Planning Grant Collective 2023: Functional Cognition- Moving the Science Forward

Oct. 16-17, 2023

The 2023 AOTF Planning Grant Collective, “Functional Cognition: Moving the Science Forward,” was held in Alexandria, VA, on October 16-17, 2023.

The program brought together over 45 occupational therapy leaders to clarify and advance occupational therapists’ critical role in supporting positive consumer outcomes through assessing and treating functional cognition across different age groups and care settings. The focus of this two-day AOTF Planning Grant Collective workshop, titled “Functional Cognition: Moving the Science Forward,” was to set priorities for functional cognition research, identify and address the gaps in evidence, advance the science, and influence education, practice, and policy.  

This meeting is a first step in developing collaborative teams that will continue to meet to create further action steps and projects, white papers, and new research grant proposals to move the profession forward in

the area of functional cognition to maximize client outcomes. 

The Foundation plans to convene one Collective a year, and plans are underway for 2024.  We believe this interdisciplinary approach to identifying essential research topics will result in critical new research in questions of great interest and opportunity for the OT profession.

View OTJR article for summary of the key concepts and recommendations: 
coming soon

Planning Grant Committee

Carolyn Baum, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis 
Lisa Tabor Connor, PhD, MSOT, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Dorothy Farrar Edwards, PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Erin R. Foster, OTD, MSCI, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Yael Goverover, PhD, OTR/L,  NYU Steinhardt
Gordon Muir Giles, PhD, OTR/L, Samuel Merritt University
Joan Toglia, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Mercy University
Scott Campbell, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, American Occupational Therapy Foundation

Participants

Katie Alexander, OTD, MS, OTR/L, Unstuck and On Target
Peggy Barco, OTD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Nathalie Bier, PhD, University of Montréal
Anna Boone, PhD, MSOT, OTR/L, University of Missouri
Carolina Bottari, PhD, University of Montréal
Catana Brown, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Midwestern University-Glendale
Suzanne Burns, PhD, OTR/L, University of New Mexico
Susan Cahill, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
Beth Cardell, PhD, OTR/L, University of Utah
Kelly Casey, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR, ATP, CPAM, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Patricia Cornille, OTD, OTR/L, Vita Cura Solutions
Meghan Doherty, OTD, OTR/L, Saint Louis University
Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, University of Missouri
Lindsay Escott, OTD, OTR/L, Shirley Ryan Abilitylab
Meredith Gronski, OTD, OTR/L, CLA, FAOTA, Methodist University
Catherine Hoyt, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine
Jill Jonas, MSOT, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Kristen Kehl-Floberg, MSOT, OTR/L, BCG, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jessica Kersey, PhD, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Yejin  Lee, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Yating Lei, MS, OT, PhD Candidate, NYU Steinhardt
Trudy Mallinson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, The George Washington University
Tim Marks, PhD, OTR/L, University of Missouri - Columbia
Helene Polatajko, PhD, University of Toronto
Mary Radomski, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Allina Health/Courage Kenny Research
Elizabeth Rhodus, PhD, MS, OTR/L, University of Kentucky 
Juleen Rodakowski, OTD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, University of Pittsburgh
Meirav Rosenfeld, MS, OTR/L, NYU Steinhardt
Shlomit Rotenberg, PhD, University of Toronto
Sharmila Sandhu, JD, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
Jaclyn Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L, BCMH, National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Jaclyn Stephens, PhD, OTR, Colorado State University
Quinn Tyminski, OTD, OTR/L, BCMH, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Asha Vas, PhD, OT, CBIST, Texas Woman’s University
Kelsey Watters, CScD, OTR/L, BCPR, CBIS, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Partners 

Tina Harris, University of Pittsburgh
Sular Gordon, Washington University in St. Louis
Rachel Sieber, OTR, Texas Institute of Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR)                                                         
Debbie Amini, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)