25-year anniversary research milestones.

For 25 years, the Foundation for Physical Therapy has been committed to the advancement of the physical therapy profession through research by providing grants, fellowships, and scholarships to qualified physical therapist researchers throughout the country. Nowhere is this commitment and dedication more visible than in the accomplishments and successes of our 447 funding recipients. These individuals have turned $10 million in seed funding from the Foundation into more than $50 million from other funding sources such as the National Institutes of Health, universities, and other associations and foundations.

In its 25-year history, the Foundation has funded 339 research grants, 481 doctoral scholarships and fellowships, 2 clinical research centers, and 1 clinical research network. Based solely on Foundation-funded research, our recipients have published articles in 96 peer-reviewed journals and received follow-up funding from 69 other organizations. As these recipients continue their research careers, they expand their scope of research, increase their publication record, and garner increased funding. Based on new research funded through other sources, they have published articles in an additional 172 peer-reviewed journals and received funding from an additional 98 organizations.

Since 1998, the Foundation has awarded 130 scholarships to physical therapists studying for their doctoral degree at 32 different institutions; 10 fellowships ($30,000 each) for repetitive movement disorders and poststroke rehabilitation projects as well as topics in geriatrics and orthopedics; and 17 research grants ($40,000 each) addressing Clinical Research Agenda questions relating to low back pain, knee injury, work-related injury, use of and access to physical therapy services for spine disorders and chronic heart failure, factors related to patient adherence [or a home exercise program, and various geriatric and pediatric topics. In the past 6 years alone, the Foundation has awarded $3.7 million of the $10 million total awarded since 1979.

The Foundation is currently in the midst of the largest funding project in its history--the Clinical Research Network (CRN), "PTClinResNet." A $1.5 million, 3-year grant was awarded in 2002 to principal investigator Carolee Winstein, PT, PhD, FAPTA, University of Southern California, with satellite sites at Northwestern University, Chicago; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Downey, Calif; Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Mo; University of California at Los Angeles/Orthopaedic Hospital; and USC Physical Therapy Associates, Los Angeles.

The aims of the CRN are to evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy interventions focused on resistance exercise for muscle strength; to build infrastructure to support clinical trials research; and to provide education and training opportunities. The CRN consists of 4 projects: STEPS: Strength Training Effectiveness Post-Stroke; MUSSEL: Muscle Specific Strengthening Effectiveness Post Lumbar Microdiscectomy; PEDALS: Pediatric Endurance Development and Limb Strengthening; and STOMPS: Strengthening and Optimal Movements for Painful Shoulders in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

Looking to the future, the Foundation plans to increase the awareness among physical therapists nationwide about the importance of research. In addition, the Foundation aims to bridge the gap between research and practice by continuing to fund clinically based research demonstrating the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions and expanding the knowledge base of the profession.

The Foundation would like to thank all of its many generous donors over the past 25 years who have made the Foundation's ultimate goal of improving the quality and delivery of patient care through support for scientifically based and clinically relevant physical therapy research a reality. We'd also like to extend our appreciation to the many volunteers over the past 25 years who have played a significant part in the success of all of the Foundation's fundraising events. For information on the Foundation's accomplishments in 2003, refer to the Annual Report included in the June 2004 issue of PT Magazine; visit the Foundation's Web site, www.apta.org/Foundation; or request a copy of the report from the Foundation at 800/875-1378.