Researchers Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, and Jewel Crasta, PhD, OTR/L (pictured l-r below), from The Ohio State University’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, have recently received a $2.9 million grant from the Department of Defense’s Autism Research Program. The funding will further support their AquOTic lab, pioneering a scalable, evidence-based water safety program tailored for children on the autism spectrum. The pilot adaptive swim program was initially funded by a 2022 AOTF Intervention Research Grant (IRG). Recruitment for instructor training for the next phase of the program will begin in September 2025. You may read the full OSU article for more information.

AOTF 2025 Interview with Jewel Crasta, PhD, OTR/L

Initial Impact

How did the AOTF research grant specifically impact your ability to pursue further funding opportunities?
The initial funding from AOTF allowed us to establish AquOTic as a manualized and evidence-based intervention, providing the necessary resources for rigorous implementation and evaluation. This investment demonstrated proof of concept and positioned us to approach larger funders with preliminary data, feasibility results, and evidence of community impact. The pilot randomized controlled trial also allowed us to demonstrate our team's ability to conduct a rigorous clinical trial successfully and show the efficacy of the AquOTic program in improving water competency among children on the autism spectrum, along with caregiver-reported goals, which underscored our readiness to lead larger-scale trials.

What changes or developments within your organization were enabled by our funding, which, in turn, strengthened your position for follow-on grants?
With AOTF's IRG support, we developed intervention manuals, established treatment fidelity procedures, identified AquOTic's active ingredients, and established standardized training protocols. These developments built the foundation for intervention fidelity and scalability—key factors that strengthened our applications for federal grants.

The Follow-On Funding Process

Can you describe how you identified and pursued the subsequent funding opportunities?
We systematically reviewed funding mechanisms that aligned with our mission, focusing on autism intervention and community-based rehabilitation science. We targeted federal programs such as NIH that had a NOSI (Notice of Special Interest) on drowning prevention research, and DoD's Autism Research Program.

Specific Examples and Evidence

Could you share specific examples of how our funding helped you achieve results that were compelling to other funders?
Our ability to successfully recruit and provide the AquOTic intervention to over 37 children on the autism spectrum using a rigorous randomized control trial framework, and show significant improvements in children's water competency skills, provided compelling evidence of both efficacy and real-world applicability. We were able to show that the study interventionists achieved high treatment fidelity, which further strengthened our proposal to train community interventionists on AquOTic to ensure scalability. View swim safety tips for children with autism and at-home water safety activities.

What data, stories, or achievements resulting from our funding were particularly impactful in your follow-on grant applications? 

• We published clinical trial results showing significant improvements in children’s foundational water competency skills in Frontiers in Pediatrics (Kemp E, et al., 2024).
• The narrative of families who transitioned from being unable to access traditional swim lessons to having their child's unique needs met during AquOTic, with improvements in water safety and swim skills.

Lessons Learned

What lessons did you learn during the process of securing the follow-on funding, which you believe were influenced by your experience with our organization?
We learned the importance of conducting a rigorous pilot trial with standardized outcomes and family-centered narratives.

Are there specific resources, support, or guidance that our organization provided that were particularly helpful in your subsequent fundraising efforts?
The visibility and credibility gained through AOTF's IRG grant served as a critical endorsement when pursuing competitive grants.

Support early career OT research, donate, and/or apply to our Intervention and Implementation Research Grants now open. Letter of Intent due Sept. 19, 2025. 

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!

Improving care is a constant journey in occupational therapy (OT). At the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), we are deeply committed to advancing this mission by fostering high-quality, scientifically backed evidence that meets the growing demands of our profession. This evidence is crucial—it empowers people of all ages and abilities to engage in the activities that bring meaning to their lives.

However, the path to groundbreaking research has its challenges. One of the most significant hurdles is more funding for early-stage research. With the necessary financial support, innovative ideas can often take root. They cannot generate the pilot data needed to build a proof of concept or scale up to more extensive studies that require larger, statistically significant sample sizes.

Recognizing this gap in the OT research landscape, AOTF took action. We created the *Intervention Research Grant (IRG) Program*—a groundbreaking initiative to provide critical seed funding for early-stage OT research. Since its inception in 2014, the program has supported 50 grantees, each contributing to advancing occupational therapy through innovative research.

Over the past decade, this program has become a cornerstone of OT research, nurturing new evidence across more than two dozen practice areas, engaging underserved populations, and elevating the visibility of occupational therapy within the broader healthcare landscape.

The impact of the IRG program extends far beyond the research itself. It has also been a catalyst for the professional growth of countless OT researchers, enabling them to pursue novel ideas and contribute to the future of our field. But this program—and the progress it fuels—relies on the generosity of a community that believes in the power of OT research.

As we look toward the future, AOTF aims to raise at least $50,000 by September 30 to fund the next round of IRGs entirely in 2025. This funding is crucial to ensuring that we can continue supporting early-stage research that builds the evidence our profession, clients, and communities need.

We invite you to join us on this journey. Your gift, no matter the size, can make a profound difference. By supporting the IRG program, you are helping to plant the seeds for a brighter OT future.

To learn more about the IRG program, explore past grants, or make a donation, go to http://www.aotf.org/Support