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

Clinical Research Network Planning Grants Announced

The Foundation for Physical Therapy recently awarded planning grants to 3 proposed Clinical Research Networks (CRN). The CRN initiative was established to promote collaborative research by bringing universities, hospitals, clinics, and other institutions together to share resources and work together to evaluate the effectiveness of physical therapist practice and address critical questions of APTA's Clinical Research Agenda.

The Foundation's Board of Trustees awarded the planning grants following an assessment and recommendation of 7 letters of intent by a "blue ribbon" external review panel. Members of the review panel included:

* Mary Ellen Michel, PhD
  Program Director
  National Institute of Neurological
    Disorders and Stroke
  National Institutes of Health

* Leigh Callahan, PhD
  Director
  Research Associate Professor of Medicine
  Thurston Arthritis Research Center
  University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill

* John Mason, PhD
  Blue Cross/Blue Shield Massachusetts

* George Wells, PhD
  Senior Scientist
  Clinical Epidemiology
  Ottawa Health Research Institute
  Professor
  Department of Medicine
  University of Ottawa

Each network will be submitting a CRN proposal to the Foundation by May 21, 2002. One proposal will be chosen to receive funding for a single Clinical Research Network. The CRN will be funded for up to 3 years with a total budget of $1.5 million.

These $5,000 planning grants will provide funding to develop comprehensive applications for a CRN. A planning grant was awarded to each of the following proposed Clinical Research Networks:

* John L Echternach, PT, EdD, ECS, FAPTA, School of Community Health Professions and Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, was awarded a planning grant to develop a proposal to establish the Center for the Study of Community Dwelling Elderly that will evaluate physical therapist examinations of and interventions for elderly of community dwellers. The Center will also focus on the factors that influence the functional abilities of the older population.

* Julie Fritz, PT, PhD, ATC, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, was awarded a planning grant to develop a proposal, "Classification in Physical Therapy Practice," to establish a clinical research network for the study of classification systems and their usefulness in musculoskeletal, pediatrics, and geriatrics practice areas.

* Carolee Winstein, PT, PhD, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, was awarded a planning grant to develop a proposal to establish PTClinResNet, a clinical research network focusing on identifying and testing strategies for improving function and reducing disability through interventions primarily aimed at muscle strengthening in patients with stroke, spinal cord injury, pediatric cerebral palsy, and postsurgical back pain.