Eligibility Criteria

Primary applicant must:

• Be a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant or a student partnering with a physical therapist/physical therapist assistant, who at the time the grant is awarded identifies an innovative design, recruiting, mentoring program design, or research.
• Possess a license to practice physical therapy in a U.S. jurisdiction or have met all the requirements for licensure in a U.S. jurisdiction.
• Be a member of APTA in good standing.

Criteria for Selection

Applicant must demonstrate:

• Continuous progress toward the implementation and completion of the program and/or project within 12 months.
• Commitment to serving the community.
• A commitment to further the physical therapy profession through the use of the grant in research, mentoring, and recruitment and retention programs or projects bysharing data collected, outcomes, and lessons learned with the PT Fund Board of Trustees.

What Recipients Receive

Recipients receive a one-time grant of up to $10,000 to be applied to the proposed program or activities. The applicant must be the program representative to submit on its behalf.

Applicant may not use the funding to support salaries or stipends.

Submission Requirements

The following documents must be uploaded electronically via APTA's designated grants portal:

• Application form. 
• A detailed proposal describing the program, proposed budget, implementation timeline, measurable goals and outcomes, and the data to be collected to assess the goals and outcomes outlining programmatic goals, along with plans to contribute to the profession. (Found in the application form.) 
  • The proposal must include a response to the following four questions listed in the application:  
    • What is the program design and project goals? Please describe how these goals will be accomplished. 
    • What will be the areas of concentration with this program or project and the issue you are proposing to address? 
    • How do you plan to contribute to the growth, development, and sustainability of this program or project which supports the physical therapy profession? 
    • What activities and contributions to community-focused programs and projects that support this application have you completed to date? 
  • Applicants must provide evidence of support for the development of the program. 
  • Recipients of the grant will be expected to provide regular progress and accounting reports. 
  • Recipients will be expected to share data collected, outcomes, and lessons learned with the PT Fund Board of Trustees. 
  • Recipients will be expected to disseminate findings through professional conference presentations and/or journal publications.
• Three letters of support that demonstrate evidence of program support. 
• Timeline of the program or project. 
• Current curriculum vitae.

Submit a Nomination

The nominations call for the Honors and Awards program is open Sept. 1- Dec. 1. Nominations must be submitted through our online portal by Dec. 1; late submissions will not be considered. Selected recipients and their nominators will be notified in May.

Additional Resources

For questions regarding the nomination process or the award, please contact APTA Honors and Awards.