Research Grant Application
(APTA Academy of Education Policy and Procedures Section IV.C., approved 2/22/2021)

Title

I.  Specific Aims (1 page)

• State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the results of the proposed research will exert on the research field(s) involved.
• List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed, e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, challenge an existing paradigm or clinical practice, address a critical barrier to progress in the field, or develop new technology.

II. Research Strategy (6-page limit)

Significance

• Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed project addresses.
• Describe the scientific or theoretical premise for the proposed project, including consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of published research or preliminary data crucial to the support of your application.
• Explain how the proposed project will contribute to the existing knowledge, technical capability or practice of physical therapy education.

Innovation

• Explain how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or educational practice paradigms.
• Describe any novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation or interventions to be developed or used, and any advantage over existing methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.
• Explain any refinements, improvements, or new applications of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.

Approach

• Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe the design and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. Include how the subjects will be recruited and chosen, and how data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted, as well as any resource sharing plans as appropriate.
• For designs that randomize groups or deliver interventions to groups, describe how your methods for analysis and sample size are appropriate for your plans for participant assignment and intervention delivery. Are the study populations (size, gender, age, demographic group), proposed intervention arms/dose, and duration of the trial, appropriate, well described and justified?
• Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims.
• If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high-risk aspects of the proposed work.
• Explain how relevant biological variables, such as sex, are factored into research designs and analyses. For example, strong justification from the scientific literature, preliminary data, or other relevant considerations, must be provided for applications proposing to study only one sex.

Plan for disseminating results

• Describe how the results of the study will be shared with physical therapy colleagues. Grant awardees are requested to submit abstracts for the APTA Combined Sections Meeting or Educational Leadership Conference and manuscripts to the Journal of Physical Therapy Education or Physical Therapy.

III.  Resources   (no page limit)

• Budget and Justification. Allowable expenses include personnel, equipment, supplies, and travel of the investigators or participants associated with data collection. Expenses related to project dissemination are not allowed and the Academy will not pay overhead or indirect costs. Use the budget form to identify ALL expenses associated with the proposed project. On a separate sheet, provide a detailed justification for each item on the budget, including how the costs were determined and a justification for how the expense supports the project. If funds for items listed are not being requested from the Academy, identify source of funding or in-kind contribution.
• Facilities. Describe where the research will be done, including letters of support documenting permission to use and/or to access space and equipment.
• Resources. Describe any other resources. Include letters of support from all who pledge to help, provide in-kind contributions or provide release time. (i.e., clinic managers, recruitment sources, department chairs for release time).
• Biosketches. Include completed biosketch forms for key personnel named in the grant, e.g., PI, Co-PIs, others named (See NIH non-fellowship biosketch instructions).
• References. List references according to the Guidelines for Instructions to Authors in Physical Therapy. Single-space the reference list.

If Proposal is Awarded: The PI will send a final report to academy@aptaeducation.org (Subject Line: Grant Final Report) no later than 60 days following the end of the grant period. Reprints of manuscripts published from the project should be sent to academy@aptaeducation.org. Investigators should acknowledge support from the APTA Academy of Education in any presentations or manuscripts.

Research Grant Application Budget Form

Note: Expenses related to project dissemination are not allowed and the APTA Academy of Education will not pay overhead or indirect costs.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Provide the following information for the Senior/key personnel and other significant contributors.
Follow this format for each person.  DO NOT EXCEED FIVE PAGES.

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

NAME:
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login):
POSITION TITLE:
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and residency training if applicable. Add/delete rows as necessary.)

A.        Personal Statement
B.        Positions and Honors
C.        Contributions to Science
D.        Additional Information: Research Support and/or Scholastic Performance