PT and PTA Students Give Forward to Research

Why should students support the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR)? Research is the foundation of physical therapy practice and education.

Research guides how you deliver care, how you learn, and how you are paid for services. As students, you can make a big difference. Since the Challenge first began in 1989, students like you have raised more than $4.6 million for research! These donations make it possible for FPTR to fund research grants, scholarships, and fellowships.

Kickstarting Careers with Protected Research Time

Students understand the challenges of balancing life with education goals. For new researchers, this is also true. Scholarships and fellowships provide the critical protected time and mentorship needed to become an independent investigator. FPTR uses a rigorous peer review process to identify the most promising researchers and supports their early career work so that they can continue to grow.

Sowing the Seeds for Research to Come

Research funding is competitive. As the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to funding physical therapy research, FPTR has helped to elevate physical therapy research to national funding agencies since 1979. For those that receive FPTR-funded research grants, pilot and smaller studies can lead to significant follow on funding. For every $1 we invest, our researchers secure $47 in follow on funding from larger funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health and Department of Veterans Affairs — more than $845 million to date. For those that apply but do not receive FPTR-funding, our peer review process provides valuable feedback that better prepares them for future grant applications.

Learn more about the research you're supporting.

Visit Foundation4pt.org

MEET SOME OF OUR RESEARCHERS