Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

09/02/2026

Please join us in welcoming Tonal as a new Bronze Partner in Research! Their smart home gym combines digital resistance, personalized coaching, and performance tracking in one compact system. Thank you for your support!

Interested in becoming a Partner in Research? Learn more: https://foundation4pt.org/our-partners/

08/27/2026

Want the latest Foundation news, including funding opportunity updates, researcher spotlights, donor stories, and more? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/516f4647f2b3/foundation4pt-newsletter-sign-up

08/26/2026

What if the NICU became a physical therapist's home base? Hear how Foundation funding recipient Dana McCarty, PT, DPT, PhD, and her colleagues developed the idea of immersive therapy, a model that would enable therapists to be more consistently present to support infants, families, and care teams.

Be sure to check out the latest issue of APTA Magazine to learn more about Dana's research.

UNC Division of Physical Therapy

08/25/2026

📅August is Make a Will Month.
As you plan for the future, consider the legacy you want to leave for the people and causes that matter most to you.

A planned gift to the Foundation helps support researchers whose work helps advance physical therapy and improves patient care. Whether through a bequest in your will or by naming the Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement account or other assets, your gift can help support the future of the profession.

Learn more about planned giving and how to include the Foundation in your estate plans: legacyfpt.org

08/19/2026

The Foundation Board of Trustees is at APTA HQ this week to discuss all things mission-related.

We're thankful for the trustees who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure the Foundation remains a strong resource for physical therapy research and the next generation of researchers.



Pictured from left to right. Top Row: Jerry Smith, PT; Nancy Byl, PT, PhD, MPH, FAPTA; Peter McMenamin, PT, DPT, MS; Christopher Powers, PT, PhD, FAPTA; Terry Brown, PT, DPT; Don Jackson, PT, MS.
Bottom Row: Stuart Binder-Macleod, PT, PhD, FAPTA; Marc Guillet, PT, MS; Linda Van Dillen, PT, PhD, FAPTA; Barbara H Connolly, PT, DPT, EdD, FAPTA; Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA; Eva Norman, PT, DPT, CEEAA, David Rouen III, Rebecca L Craik, PT, PhD, FAPTA.

08/13/2026

TIGRR 2027 applications close tomorrow, August 14! Learn more and apply.

University of Colorado Anschutz
Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy
American Occupational Therapy Foundation

🚨 Applications Opening Soon: TIGRR 2027 🚨
Are you an early-career rehabilitation research scientist looking to strengthen your grant writing skills and boost your funding success?

The Training in Grantsmanship for Rehabilitation Research (TIGRR) workshop is back! This 4-day program connects participants with nationally recognized mentors for one-on-one guidance in developing competitive funding proposals.

The Foundation is proud to support this impactful initiative, helping to advance the next generation of rehabilitation scientists.

📅 Applications open: July 1, 2026
📅 Deadline: August 14, 2026
📅 Workshop: January 4–8, 2027

Whether you are refining your first proposal or aiming to take your grantsmanship to the next level, TIGRR offers the expertise and support to help you succeed.

🔗 Learn more and apply:
https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/physical-therapy-program/research/tigrr

American Occupational Therapy Foundation
Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy
Shepherd Center
University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

08/13/2026

Congratulations to Dana McCarty and Catherine Ustby on their recent publication, Immersive Physical and Occupational Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Non-Randomized Comparative Cohort Trial Protocol!

This project was made possible through funding from the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research , supporting continued research, innovation, and advancement of the physical therapy profession. This study explores an immersive rehabilitation model in the NICU, aiming to better understand how early, intensive physical and occupational therapy may improve outcomes for infants and their families.

We're especially proud to celebrate Catherine Ustby, a graduate of UNC DPT's Pediatric Residency and Neonatal Physical Therapy Fellowship. Congratulations to the authors on this important contribution to neonatal rehabilitation research!

08/11/2026

The Foundation spoke with Dana McCarty, PT, DPT, PhD, the 2024 Paris Patla Physical Therapy Research Grant recipient, to learn more about her work and research in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she is exploring an immersive therapy model in which PTs are continuously present to support infants and parents.

Watch this video to learn more about Dana's journey to becoming a PT and how that led her into PT research, and check out the latest issue of the APTA magazine for more about her work in the NICU.

UNC Division of Physical Therapy
UNC School of Medicine

08/07/2026

✍️ Have you updated your will? August is Make-a-Will Month.

Creating or updating your will is an important part of planning for the future. It's also an opportunity to support the future of physical therapy research.

By including the Foundation in your estate plans, you can help ensure continued investment in research and researchers in training for years to come. No matter the size, a planned gift can provide lasting support for the profession and the people it serves.

Learn more: legacyfpt.org

08/06/2026

The Foundation was proud to participate in the inaugural Summit to Advance Education Research in Physical Therapy, where Foundation Trustee Stuart Binder-Macleod, PT, PhD, FAPTA, and Manager, Scientific Programs, Beryl Leach, MPH, served as panelists. We appreciate the opportunity to support conversations that help advance physical therapy education research.