The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) committee is offering research funds to occupational therapy (OT) graduates and clinicians to address the urgent need of broadening their representation in OT research. This research fund will support their participation in a mentored research experience at an institution other than their own.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant must be:

• A Master’s (OT) or OTD graduate, part or a full-time OT clinician.
• From an under-represented background, with disabilities, and/or from under-resourced backgrounds. Please refer to the NIH link regarding information on underrepresented groups.

The STRIDE OT Research Fund (SRF) program will pair promising graduates/clinicians (mentees) with researchers (mentors) from around the country. The mentor may be identified by the applicant or by AOTF’s STRIDE sub-committee and will be at an institution other than the graduate or clinician’s own.

SRF Mentee Profile:

A practicing occupational therapist or a Master’s (OT) or OTD graduate, from an under-represented background, with disabilities, and/or from under-resourced backgrounds.

Awardees are expected to work approximately 10 hours per week for 16 weeks. Stipends can be used to offset lost wages and other expenses (e.g., transportation, internet hotspot, food, and housing). Receipts will be required for all expenditures.

Selected graduates and clinicians will be paired with mentors identified either by the AOTF’s STRIDE sub-committee or by the applicant (and approved by the STRIDE sub-committee).

SRF Mentor Role:

The mentor will guide the selected graduate/clinician through a research experience over an intensive 16-week period. Prior to the start of the 16-week experience, the mentor will create an individualized development plan with the applicant.

During the 16-week experience, the mentor will provide instruction, direction, challenge, and support to the mentee through weekly/biweekly mentorship meetings, weekly lab meetings, review of mentee’s work and feedback, suggesting coursework or seminars related to the mentee’s goals, and/or training to carry out expected research experience. The mentor will monitor the mentee’s research activities and provide feedback, offer informal guidance and direction regarding future prospects for research engagement for the applicant, networking possibilities, and regional & national conference opportunities. Additionally, the mentor will guide the applicant to prepare and present their final poster at an AOTF event during the AOTA INSPIRE 2024 conference to showcase their work.

Funding:

The awardees will receive financial support (up to US $10,000) to enable them to meet with their mentors, participate in lab meetings, work with staff and pre- and postdoctoral students, and build critical skills through hands-on training in research methods and processes.

Expected Outcome:

Upon completion of the experience, graduates and clinicians will prepare and present their final poster at an AOTF event during the 2024 AOTA INSPIRE Conference.

Award Requirements:

The awardee will

• Create an individualized development plan with their mentor prior to the start of the award period.
• Participate in person or virtually in weekly/biweekly individual meetings, weekly lab meetings, and/or training to carry out expected research experience.
• Send their research fund expense report along with the receipts (of all non-stipend expenditures) at the end of the award period with a check for unused funds to:
  Attn: Jeanne Cooper
  AOTF, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 520
  Rockville, MD 20852
• Prepare and present their final poster at an AOTF event during the 2024 AOTA INSPIRE conference to showcase their work.
• Mail printed SRF poster to:
  Attn: Grant Administrator
  AOTF, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 520
  Rockville, MD 20852
• If possible, attend the 2024 AOTA INSPIRE conference.
• Complete a post-program evaluation so that we may assess the applicant’s and the program’s strengths and areas for growth.
  
  2023 SRF research experience may be virtual with the option of supplementing a virtual experience with visits to the mentor’s lab.

The mentor will:

• Guide the mentee towards specific research related skills such as combinations of the following: formulating a research question, research design and methods used to study relevant research questions, development of study protocols, qualitative/quantitative data processing methods related to the research area of the mentee, literature appraisal, review and synthesis, team science skills: collaboration, roles, communication, and negotiation.
• Provide instruction, direction, challenge, and support to the mentee during the research process by actively engaging with the applicant throughout the 16-week period (e.g., weekly individual meetings, weekly lab meetings, and training to carry out expected research experience).
• Monitor the mentee’s research activities and provide feedback (specific weekly/biweekly mentorship plan).
• Discuss the actual mentorship process relationship and expectations for both mentor/mentee for future career development.
• Offer informal guidance and direction regarding:
  • Future prospects for research engagement for the applicant
  • Networking possibilities
  • Regional & national conference opportunities within your discipline
• Mentor the applicant to prepare and present their final poster at an AOTF event during the 2024 AOTA INSPIRE conference to showcase their work.
• If possible, attend the 2024 AOTA INSPIRE conference.
• Complete a post-program evaluation so that we may assess the applicant’s and the program’s strengths and areas for growth.

Application Checklist

Applications Open: June 15, 2023

Applications Deadline: July 21, 2023

To apply, please submit all materials, as indicated in the application instructions, including:

• Current resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Unofficial transcript of the last degree (a pdf is acceptable)
• A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the graduate’s institution or from an OT manager/supervisor or an OT colleague (should be a researcher). 
• A Research Essay

Award Guidelines

FAQs

Application Instructions

Questions? Contact research@aotf.org.

2022 Recipients

Joanne Oates-Toussaint, ppOTD Student, Temple University 
Lena Gipson Showalter, OTD, Through the Looking Glass 
Shanteria Carr, OTD, OTR/L, Howard University