Community Engaged Research Grant (NBCOT®)
Supports collaborative occupational therapy research with underrepresented communities, emphasizing equitable community-academic partnerships and rigorous methodologies to address real-world needs.
Funder: American Occupational Therapy Foundation
Due Dates: September 19, 2025 (Letter of Intent) | November 21, 2025 (Full application) | August 14, 2026 (LOI portal opens) | September 19, 2026 (Letter of Intent/application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 total per award (including indirect costs) over 2 years; 2–3 awards per cycle.
Summary: Supports collaborative, community-driven occupational therapy research addressing equity and the needs of underrepresented populations.
Key Information: Requires a community-academic partnership and a PI who is an early career researcher at a U.S. non-profit institution.
Description
This grant supports research projects that advance occupational therapy scholarship through equitable, collaborative partnerships with historically marginalized or underrepresented communities. The program emphasizes shared power and responsibility between academic researchers and community-based partners, ensuring research is grounded in real-world needs and priorities. Funded projects must employ rigorous qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies to address research priorities or service and knowledge gaps identified in partnership with communities. The initiative is designed as pilot funding to foster meaningful engagement of community partners across all phases of research, strengthening the rigor, relevance, and equity of occupational therapy scholarship.
