In honor of Nancy Talbot, MEd, OTR, FAOTA, the AOTF has established the Nancy Talbot Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to support postdoctoral research training in occupational therapy. This one-year award will be $30,000 (with the possibility of a competitive renewal for a second year).
This fellowship seeks to improve diversity of the occupational therapy workforce by supporting postdoctoral training for individuals from racial and ethnic groups shown by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to be underrepresented by in health-related sciences on a national basis. Reports from the NSF and others provide strong evidence that underrepresentation remains an important problem that the entire research enterprise must actively address. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives and creativity to address complex scientific problems.
This fellowship will support the postdoctoral researchers from the following racial and ethnic groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or LatinX, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. Please refer to the following NIH link regarding information on underrepresented groups: Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be from an underrepresented group: Black or African American, Hispanic or LatinX, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiias and other Pacific Islander.
- Have an OT degree and a doctorate in OT or non-OT field (PhD/OTD/DrOT/ScD). Non-OT doctorates must perform their postdoc in an OT department.
- Have a mentor who has expertise in the area of research study.
- Have IRB in process or approved for the research study prior to applying for this fellowship.
- Conduct research at a US academic institution.
- Be a US citizen or have appropriate residence/visa documents.
Application Instructions for 2024-2025 Fellowship
Submissions closed on September 15, 2024.
Application Checklist:
- Application Instructions
- Award Guidelines
Questions? Contact research@aotf.org.
Nancy Holt Talbot MEd, OTR, FAOTA received both her baccalaureate degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master's degree in Education from the University of New Hampshire. After 5 years of clinical experience as a Psychiatric Occupational Therapist in VA hospitals in Massachusetts, she spent the rest of her professional career in academia. Her academic career began as an Instructor in Occupational Therapy at the University of New Hampshire. She subsequently was at Tufts University and spent the remainder of her career at Boston University. At BU she rose to Full Professor and Chairman of the Occupational Therapy Department, and subsequently served as Dean of Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences until retiring in 1996. Nancy also served in a variety of elected and appointed positions in the Massachusetts Occupational Therapy Association and in the AOTA, including Treasurer of AOTA for five years. She served with distinction as a professional member of the AOTF Board of Directors from 2000 to 2009. During her tenure she served on the Executive and Investment Committees, as Chair of the Nominating Committee, and as Secretary of the Board. She also served on other Boards including Assistive Technology in New Hampshire and Easterseals Massachusetts. She passed away in 2018.
Nancy Talbot Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Awardees
2024- Lindsay Spell, OTD, OTR/L, Washington University in St. Louis, Asthma Home Occupation-based Modified Environmental Assessment (HOME): A Pilot Study
2023- Dominique Como, PhD, EdM, OTR/L, University of Pittsburgh, Exploring the factors impacting the experiences of underrepresented older adults in post-acute care facilities
2022- Lady Rios-Vega OTD, OTR/L, Thomas Jefferson University, Improving Utilization of Occupational Therapy services for Black and African American Families of Children with Autism