Stories: The Use of Personal Narratives in the Social Sciences and
History. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Health Equity Through the
Social Determinants of Health
The
social determinants of health have been the focus of a three-year
investigation by an eminent group of policy makers, academics, former
heads of state and former ministers of health. Together, they comprise
the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants
of Health. The Final Report of the Commission to the WHO
Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan is now available on the internet.
CSDH (2008). Closing
the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social
determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on
Social Determinants of Health. Geneva: World Health Organization.
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Web-Based
& Related Resources
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The LONG LIFE Family Study (LLFS)
LLFS is a unique international project that will help us learn
why some people live until a very old age and why some families
maintain their health far longer than the average family. By
sharing information about your life and family with us, you can help
improve the health of future generations. The LONG LIFE Family Study
is an international research project sponsored by the National
Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health,
Columbia University, University of Pittsburgh, Boston University
Medical Center, University of Southern Denmark, Washington
University School of Medicine.
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Join Our List
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Grant Announcements &
Resources
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Doug Flutie Jr Foundation Call for Proposals
The
priorities of the foundation are to assist financially disadvantaged
families who need assistance in caring for their children with autism
spectrum disorder (through nonprofit autism organizations), fund
education and advocacy for individuals with autism and support
research dedicated to finding the cause and treatment of autism.
Proposals must be postmarked by September 26, 2008.
Kellog Health Scholars
Program has Post-Doc Openings
The
Kellogg
Health Scholars Program, a two-year post-doctoral program,
is now accepting applications for its 2009-2011 cohort. The
deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday, December 3, 2008
(11:59 p.m. Eastern).
Through the Kellogg Health Scholars Program, scholars develop as
leaders with research expertise to add to our knowledge about the
nature of social disparities in health and interventions to reduce
those disparities, the capacity to partner with communities in
carrying out research and building policy advocacy and the skills to
inform and support policy makers who seek to reduce and eliminate
health disparities.
The
program consists of two tracks and offers fellowships at eight
training sites. The Community Track highlights community-based
participatory research and relationships between academe, community
and public health practice. The Multidisciplinary Track highlights a
multidisciplinary approach to studying the social determinants of
health disparities.
Native American Research
Centers for Health (NARCH) Program Announces Next Funding Cycle
In
its eighth year and sixth funding cycle, the NARCH program
funds partnerships between American Indian and Alaska Native
Tribes/tribal organizations and research institutions to conduct
research that is relevant and responsive to the needs of
Tribes. Deadline for proposals is May 14, 2009 and funding to
start in fiscal year 2010.
The notice is going out now to give organizations plenty of time
to develop their partnerships and research ideas. To receive updates
on this funding opportunity, including planned technical assistance
to apply, send your full contact information to NARCH with
the words "technical assistance" in the subject line.
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Conference Announcements
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Government*Horizons Inc. and The National Organization
on Disability's (NOD) Emergency Preparedness Initiative Present: Disability and Special Needs Technical Assistance
Training Conference: Understanding the Four Phases of Emergency
Management
The
Disability and Special Needs Technical Assistance Conference
(December 9-10, 2008, San Diego, California) will bring together
federal, state, and local experts in emergency management to discuss
the processes involved in the emergency management spectrum. They
will describe how special needs issues should be integrated into the
four phases of emergency management: preparedness, mitigation,
response, and recovery.
2nd Annual National
Institutes of Health (NIH) Conference on the Science of
Dissemination and Implementation: Building
Research Capacity to Bridge the Gap From Science to Service
This conference on
January 28-29, 2009, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland will enable the research
community to exchange ideas, explore contemporary topics and identify
concepts, methods and strategies to build research and organizational
capacity for dissemination and implementation science. Applicants are
encouraged to submit proposals for Think Tanks and abstracts for oral
presentations/panels, and posters.
American Association of Behavioral and
Social Sciences (AABSS) Twelfth Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of
the AABSS (February 5-6, 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada) offers a forum
for sharing research, ideas for professional development, and
academic concerns in all areas of the behavioral and social
sciences. Paper presentations or workshops proposals due
date is October 20, 2008.
Association for Practical and
Professional Ethics
The
18th Annual Meeting (March 5-8, 2009, Cincinnati, Ohio)
will facilitate discussion of common concerns in practical
and professional ethics. Submissions of proposals for the Annual
Meeting must be postmarked by October 20, 2008.
North
American Brain Injury Society NABIS - Sixth Annual Conference on
Brain Injury
This
conference will be held in New Orleans Louisiana, October 2-4,
2008. Over 55 of the leading experts from North America will
present the latest advances in the science, rehabilitation and
treatment of traumatic brain injury. The 2008 conference will focus
on four concurrent education tracks covering the following topic
areas: Medical-Clinical Best Practices, Research/Science, Life Long
Living & Working and Legal Issues in Brain Injury. The Call
for Papers submission database will close on September 12, 2008.
Rehab Conference 2008
To be held in Jacksonville, Florida on March 26 - 29, 2009, this
event will focus on promoting research-based strategies that combine
applied behavior analysis and biomedical science with person-centered
values and systems change to increase quality of life and decrease
problem behaviors. The Call for Papers submission database will close
on September 12, 2008.
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AOTF/Foundation Center to
Co-sponsor Introduction
to Finding Funders Webinar
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The AOTF Institute for
the Study of Occupation and Health will be co-sponsoring a tailored, one-hour
Foundation Center webinar for researchers in the occupational therapy
community. The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 18,
2008 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The registration fee is $25.00. This
webinar will provide a brief overview of The Foundation Center's
reference guides and related resources for researchers, an
introduction to one of the key online tools for finding funders,
Foundation Directory Online Professional, and a focus on The
Foundation Center's cooperating collections which are available in
every state nationwide. Through a hands-on demonstration of
Foundation Directory Online Professional, participating researchers
will learn how to create customized searches to develop lists of
grant makers that match specific research interests, geographic
areas, and other criteria. Researchers who register for and complete
the webinar will receive 24-hour unlimited access to Foundation
Directory Online Professional. To register for this webinar
contact Helene Ross, AOTF Institute
Program Assistant, by email and include a brief (2-3 sentences)
summary of your research focus along with your full name,
credentials, associated institution, mailing address, email, and
telephone number, and how you will be paying the $25 registration
fee. This fee can be paid by submitting your credit card information
online via AOTF's secure web site, or by calling Helene (301-652-6611
ext. 2556). Note: Participation in this webinar is limited to
thirty researchers. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come,
first-served basis.
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AOTF
is concerned about privacy and will only send Research Resources
to those individuals who wish to receive it. If you no longer wish to
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Resources, or if you feel that you received this
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parties.
For
more information about the American Occupational Therapy Foundation
and its Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health see our web
site: www.aotf.org.
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