Community Engaged Research Grant (NBCOT®)
Community Engaged Research Grant (NBCOT®) supports researchers and community partners in occupational therapy studies addressing community priorities to improve health, participation, and quality of life.
Funder: American Occupational Therapy Foundation
Due Dates: November 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET (Invited full applications) | March 2027 (Award notifications) | July 1, 2027 (Grant start)
Funding Amounts: Three non-renewable awards of up to $100,000 each, including indirect costs, for two years
Summary: Supports original occupational therapy research through equitable community-academic partnerships addressing community-identified priorities and service or knowledge gaps.
Key Information: Projects must include a community co-investigator or equivalent leader and a plan to compensate community partners.
Description
The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), with support from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), funds rigorous qualitative and/or quantitative studies grounded in community priorities and lived experiences. The program supports pilot and feasibility research that strengthens occupational therapy scholarship and positions investigators to pursue larger studies and future extramural funding, particularly in partnership with historically marginalized or underrepresented communities.
Community partners are expected to help identify priorities, shape research questions, design and implement studies, interpret findings, and disseminate results. The program emphasizes shared power, decision-making, responsibility, and co-learning. Its goals are culturally relevant, contextually appropriate research with mutually beneficial outcomes that improve health, participation, and quality of life.
