As I reflect upon the year in review, I have deep gratitude and respect for the donors, partners, and volunteers who contribute to the tapestry of the Foundation. There are dozens of volunteers who serve the Foundation to help move the field towards the vision of a vibrant science that supports occupational therapy. Combined with the financial support of generous donors and partners, it is the time and talent of our volunteers that enable the Foundation to carry-out our important mission— advance the science of occupational therapy.

Happy new year and we look forward to building new research with your support in 2023 and beyond!

Sincerely,

Mary Jane (MJ) Mulcahey, PhD, OTR/L

1.)14 Research Grants Awarded: Bridging Research, Evidence, and Practice

• 5 Intervention Research Grant (IRG) Awardees will lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention and for implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. Thanks to NBCOT, AOTA, and the St. Catherine Challenge for their joint funding of IRG.  
• 3 Implementation Research Grant (IR) Awardees will conduct research that is focused on helping occupational therapists take evidence-informed practice from theory to reality in their practice setting. This research grant develops and evaluates the processes used to implement, sustain, and or scale-up evidence-based practice into routine care with an end goal to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. Thanks to NBCOT for their generous funding of IR grant. 
• 2 Health Services Research (HSR) Grant Awardees will examine how people get access to health care, how and what care is delivered, the cost of that care, and what happens to patients as a result of receiving or not receiving care. Thanks to NBCOT for their generous grant funding of HSR grant.
• The Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship in Occupational Therapy and Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship were also awarded to honor their namesakes.

7.) OTJR Advancing the Profession Through Scientific Inquiry 2022 has been another outstanding year for our research publication OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. The 2021 Impact Factor is 1.632 and 5-Year Impact Factor is 2.211. To meet the ambitious goals of OTJR, they've expanded the size and expertise of their Editorial Board, streamlined the review template, and increased the length of manuscript submissions and the number of pages published in each issue. In collaboration with AOTF and SAGE, OTJR will launch a free webinar entitled “Enhancing Success in Publishing Peer-Reviewed Research" for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early career researchers. This continued growth represents the contributions of quality data-driven research from authors and the rigorous processes of OTJR's Editor-In-Chief, Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Assistant Editor, Associate Editors, Editorial Fellows, Review Board Members, and SAGE Publishing Partners. View OTJR subscriber benefits and author guidelines.

9.) Record-Breaking OT Student Fundraiser  Congratulations and thank you to our 2022 St. Catherine Challenge participating schools on a record-breaking year! The 2022 Challenge raised over $58,000 from 65 schools across the country, a new milestone in the Challenge's history including: Most $ raised  Most first-time school participants  Most overall school participation  Most 100% faculty participation  Special thanks to the Top 3 Fundraising Schools: St. Catherine University, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Southern California. We invite you to support your school in the 2023 Challenge now underway.

AOTF is sad to inform our community of the passing of Azela Gohl Giese of Roseville, Minnesota. Azela was an occupational therapy professor at St. Catherine University from 1962-1998. She received her BSOT from the school in 1959. During her 3 decades at St. Catherine, Azela served as the department chair and academic fieldwork coordinator as well secured an array of federal and foundation grants to provide stipends for disadvantaged students, advance new technologies in OT and support community-based fieldwork initiatives. She also served 2 terms as the President of the Minnesota OT Association. Upon her retirement in 1998, Azela was named a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and was awarded the title of Professor Emerita at St. Catherine’s.

Azela was a long-time supporter of AOTF, making gifts for over 30 years to support our work and especially her school through the St. Catherine Challenge.

A memorial service for Azela will be held at St. Rose of Lima in Roseville, MN on March 31, 2023 at 10am. She has included AOTF among the memorial gifts that can be made in her memory.

Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship
Cristin M. Holland, PhD, OTR/L, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Nancy Talbot Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
Dominique Como, PhD, EdM, OTR/L, University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Gary Kielhofner Doctoral Research Scholarship
Amy McArthur, PhD Candidate, MS, OTR/L, University of Illinois 

Bonita Kraft Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Scholarship
Clarissa Mireau, PhD Candidate, MA, OTR/L, TPS, Nova Southeastern University 
Occupational Therapy

Stay tuned for the announcement of our remaining grant recipients! 

AOTF strategic planning workgroup seeks your assistance in the planning of the 2024 `Connecting OT Researchers & Practitioners AOTA Conference Workshop' to promote knowledge interaction between occupational therapy (OT) researchers and clinicians. 
 
Help us identify OT researchers and clinicians who would be interested in meeting at the 2023 AOTA Conference to discuss, set objectives and agenda for the 2024 workshop. An abstract will be submitted for the `Connecting OT Researchers & Practitioners AOTA Conference Workshop' to be held at the 2024 AOTA conference as a result of this planning meeting. Complete this brief survey by March 10, 2023 if you are interested in participating or would like to recommend another OT.

Eligibility for Participant: 

• Is an OT (researcher or clinician) 
• Is planning to attend the 2023 AOTA conference in-person
• Able to attend Planning Meeting at 2023 AOTA Conference: 9 a.m.-10:45 a.m. on Thursday, April 20, 2023. 

Every year, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) bestows awards and honors to individuals that contribute time, energy, and support to the fulfillment of the AOTF mission- advancing the science of occupational therapy. The awards are presented annually at the AOTA/AOTF Awards Ceremony during the AOTA Annual Conference. 

ACADEMY OF RESEARCH* 
Carolyn Unsworth, PhD, BAppSci (OT), GCTE, OTR, MRCOT, FOTARA, Professor, Discipline Lead Occupational Therapy Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University Australia, Victoria, Austrailia
Sook-Lei Liew, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor; Director, Neural Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory; Chair, ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group; Co-Director, USC SMART-VR Center; Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurology USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

AOTF EARLY CAREER RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD*
Lisa Juckett, PhD, OTR/L, CHT, Assistant Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

AOTF MID-CAREER RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD*
Elizabeth Pyatak, PhD, OTR/L, CDCES, FAOTA, Director of the Lifestyle Redesign® Knowledge Mobilization Initiative, and Associate Professor, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

FRED SAMMONS VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARD
Bonita Kraft, retired occupational therapist practicing in behavioral health focusing on schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, bipolar disorder and other personality disorders, Camarillo, California

AOTF A. JEAN AYRES AWARD*
Teresa May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Owner, President, TMB Occupational Therapy Resources, Inc. Norristown, Pennsylvania

AOTF VIRGINIA SCARDINA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE*
Erna Imperatore Blanche, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy, Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

AOTF MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD 
Felicia Chew, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP, President, Integrity Health Solutions, Mount Royal, New Jersey
Donald Fogelberg, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington Seattle, Washington
Susan Magasi PhD, MS, BScOT, Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy; Associate Professor, Disability and Human Development; Associate Head, Occupational Therapy, Department of Occupational Therapy and Disability Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Kerri Morgan, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Kristie Patten, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Occupational Therapy Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, New York

AOTF LEADERSHIP SERVICE COMMENDATION
Tracey Ellis, OTR/L, MPH, CEO & Founder, International Diagnostic Solutions, Inc. and Ellis Therapeutic Consultant, Inc. Washington, District of Columbia
Elizabeth Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, Associate Professor, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; Director of the REACH Lab, Temple University

AOTF PI THETA EPSILON MARY J. BRIDLE FIRST RESEARCH
Sarah Synak, OTD, OTR/L, Creighton University, Occupational Therapist at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, Lincoln, Nebraska. Research Title: The Effectiveness of Upper Extremity Orthotic Interventions on Functional Participation for Adults with Stroke: A Systematic Review

* Select awards with be presented at the AOTF/AOTA Awards & Recognitions Ceremony at AOTA INSPIRE Conference, Saturday,  April 22, 4:30 pm–6:00 pm CT, Reception 6:00 pm–7:30 pm CT, others will be recognized at the AOTF VIP Reception.

Learn More

Congratulations to the 2023 Implementation Research Grant Recipients:

Aviva Wolff, EdD, OTR, CHT, Hospital for Special Surgery NY
Implementation Science to Prevent and Reduce Musculoskeletal Occupational Injuries in Musicians
Mentor: Laura Robbins, PT, DTP

Angela Shierk, PhD, OTR, Texas Woman’s University
Implementation of Therapy Together, a Pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Program, with Early Childhood Intervention
Mentor: Janet Prvu Bettger, ScD

Chiao-Ju Fang, PhD, MA, OTR/L, San Jose State University
Implementation of App-based Coaching Intervention (Social Participation and Navigation; SPAN) to Promote Participation of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Mentor: Laurie Drabble, PhD

Videos of their research coming soon!

The IR grant specifically supports research that is focused on helping occupational therapists take evidence-informed practice from theory to reality in their practice setting. This research grant develops and evaluates the processes used to implement, sustain, and or scale-up evidence-based practice into routine care with an end goal to improve the quality and effectiveness of care.

Learn more about the IR Grant.

Congratulations to our 2023 Intervention Research Grant Recipients:

Emily Kringle, PhD, OTR/L, University of Minnesota
duoABLE: Feasibility of a Behavioral Activation-based Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behavior Among People with Stroke and Their Support Persons
Mentor: Beth Lewis, PhD

Andrea Fairman, PhD, MOT, OTR/L, CPRP, ATP, Johnson & Wales University
Clinical Efficacy of CO-OP And Mhealth to Support Self-catheterization In Youth with Spina Bifida
Mentor: Douglass Clayton, MD

Mark Hardison, PhD, OTR/L, University of New Mexico
Assessing the Feasibility of the Restorative Occupational Approaches for Disordered Eating (ROADE) Program
Mentor: Catana Brown, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Kelle DeBoth, PhD, OTR/L, Cleveland State University Ohio
Building Resilience and Social-emotional Skills in Under-resourced Preschoolers with History of Trauma
Mentor: Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

The purpose of this grant program is to lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention studies and for larger implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. The intent of the IRG program is to provide seed funding for the development of new and/or novel ideas in order to generate preliminary data as proof of concept. Most larger funders, including federal sources and most of the major nonprofit foundations, require this data in order to apply to them, yet sources to fund this preliminary work are limited at best. The AOTF IRG occupies a very important niche and fills a critical gap by investing in the development of ideas and data in the early state of the occupational therapy research enterprise. 

The Intervention Research Grant program receives donations from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the AOTF St. Catherine Challenge.  

Congratulations to our 2023 Intervention Research Grant Recipients:

Emily Kringle, PhD, OTR/L, University of Minnesota

duoABLE: Feasibility of a Behavioral Activation-based Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behavior Among People with Stroke and Their Support Persons Mentor: Beth Lewis, PhD

Pedro Almeida, OT, PhD, OTR, Boston University Sargent College

Developing a Client-centered, Occupational-based Joint-protection Protocol: The Feasibility of The CO-OP Approach for Clients Living with Hand Osteoarthritis

Mentor: Emily Rothman, ScD

Andrea Fairman, PhD, MOT, OTR/L, CPRP, ATP, Johnson & Wales University Clinical Efficacy of CO-OP And Mhealth to Support Self-catheterization In Youth with Spina Bifida

Mentor: Douglass Clayton, MD

Mark Hardison, PhD, OTR/L, University of New Mexico

Assessing the Feasibility of the Restorative Occupational Approaches for Disordered Eating (ROADE) Program Mentor: Catana Brown, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Kelle DeBoth, PhD, OTR/L, Cleveland State University Ohio

Building Resilience and Social-emotional Skills in Under-resourced Preschoolers with History of Trauma

Mentor: Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

The purpose of this grant program is to lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention studies and for larger implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. The intent of the IRG program is to provide seed funding for the development of new and/or novel ideas in order to generate preliminary data as proof of concept. Most larger funders, including federal sources and most of the major nonprofit foundations, require this data in order to apply to them, yet sources to fund this preliminary work are limited at best. The AOTF IRG occupies a very important niche and fills a critical gap by investing in the development of ideas and data in the early state of the occupational therapy research enterprise. 

The Intervention Research Grant program receives donations from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the AOTF St. Catherine Challenge.  

Congratulations to our 2023 Health Services Research Grant Recipients:

Khalilah Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil
Exploring Racism: Race, Context, and Healthcare Use among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 
Mentor: Kathleen C Thomas, PhD

Corey Morrow, PhD, MOT, OTR/L, Whitworth University
Access to Tele-rehabilitation for Rural and Socially Disadvantaged Stroke Survivors during COVID-19
Mentor: Kit N. Simpson, DrPH

Health Services Research (HSR) examines how people get access to health care, how and what care is delivered, the cost of that care, and what happens to patients as a result of receiving or not receiving care.  Specifically, HSR is a multidisciplinary field that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and costs of health care, and ultimately, the health and well-being of health care consumers. 

The Health Services Research Grant program is made possible through a generous donation from NBCOT.

Learn more about the HSR Grant

AOTF is sad to inform our community that Anne Henderson, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, passed away yesterday. Dr. Henderson was a one of OT's most influential figures, as an educator, researcher, author and promoter of graduate education. Her research focused on spatial abilities, hand function and activities of daily living of children. She co-authored Hand Function in the Child: Foundations for Remediation, which guided pediatric practice by explaining the neurophysiology, neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and developmental psychology of hand function. She was the 1988 Slagle Lecturer and was named one of AOTA's Most Influential OTs in 2017. 

Among her many accomplishments she founded the doctoral program in occupational therapy at Boston University and also served as chair of the OT department. She also served as chair of the OT program at the University of New Hampshire and facilitated the establishment of Pi Theta Epsilon, the national honor society for occupational therapy.  

In lieu of flowers, her family has asked people make a philanthropic gift to the American Occupational Therapy Foundation to support new OT research and build evidence in demand. 

You can make your gift at www.aotf.org/Support  

AOTF is starting a Research and EBP Learning Community for OT students! We want to hear from you.

• How can AOTF support you in your research as a student? 
• How do you think a community of student researchers could help each other?
• What are your research interests as an OT student? 

Submit your feedback by July, 31 2023.

Congratulations to the 10 OT students that were selected from the correctly completed AOTF Scavenger Hunt at AOTA Inspire Conference 2023- each will receive a $50 Amazon gift card, sponsored by Real OT Solutions

What year was AOTF established? 1965

What is the mission of AOTF? To advance the science of occupational therapy tosupport people's full participation in meaningful life activities

AOTF’s 3 research grant programs are:  Health Services Research, Implementation Research, Intervention Research 

Who was the 2023 speaker for Breakfast With A Scholar? Mickey Rowe

True or False, all AOTF mission activities are fully funded through philanthropic gifts? True

The 2023 Academy of Research inductees are: Sook-Lei Liew and Carolyn Unsworth

The annual student-led fundraiser for the Intervention Research Grant is called the St. Catherine Challenge

The joint AOTF-AOTA 1 day program for students interested in research careers is called the OT Institute for Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy

AOTF holds 26 state association scholarships

OTRJ’s 2021 impact factor was 1.632

Hashtags from our March 13, 2023 instagram posting: #AOTFSCC #OTResearch #OccupationalTherapy

AOTF Scavenger Hunt Winners!
10 winners of the AOTF Scavenger Hunt will each receive a $50 Amazon gift card, sponsored by Real OT Solutions(https://t.co/Ra70PtwGQk)
Did you get all 11 questions about AOTF correct? Check out the blogpost (https://t.co/df6kfxcmSM) to find out. pic.twitter.com/43a4ULRhQd

— AOTFoundation (@AOTFoundation) May 4, 2023

Daut-Jacobson Occupational Therapy Continuing Education Award

Lila Daut worked as an occupational therapist in Milwaukee, WI as a rehabilitation specialist and supervisor.  She received her occupational therapy degree from Texas Woman’s University. After decades of work she retired in 2015. Lila has a strong passion for occupational therapy and knows how important evidence-based practice is for the profession. Because of rising costs and expenses for continuing education courses, Lila has established a new award that will help OT practitioners attend continuing education courses and advanced certification training.  

The Lila Daut-Allan Jacobson Occupational Therapy Continuing Education award provides an annual award of $500 to an OT or COTA practitioner who is seeking financial aid for continuing education coursework.

While any continuing education course will be considered, priority will be given to advanced certification in the fields of: 

• Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)
• Certified Hand Therapy (CHT)
• Neuro-Developmental Therapy Certification (NDT)
• Certified Driver’s Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS)
• Gerontology Certification. 

All continuing education courses must be approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). 

Submission Checklist

□  Applicants name, address, email, phone number, employer

□  Course information including course title, date, presenter, subject matter/learning objectives, cost and eligible credits

□  Description of how this course/certification will improve your practice and/or advance your career

All applications will be reviewed by the AOTF Academy of Research Members. 
Application deadline: May 19, 2024.

On Sunday, July 9^th, 2023, the Occupational Therapy profession lost a genuinely wonderful person and significant member of our community, Lands Banks. Lands served as the Manager of Administration and Facilities for AOTA for over 25 years. Lands was an integral part of AOTA, a man with a magnetic and uplifting personality who was always there to help friends, colleagues, and family members. His passing leaves a large hole in the hearts of all those who knew him and those impacted by his work.

AOTF, AOTA, and its donors have created the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship in Occupational Therapy to honor his memory and further his legacy. Thanks to the generosity of friends, family, colleagues, and dozens of occupational therapists, the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship is now endowed! AOTF is highly grateful to all the donors who have helped secure this scholarship forever and keep Lands’ spirit alive by helping future generations of occupational therapy students. 

Congratulations to our inaugural recipient, Katerina Garbis, University of Illinois-Chicago!

"I was introduced to the OT field by one of my childhood friends. I was feeling stuck and unsure of what I wanted to do during college, confused about how to incorporate all of my interests into my future career. She recommended I shadow some OTs, and I ended up loving it! I was drawn by the community care aspect of OT and how we encourage working with empathy at the forefront and by considering all aspects of a person. I also saw that as occupational therapists, we help people who may feel like they are at the lowest point in their life, where being unable to complete a part of a routine may feel dehumanizing and frustrating. I realized I would be a comforting figure in people's lives as an occupational therapist, and someone my patients found approachable in such a vulnerable time."

• Read more from AOTA

The Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship in Occupational Therapy will provide financial aid to support a student in pursuing their degree. Eligible candidates must be pursuing an entry-level degree, i.e., OTA, MOT, MSOT, or OTD, at an AOTA-accredited US institution, enrolled as a full-time student, and have completed at least one year of coursework.

In addition, candidates for this scholarship must demonstrate their involvement in community service and/or service leadership.

Preference for this scholarship will be given to students from historically underrepresented minorities in occupational therapy.

The annual scholarship award will be $2,000.

Support the Lands Banks Memorial Scholarship and the memory of Lands Banks with AOTA's I GOT YOU shirts, tumblers, and bags.