The AOTF Scholarship Program is proud to recognize the dedicated service of Kerri Morgan, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, professor at Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, as she concludes her term as Co-Chair of the Scholarship Review Committee. Dr. Morgan's leadership has been instrumental in modernizing the application and review process, making it more user-friendly for students and more efficient for reviewers.

Under her guidance, the program experienced remarkable growth. In the most recent cycle, the Scholarship Program received nearly 350 applications and awarded over 50 scholarships—a significant increase in both applicants and awards compared to previous years.

While Dr. Morgan will be stepping down from her Co-Chair role, Mary Zadnik, PhD, OTR/L, will continue in her position, providing continuity and experienced leadership. Joining her as the new Co-Chair is Tracey Recigno, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, a professional occupational therapist with nearly two decades of experience in clinical and academic settings. Dr. Recigno is the program director for the developing hybrid Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Hawai‘i Pacific University in Honolulu. Though the program is based in O‘ahu, she resides in southern New Jersey, just outside Philadelphia. In addition to her new role, Dr. Recigno also serves as Vice President of Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE), a national occupational therapy honor society. 

New Timeline for the 2026 Application Cycle

In a departure from tradition, the AOTF Scholarship Program will shift its application launch from mid-August to mid-January 2026. This change is designed to better align with academic calendars and provide applicants with additional preparation time. Scholarship recipients will be notified in May 2026.

For more information about the Scholarship Program or to submit questions, please contact: David Robertson, scholarships@aotf.org.

The third Workshop in Implementation Science and Health Grant Writing (WISH) Workshop, held May 20-22, 2025, was a tremendous success, according to well, evidence such as satisfaction surveys and knowledge self-assessment tools. One hundred percent of participants agreed that: their mentoring group was well-suited for their research; that feedback they received during the workshop improved their proposals; that they would use the knowledge gained from the workshop; and that their mentor provided constructive feedback before and during the workshop. As in prior years, WISH was sponsored by LeaRRn, an NIH-funded rehabilitation research resource center, CoHSTAR, a health services research and training center supported by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. This year's trainees included 24 investigators, 13 of whom were occupational therapists, 11 of whom received travel awards sponsored by AOTF.

“I received iterative, real-time, honest feedback from successful and seasoned scholars and my fellow mentees. I don't know of any other setting where I could engage in that kind of fast-paced feedback loop! It was such an energizing, enriching, and productive experience.” - WISH Participant

The workshop offered each participant one of three tracks: Implementation Science, Health Services Research (HSR), and a Mixed Approach, which combined elements from the other two tracks. Attendees spent one and a half days in didactic sessions and in small-group breakout sessions (aka pods) where mentees discussed, critiqued, and strengthened their proposals. The workshop also included a panel on integrating lived experience into grant writing featuring community partners and representatives from PCORI, AOTF, and NCMRR. On the final day, Program Officers and mentors participated in a moderated panel on common grant proposal mistakes and success strategies.

"Supporting and participating in grant writing workshops like WISH underscores AOTF's commitment to advancing the science of occupational therapy through research, collaboration, and capacity-building. Empowering emerging researchers with the skills to write grant proposals and secure funding is a critical step toward building evidence, fostering innovation, and achieving long-term impact."- Satvika Garg, PhD, OTR/L, AOTF Chief Scientific Officer

The next WISH workshop is planned for May 2026.

If you're inspired to apply for one of our many grant programs, check out our current funding cycle timeline and request for applications. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!