Scholarships, fellowships, and grants. (Foundation for Physical Therapy).

Clinical Research Network

The Clinical Research Network (CRN) will focus on examining the effectiveness of physical therapist practice throught collaboration among institutions. Collaboration across institutions is the key component to the Network. The cost of funding and administrative support for the CRN is estimated at $1.8 million over a 3-year period beginning in 2002. The CRN will support APTA's Clinical Research Agenda and will be funded following a competitive review process.

The CRN will consist of a coordinating center, which will be the applicant organization, and at least two satellite sites. Satellite sites preferably will not be part of the applicant organization; that is, the participants will be different schools, departments, hospitals, or clinics within different institutions. Plans for collaboration among the various sites and use of shared facilities, resources, and patient populations will be required within the application.

The CRN's objectives are:

* To support research projects that address questions that are identified in the Clinical Research Agenda. The overall theme of the research activity for the CRN should be of high priority to the profession, affect a wide range of people within the scope of physical therapist practice, and focus on the effectiveness of physical therapist interventions.

* To promote collaborative research among experienced investigators in different clinical areas of physical therapist practice, including orthopedic, geriatric, neurologic, pediatric, cardiopulmonary, and sports physical therapy.

* To provide a multisite environment that attracts and develops both established investigators and promising new ones.

* To foster effective and efficient use of resources to establish a permanent infrastructure for physical therapy research.

The CRN schedule for the 2001-2002 grant cycle is:

* Letter of Intent Receipt Date:

October 1, 2001

* Planning Grants Awarded:

January 4, 2002

* CRN Application Receipt Date:

May 21, 2002

* Peer Review Panel Date:

June 2, 2002

* Board of Trustees Review:

July 2, 2002

* Earliest Anticipated Start Date:

October 2, 2002

"The Foundation is excited about the formation of the CRN and its role in bringing our profession to the forefront of physical therapy research. It will allow our profession to reach new heights by making it possible to conduct coordinated research in physical therapy with universities, hospitals, clinics and other institutions," said Foundation President and Chair Jayne Snyder.

For more information on the Clinical Research Network or to make a donation to the Foundation, please email the Foundation at [e-mail], visit our Web site at www.apta.org/ foundation, or call 800-875-1378.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the CRN funding affect the funding for doctoral education and the small grants?

The Board of Trustees of the Foundation is committed to raising new money to fund the CRN. Current funding for doctoral awards and for small individual grants will proceed as they have previously.

Who will review the letters of intent and the final grant proposals?

Reviewers are not physical therapists but are familiar with physical therapy research. The reviewers are previous or current members of the Advisory Panel on Research select staff members at National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation (NIDRR) or the Veterans Administration (VA).

Will the funding include indirect costs?

No, indirect costs will not be included in either the planning or the CRN grants.

Will the study have to include a Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)?

Yes, the Foundation for Physical Therapy is committed to appropriate data safety and monitoring. Any sponsored or conducted clinical studies should have in place a system for appropriate oversight and monitoring to ensure the safety of participants and the validity of the data. Therefore, it will be critical to identify a group of individuals who are not part of the ongoing investigation who will oversee the proper data handling.

Will DSMB procedures have to be described in detail?

Yes, an operation manual listing all of the procedures used for intervention and data collection and analysis will have to be compiled and approved prior to the release of funding.

Will institutional review board (IRB) approval have to be received prior to submission of the final proposal?

The appropriate forms will have to be completed, but IRB approval can be pending at the time of the proposal submission. Funds will not be released to begin the study, however, until IRB approval is received from each participating organization. Final IRB approval is expected within 30 days of award notification.