American Occupational Therapy Foundation

American Occupational Therapy Foundation Your support provides the necessary resources to enable AOTF to advance research, enhance leadership, and foster excellence in education and practice.

Established in 1965, AOTF is an independent charitable, scientific, and educational organization that serves as the premier resource for occupational therapy research and scholarship. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), founded in 1965 as a charitable 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, uses fiscal and human resources to expand and refine the body of knowledge of occupational ther

apy and promote understanding of the value of occupation in the interest of the public good. AOTF is committed to generating the evidence through which occupational therapy practitioners will be recognized as experts in everyday living, and as the principal contributors to systems and programs designed to promote healthy communities. The Foundation values its many partnerships and in particular takes pride in its joint projects with the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTF enthusiastically endorses and supports the profession’s Centennial Vision through its scholarships, grants, recognitions, publications and other programs supporting leadership and research development. Occupational therapy will continue to flourish as a 21st century profession through its commitment to being innovative, science-driven and evidence-based. AOTF serves this end by sponsoring programs that encourage strong linkages between practice, education, and research.

Explore our latest Researcher Spotlight with Dr. Khalilah Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA to learn more about her latest rese...
08/28/2026

Explore our latest Researcher Spotlight with Dr. Khalilah Johnson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA to learn more about her latest research study, which was supported by a 2023 AOTF Health Services Research Grant.

In this study, she and her team examine how race and neighborhood segregation intersect with access to occupational therapy, physical therapy, and home health services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Read the full Standing for Research Inclusion Diversity and Equity (STRIDE) spotlight to discover how Dr. Johnson’s work is shaping how the field views equity in healthcare access: https://www.aotf.org/highlights/stride-researcher-spotlight-khalilah-johnson-phd-otr-l-faota/

With just about a month left to nominate, we're featuring our A. Jean Ayres Award! This award recognizes individuals adv...
08/28/2026

With just about a month left to nominate, we're featuring our A. Jean Ayres Award! This award recognizes individuals advancing occupational therapy through research that develops or tests theory, with priority given to work in sensory processing.

The awardee will receive a $500 honorarium and be celebrated on stage during the Awards Ceremony at the 2027 American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA INSPIRE conference.

🌟 Do you know an OT research star that fits the criteria? Nominate them — or yourself! — by Sept. 30!

Review the steps to nominate on our website: https://www.aotf.org/about-us/awards/

STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Collaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration - CLASI

🎉 We’re so excited to announce our 2026 Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) Mentored Researc...
08/27/2026

🎉 We’re so excited to announce our 2026 Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) Mentored Research Scholarship Recipients!

Awarded yearly by the AOTF Standing for Research Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (STRIDE) Committee, these OT graduates and clinicians will participate in an immersive 22-week-long mentored research experience alongside an esteemed OT scientist.

We can't wait to hear about their findings at the 2027 American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA INSPIRE Conference! 🌟

Ohio Department of Behavioral Health Maynard Milestones Kennedy Krieger Institute

Occupational therapy research must be grounded in the priorities and lived experiences of the individuals it aims to ser...
08/26/2026

Occupational therapy research must be grounded in the priorities and lived experiences of the individuals it aims to serve, particularly for historically marginalized or underrepresented communities.

AOTF's Community Engaged Research Grant supports projects that meaningfully partner with community members to address community-identified priorities and co-create research that is equitable, relevant, and responsive to real-world needs.

This program is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the NBCOT® - OTR® & COTA® Certification.

Submit your Letter of Intent (LOI) by Sept. 18: https://www.aotf.org/fund/community-engaged-research-grant-nbcot/

08/26/2026

🎥 Hear from Danielle Amero, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and one of our 2026 Implementation Research Grant recipients, about how she's using this funding to study an implementation tool aimed at integrating occupational therapy into a community behavioral health setting.

📢 Applications for this year's grants are now open! Don't miss out on the chance to fund your implementation research project.

Submit your Letter of Intent (LOI) by September 18: https://www.aotf.org/fund/implementation-research-grant/

Co-design in mental health works together with people who have personal experiences of mental health diagnoses and servi...
08/21/2026

Co-design in mental health works together with people who have personal experiences of mental health diagnoses and service use to create more relevant and community-reflective solutions.

The co-design approach is increasingly used in mental health service design and delivery, but is less common in research.

In this scoping review from our OTJR: Special Issue on Community-Engaged Research, the researchers examined articles and reports to understand how co-design is explained in mental health research, what key ideas and values it includes, and recommendations to make co-design work well.

📖 Read the article from Roennfeldt et al.: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15394492251367259

As we enter the peak of award nomination season, we're featuring our Mid-Career Research Excellence Award, which celebra...
08/20/2026

As we enter the peak of award nomination season, we're featuring our Mid-Career Research Excellence Award, which celebrates a researcher 6-15 years post-doctorate whose work advances knowledge in occupational therapy.

The awardee will receive a $10,000 honorarium, present at our Research Excellence Symposium, and celebrate on stage during the Awards Ceremony at the 2027 AOTA INSPIRE conference.

🌟 Do you know an OT research star that fits the criteria? Nominate them — or yourself! — by Sept. 30!

Review the steps to nominate on our website: https://www.aotf.org/about-us/awards/

August is National Make-A-Will Month, a timely reminder to plan for your future and legacy.If you're updating (or making...
08/19/2026

August is National Make-A-Will Month, a timely reminder to plan for your future and legacy.

If you're updating (or making) your will this month, consider including AOTF in your estate plans. By investing in our programs, such as scholarships and research grants, you can make a lasting and meaningful contribution to the future of occupational therapy.

💙 Learn more about our planned giving opportunities: https://www.aotf.org/get-involved/planned-giving/

Many occupational therapists find it challenging to integrate and sustain effective, research-based health care services...
08/18/2026

Many occupational therapists find it challenging to integrate and sustain effective, research-based health care services in their practice settings because of individual, organizational, and broader systemic barriers.

AOTF's Implementation Research Grant offers up to $100,000 dollars to support projects that help take evidence-based practice from theory to reality by developing and evaluating the processes used to implement these practices into routine care.

✍️ Submit your letter of intent (LOI) by September 18: https://www.aotf.org/fund/implementation-research-grant/

📣 APPLICATIONS OPEN: Early Career Research Grants!Are you an emerging investigator looking to advance your early-stage r...
08/14/2026

📣 APPLICATIONS OPEN: Early Career Research Grants!

Are you an emerging investigator looking to advance your early-stage research project? Unlock $50K-$100K in funding to help you build the essential evidence needed to scale your project through our four grant programs.

✍️ Prepare your application today: https://www.aotf.org/funding/funding-overview/
📅 Letter of Intent for Intervention, Implementation, and Community Engaged Research Grants Due Sept. 18.

American Occupational Therapy Association - AOTA NBCOT® - OTR® & COTA® Certification American Hand Therapy Foundation American Society of Hand Therapists - ASHT

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