Funder: American Occupational Therapy Foundation
Due Dates: September 18, 2026 (LOI) | November 20, 2026 (Invited full application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000 for one year or $100,000 for two years, including indirect costs
Summary: Supports pilot research on implementing, sustaining, and scaling evidence-based occupational therapy services in routine care.
Key Information: All projects must integrate stakeholder/community partners into project planning and implementation.
Description
The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), with support from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, funds research that helps occupational therapists move evidence-informed practice into routine care. Projects develop or evaluate implementation methods, address barriers to uptake, and generate pilot data for larger implementation studies. This program concerns existing evidence-based interventions—not developing new clinical interventions or evaluating their overall safety and efficacy.
Projects addressing a specific situation in a single clinical setting are strongly encouraged, with preference for small practice settings. Broader implementation-methods studies are also welcome. Preference goes to theory-grounded projects whose findings apply beyond one setting. Research must reflect clinician needs and patient, caregiver, or health-system priorities, with stakeholders integrated throughout development and execution.
