Anita Bundy, ScD, OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA Colorado State University Ft. Collins, Colorado

Every year, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) bestows awards and honors to individuals that contribute time, energy, and support to the fulfillment of the AOTF mission- advancing the science of occupational therapy. The awards are presented annually at the AOTA/AOTF Awards Ceremony during the AOTA Annual Conference. 

ACADEMY OF RESEARCH 
Natalie Leland, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FGSA, University of Pittsburgh
Elizabeth Pyatak, PhD, OTR/L, CDCES, FAOTA, University of Southern California
Timothy J. Wolf, OTD, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, OTJR Editor-in-Chief, University of Missouri

AOTF EARLY CAREER RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD
Beth Fields, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, University of Wisconsin-Madison

AOTF MID-CAREER RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD
Juleen Rodakowski, OTD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, University of Pittsburgh

FRED SAMMONS VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARD
Charles Christiansen, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA

AOTF A. JEAN AYRES AWARD
Sarah Schoen, PhD, OTR/L, STAR Institute

AOTF VIRGINIA SCARDINA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Anita Bundy, Sc.D., OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA, Colorado State University

View Acceptance Speeches

AOTF MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD 
Nancy Baker, ScD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA, Tufts University
Simone Gill, PhD, OTR/L, Boston University
Forrest Pendleton, BA
Susan Stark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Washington University School of Medicine
Cheryl Strickland, OTR/L, Choice Rehabilitation

AOTF LEADERSHIP SERVICE COMMENDATION
Pat Booth, MAT
Ellen Cohn, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Boston University

AOTF PI THETA EPSILON MARY J. BRIDLE FIRST RESEARCH
Clarissa R. Stanhope, OTD, Rush University

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
Pooja A. Patel, DrOT, OTR/L, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
 

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Congratulations to our 2022 Health Services Research Grant Recipients:

Adam Kinney, PhD, OTR/L, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine
Access to Occupational Therapy Services among Veterans receiving Inpatient Psychiatric Care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Mentor: Lisa Brenner, PhD

Lauren Little, PhD, OTR, Rush University
Disparities and Costs of Access to Early Intervention Occupational Therapy Services
Mentor: Scott Tomchek, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Health Services Research (HSR) examines how people get access to health care, how and what care is delivered, the cost of that care, and what happens to patients as a result of receiving or not receiving care.  Specifically, HSR is a multidisciplinary field that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and costs of health care, and ultimately, the health and well-being of health care consumers. 

The Health Services Research Grant program is made possible through a generous donation from NBCOT.

Learn more about the HSR Grant

Congratulations to our 2022 Intervention Research Grant Recipients:

Megan Chang, PhD, OTR/L, MS, San Jose State University
Use of a Telehealth Approach to Build Resilience in Parents of Children with Autism through Mindfulness Practice
Mentor: Laurie Drabble, PhD

Erika Kemp, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, The Ohio State University
Determining Efficacy and Active Ingredients of the AquOTic program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mentor: Amy Darragh, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Kendra Heatwole Shank, PhD, OTR/L, CAPS, Towson University
MCI Intervention for Out-of-Home Participation: Aging, Cognition, & Meaningful Engagement (ACME) 
Mentor: Malcolm Cutchin, PhD 

Alix Sleight, PhD, OTD, MPH, OTR/L, Cedars-Sinai
The RISE (Re-Invent, Integrate, Strengthen, Expand) Occupation-Based Self-Management Program for Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study 
Mentor: Pamela Roberts PhD, OTR/L, SCFES, FAOTA, CPHQ, FNAP, FACRM

Victoria Wilburn, DHSc, OTR, FAOTA, Indiana University Indianapolis
Utilizing Ecological Momentary Assessment with Adolescents Attending a Recovery High School y
Mentor: Brandon Sorge, PhD

The purpose of this grant program is to lay the necessary groundwork for larger intervention studies and for larger implementation studies and support the profession’s Vision 2025 of occupational therapy as an evidence-based profession. The intent of the IRG program is to provide seed funding for the development of new and/or novel ideas in order to generate preliminary data as proof of concept. Most larger funders, including federal sources and most of the major nonprofit foundations, require this data in order to apply to them, yet sources to fund this preliminary work are limited at best. The AOTF IRG occupies a very important niche and fills a critical gap by investing in the development of ideas and data in the early state of the occupational therapy research enterprise. 

The Intervention Research Grant program receives donations from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the AOTF St. Catherine Challenge.