Dissemination Toolkits - The American Occupational Therapy Foundation

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Discover Federal and Non-Governmental Funding Opportunities to Advance Your Occupational Therapy Research

Current Funding Opportunities

New Grants and Funding

Stay informed about the latest opportunities to support your research:

NCATS Funding & Collaboration Opportunities – Explore translational science funding from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
TIDE: Establishing Trust, Stimulating Inquiry, Nurturing Development, and Community Engagement – Support for building diversity in rehabilitation research

Federal Government & Non-Government Funding Links

AOTF curates these resources to support the occupational therapy research community. This list represents key funding sources and is regularly updated based on community input.

Have a resource to share? Send suggestions to research@aotf.org.

Comprehensive Federal Funding Database

Grants.gov – Your central portal for all federal government agency and department grants. This searchable database includes opportunities from every federal funding source.

Federal Agencies with Dedicated OT Research Funding

The following agencies maintain their own grant portals with opportunities particularly relevant to occupational therapy research:

Health and Human Services Agencies

Administration on Aging (AOA) – Grants supporting aging research and services
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – Public health research and prevention programs
[Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)] – Broad health-related research opportunities
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) – Funding for studies that help patients and caregivers make better-informed healthcare choices, including healthcare delivery and disparities research

Disability and Rehabilitation Research

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) supports comprehensive research programs, including:

Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program (DRRP) – Funds knowledge translation, capacity building for minority research entities, and individual research projects
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center Program (RERC) – Supports advanced engineering research and development of innovative technologies to solve rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers
Switzer Research Fellowship Program – Individual grants for research on rehabilitation, independent living, and the experiences of people with disabilities
Field-Initiated Projects Program (FIP) – Investigator-initiated research projects that generate new knowledge
Model Systems Program – Coordinated systems of rehabilitation care and research on recovery and long-term outcomes for spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and burn injury
Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training Program (ARRT) – Institutional grants providing advanced research training for individuals with doctorates or similar degrees
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Program (RRTC) – Advanced research, training, and information sharing to improve rehabilitation methodology, service delivery, health outcomes, and promote employment and independent living
Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) – Supports development of innovative ideas and projects for people with disabilities through grants to small business firms
Americans with Disabilities Act National Network – Funds 10 regional centers providing information, training, and technical assistance on ADA rights and responsibilities

Defense, Veterans, and Security Agencies

Department of Defense (DOD) – Military health research and service member rehabilitation
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – Research improving veteran healthcare and rehabilitation
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Emergency preparedness and response research

Education and Science Agencies

Department of Education (DOE) – Educational research and special education programs
National Science Foundation (NSF) – Basic science research across disciplines

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NIH represents the largest source of federal funding for biomedical research. Multiple NIH institutes support occupational therapy research. Visit Grants.gov and filter by NIH to explore current opportunities.

Additional AOTF Research Resources

Enhance your research capacity with these AOTF programs and publications:

OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research – Publish your work in our peer-reviewed scientific journal
Planning Grant Collectives – Collaborative workshops to develop research proposals
Research Priorities to Advance Full Participation in Meaningful Life Activities – Current strategic research directions
Video Library – Educational resources and research presentations

Additional External Research Resources

Expand your research toolkit with these curated resources:

Dissemination Toolkits – Free downloadable resources for translating research into practice
Policy Portal – KTDRR directory of consumer-oriented organizations for NIDILRR grantees to promote research findings and connect with stakeholder organizations
Research Databases – Access peer-reviewed literature and evidence databases

Stay Connected

Questions about funding opportunities? Contact our research team at research@aotf.org.

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