Calendar

25Jun2025

Funding Application Tips Live Q&A

6/25/2025 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

STRIDE Mentored Research Scholarship Deadline

7/7/2025

Thank you for joining us this year!

See you in Anaheim, California for AOTA INSPIRE 2026—April 23–25, 2026

AOTA INSPIRE 2025 Annual Conference & Expo Philadelphia, Pa. | April 3-5, 2025

Foundation Friday, April 4, 2025

Breakfast with a Scholar

7:00 – 9:00 am ET
Marriott Salons GH, Philadelphia Marriot Downtown
View program

A Journey Through Anxiety
David Anthony Rooney

Unprecedented exposure to the world around us is taking a toll on our mental health. Health polls indicate that U.S. adults are experiencing increasing anxiety, with young adults showing even higher trends. Drawing from his 30-year journey, David will inspire positive change in those dealing with anxiety or caring for others who do. Through authentic storytelling, validation, practical insights, and community building, he hopes to catalyze healing and support.

By attending AOTF Breakfast with a Scholar you will:

Recognize anxiety's emotional and physical dimensions.
Learn practical strategies to reduce, manage, and overcome anxiety.
Gain hope, resilience, and lasting calm.

The goal is to impart hope and illuminate the possibility of breaking free from the mental prison of anxiety, offering a roadmap to a life characterized by resilience, empowerment, and lasting calm. Acting as a guide and companion on the journey to mental well-being, David will inspire positive change in the lives of those dealing with anxiety or caring for others who do. Through authentic storytelling, validation, practical insights, and community building, he hopes to be a catalyst for healing and support.

Book will be available onsite for speaker signing.

Speaker Bio:

David Rooney David Anthony Rooney is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and Guinness world record-breaking musician from Dublin, Ireland. He has spent the last decade captivating audiences with his residency at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. His documentary, "An Irish Story: This Is My Home," explores the American Dream from an Irish immigrant perspective and has millions of views on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV. He performed 60 shows in all 50 U.S. states in 40 days. Voted Best Irish Singer/Songwriter of the Year, he won an EMMY for outstanding achievement in a documentary and the Beloit International Film Festival's People's Choice Award.

Beyond music and film, Rooney advocates for mental health and authored "Journey Through Anxiety," detailing his 30-year struggle with anxiety. Known for his honest and humorous approach, he is a respected musician, speaker, and author who regularly conducts talks on mental health and resilience and co-authored the TAP (Teen Anxiety Program), an evidence-based school curriculum utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy principles.

State of the Science

3:00 – 5:30 pm ET
Marriott Salons GH, Philadelphia Marriot Downtown
View Program

The Impact of Long COVID on Occupational Performance: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy Intervention and Research

Long COVID emerged as a complex, multi-system condition that challenged traditional diagnostic and treatment approaches. Learn about the opportunities for occupational therapy (OT) interventions and research to address the multifaceted nature of Long COVID symptoms. The panel will also discuss evidence-informed practice guidelines, using functional performance as a diagnostic marker, leveraging metacognition to mitigate the functional effects, long-term impact on disability and participation, and the importance of practice and policy development to support workplace accommodations.

Speakers:

Dorothy Farrar Edwards, PhD, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor Professor of Kinesiology and Medicine Director, Collaborative Center for Health Equity School of Education Associate Dean of Research University of Wisconsin-Madison
Anna Boone, PhD, OTR/L, MSOT, CBIS, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri Columbia
Malachy Clancy, PhD, OTR/L, BCPR, Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University
Kristen Kehl-Floberg, MSOT, OTR/L, BCG, PhD Student, University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health
Shawn C. Roll, PhD, OTR/L, RMSKS, FAOTA, FAIUM, Associate Professor at the University of Southern California’s Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Joy Hammel, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois
Jamie Wilcox, MPH, OTD, OTR/L, Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California’s Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy.

Research Excellence Symposium

12:30 – 2:00 pm ET
Marriott Salons F, Philadelphia Marriot Downtown

AOTF fosters and celebrates research excellence across various career stages with a vision of having a vibrant science that builds knowledge to support effective, evidence-based occupational therapy. The 2025 AOTF Early- and Mid-Career Research Excellence Awardees along with our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Awardee share insights from their career journey and latest research. Included with your AOTA Inspire main registration-

Jennifer Weaver, PhD, OTR/L, CBIS, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Janet Njelesani, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy New York University, New York, NY
Wendy Coster, PhD, OT, OTR, FAOTA, Professor Emerita, Occupational Therapy, Boston University Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation, Boston, MA

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Academy of Research Symposium

4:00 – 6:00 pm ET
Marriott Salons GH, Philadelphia Marriot Downtown

The 2025 AOTF Academy of Research in Occupational Therapy Inductees share their career journeys and the latest development in their research. Established in 1983, the AOTF Academy of Research in Occupational Therapy recognizes and honors individuals who have made exemplary, distinguished, and sustained contributions to the advancement of the science of occupational therapy. Included with your AOTA Inspire main registration-
Batya Engel-Yeger, PhD, Professor, Dean of Students, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Susan Magasi, PhD, MS, BScO, BSc, FACRM, Head and Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
Trudy Mallinson, PhD, OTR/L, FACRM, FAOTA, NZROT, Associate Dean for Health Sciences Research, Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Elizabeth A. Pfeiffer, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, Professor, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Plus, don't miss (Tip: Search "AOTF" in the AOTA INSPIRE App.)...

STRIDE Mentored Research Scholarship Posters, Thursday, 3-5pm, Phila. Convention Center, Ballroom AB
STRIDE Committee Informal Meet-Up, Thursday, 2:00 – 3:00 pm and Friday, 12:30 – 1:30 pm. AOTF Lounge, adjacent to AOTF Booth
Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: Precision Occupational Therapy Through Data Driven Decision Making, Roseann Schaaf, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, AOTF Academy of Research Member, Saturday, 11:15-12:30 pm, Phila. Convention Center
Promoting Engagement and Empowerment in Researchers (PEER) Hangout, Saturday, 1:30-2:30 pm. AOTF Staff Office (PCC Room 301).
Awards & Recognitions Ceremony, Saturday, 4:15-5:45pm, Phila. Convention Center, Hall C
Visit our AOTF Booth (Grand Hall across from registration):
- Support Occupational Therapy Research: Join us at our booth and spin the "Wheel of Philanthropy"! Your generous gift will be matched by Korro AI, doubling your impact on critical OT research.
- OT Student Scavenger Hunt & Gift Card Giveaway: Calling all OT students! Participate in our exciting Scavenger Hunt. Complete it by April 6 at 12:00 pm, to be entered to win one of five $100 Gift Cards sponsored by Occupationaltherapy.com
- Celebrate our 60th Anniversary
- View display of 2025 Grant and Scholarship recipients, St. Catherine Challenge Results and Award recipients
- Relax in our Donor Lounge
- Pick up free AOTF swag
- And more!

Thank You Sponsors

Premium Sponsors

Cancellation/Refund/Transfer Policies

AOTF Conference Archives:

Research Excellence Symposium Archived Recordings

Kristin Bukovsky / Tuesday, January 3, 2023

/ Categories: News

Top AOTF Accomplishments in 2022

MJ Mulcahey 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.

2.) Expanding Funding with New Research Training Grants and Fellowships

We awarded our inaugural Bonita Kraft Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Scholarship that supports an occupational therapist doctoral candidate in pursuing research in mental health and help increase the visibility of occupational therapy in mental health for adults AND the Nancy Talbot Postdoctoral Research Fellowship supporting postdoctoral training for individuals from racial and ethnic groups demonstrated to have low representation in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences.
Our newly created Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) OT Research Fund will support occupational therapy (OT) graduate students and clinicians from underrepresented groups 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. Additionally, the mentor will guide the applicant to prepare a presentation for the STRIDE Research Fund Symposium this year to showcase their work.

3.) Collaboratively Bringing OT Research to You

Our signature events at AOTA Conference 2022 were back live in San Antonio Texas, with Breakfast with a Scholar: An Unquiet Mind, by Dr. Kay Jamison Redfield, international authority and researcher on mood disorders and State of the Science: Healing from Trauma: The Value of Occupation and Therapeutic Alliance by a panel of senior investigators. See what we have in store for AOTA Inspire 2023.
The AOTF Standing Together for Research Inclusion Diversity and Equity (STRIDE) Committee presented a series of forums/webinars to provide the occupational therapy research community with knowledge and skills on engagement: Equity in Research- Setting the Stage for Ethical Collaboration, Developing the Research Proposal: Process and Ethics to Promote Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, Funded! Now What? Ensuring Governance and Expectations are Clear When Conducting Community-Engaged Research, Evaluating Equity and Effectiveness in Community Engagement. View archived webinar series.
We've collaborated with CoHSTAR and LeaRRn to bring you Workshop in Implementation Science and Health Services: Advancing Grant Writing Skills for Rehabilitation Researchers last May and will do it again May 2023 in Alexandria, Va. Applications for complimentary registration and travel awards will be accepted through Jan. 15, 2023.

4.) Supporting the Future with over 50 OT Scholarships

Over 50 OT students received scholarships ranging in value from $150 to $5,000 in 2022 from AOTF and its collaboration with organizational partners including state occupational therapy associations. The OT Scholarship Program is one of the oldest of the Foundation's programs dating back to the establishment of AOTF in 1965. Thank you to the Scholarship Selection Committee, comprised of volunteer occupational therapy practitioners and educators, who reviewed all applications and recommended scholarship recipients.

5.) PTE Continues to Grow

Pi Theta Epsilon (PTE), the national occupational therapy honor society, continues to advance its mission to support occupational therapy by promoting research, leadership, and scholarly activities.134 schools now have active chapters, with eight new ones joining PTE in 2022. For a fifth consecutive year, PTE’s successful partnership with OccupationalTherapy.com offered free continuing education courses to its active alumni and lifetime members. Thank you to the leadership of PTE officers and engagement of members! See how to start a chapter.

6.) Pathway to OT Research

A cohort of entry-level OT students participated in the AOTF/AOTA Future Scientists Institute, April 1st in San Antonio, TX. The facilitators and mentors included faculty and doctoral/postdoctoral students from established research programs from around the nation. The program included several panel discussions covering the myths and truths of research, how and where it fits into occupational therapy, plus how it can elevate equity, justice and human potential. The participants were also invited to our Breakfast with a Scholar and State of the Science programs, AOTA's Presidential Farewell/Inaugural Addresses, as well as the Eleanor Slagle Lecture featuring our AOTF Board Vice Chair, Kristie Patten. Thanks to all speakers and participants! We look forward to the 2023 Institute in Kansas City, April 21-22.

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.

8.) Recognizing Research Excellence

Every year, AOTF bestows awards and honors to individuals that contribute time, energy, and support to the fulfillment of the mission, goals, and objectives of AOTF. See full list of recipients including our distinguished Academy of Research inductees, Natalie Leland, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FGSA, University of Pittsburgh; Elizabeth Pyatak, PhD, OTR/L, CDCES, FAOTA , University of Southern California; and Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, OTJR Editor-in-Chief, University of Missouri. View the 2022 Research Excellence Symposium with presentations from our Academy of Research Inductees and Early and Mid-Career Awardees.

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.

10.) OT Research Fun

In celebration of OT Month in April, we had some fun and created #OTWordle for everyone to play on our social media channels. Of the many participants who submitted their results on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram #OTWordle posts, three were randomly selected in our May drawing for an AOTF Prize Pack. Have ideas for this coming OT month? Email us.

11.) Thank YOU for Strengthening the Future of OT!

Our generous donors who made gifts during the fiscal year 2022 enables AOTF to invest in new OT research, support OT students at all degree levels and to disseminate vital information to the profession. All our work and the impact of that work is made possible through the power of philanthropy. The full list of donors will be available at www.aotf.org and in our upcoming 2022 Annual Report. Become a Donor: Give a tax-deductible gift.
Our dedicated volunteers from all areas of occupational therapy and the public are essential to implementing our strategies to build critical evidence. If you would like to become a volunteer, view opportunities and apply.
Together with our valued partners, we've created new programs, events, and opportunities to build and share evidence in demand. We look forward to collaborating this year with established and new partners.